Spots to 12" possibly

[top_dollar]

                  I think the following quote is a direct result of more C&R fishing and less folks keeping spotted bass to eat.  “We have extensive data going back to the 1980’s that clearly shows the decline in the number of 15-inch spotted bass in Table Rock Lake,” said MDC Fisheries Biologist Shane Bush. “This data also shows a steady increase in the spotted bass population since that time, and it’s increasing every year.”

              I think the length limit should depend on the management goal of the fishery.  If the goal is as many spotted bass as possible, keep the 15 inch limit, however, If the goal is trying to make the spotted bass in table rock larger on average, there is no doubt removing more smaller fish will accomplish that.  There is only so much forage to go around, so if you remove smaller fish, there will be more forage per fish, which = bigger fish at that age class. 

                Personally I don't think enough people keep and eat the bass for it to make much difference at this point.  There is such a cultural aversion to eating a bass anymore that if you do and tell someone about it, they will certainly let you know how offended they are.  The general consensus seems to be that bass are for sport, and other species are for food.  I personally don't feel that way, but I am certainly in the minority there. 

[Alex Heitman]

Should stay 15 inches. Look at LOZ beaver and bull. Hard to catch quality Spotted bass there and length limit is 12 inches. This is a head scratcher for sure for me. Focus on building back our LM population with stocking like Texas. 

[Phil Lilley]

Your comments matter on here.... MDC is reading.

[Phil Lilley]

 

So this is only Saturday. That’s when we get the big rain. 

[Phil Lilley]

I thought maybe since we hardly got any rain today it may have changed the long range forecast but….. nope

[Bill Babler]

That’s fine and dandy but MDC has kind of proven the point with they’re data. 

Reduce the harvest size to 12” and you will then see another decline in numbers of fish that are 12” and more. 

You absolutely don’t want this to turn into L of O, where a keeper spot is a rare critter.  Table Rock has the ability to grow 3-4 pound spots.

Not many and I’m going to say none this far North even is in the same category. 

The forage base here is not the question as it is more than adequate to handle way heavier amounts of predators than it is producing. 

If I were allowed to pick 11 men plus myself and we could each have 3 other fishermen in each boat for a total of 48 fishermen. I don’t care if they were 5 years old or 90 years old. 

With a legal length on K’s being 12” and a creel limit being 6 fish. We would fish from May 1st. till July 1st. With no bed fishing, just open water live bait fishing only 60 days, keeping all legal K’s, without a doubt we would damage this fishery. 

Put that in conjunction with all the guides now having no choice but to keep fish as they have been deemed unwanted and all the locals and tourists hammering on them 365 and really I don’t think it would be three years and it would be disastrous. 

MDC has a great thing going right now with the past stocking of the walleye that have really taken hold and a surging crappie population. Let’s not mess with the bass. 

I know there are some concerns about the goggle eye population and some concerns about the white bass. I don’t believe reducing the number of spotted bass will increase the WB population however they are after the forage a large percentage of the time. 

The gog’s I have no idea and I don’t believe the biologist do either. 

When is this hearing?  
 

 

[BilletHead]

             Are you all ok with catch and eat any legal bass?  I know bass fisherman who catch and keep any legal walleye they catch. Are there more walleye in table rock lake than bass?  Just asking not taking a side but I feel you all are being one sided? Seems like I see posts on 10, 20, 30 bass days but never see that for walleye fishermen. But incidental walleye catches are killed and eaten. 

[Bill Babler]

No there are differently not more walleye. However a totally different skill set and different equipment and locations are required. 

Probably the major thing however is mind set. 
 

Yes,  non-targeted catches of walleye by bass fishermen do take place, and lots of them. 

I love to fish for them but I take the majority of my bass gear out and replace it with walleye gear that is made to target them. 

If I catch two or three walleye in an 8 hr. day I’m tickled. I usually keep one. I either troll deep or use bottom bouncers with live bait fishing. I will also spoon for them.

Bass fishermen for the most parts want more bites regardless of size.  Also the amount of fishermen targeting walleye on a continuous basis is less than 1 percent of those casting for bass  Really not apples to apples  

 

[Alex Heitman]

My dad caught this tub K on Friday and I caught this 24 inch walleye. I was going to keep the walleye but figured it had eggs and let it go. We caught several other 16-17 inch Ks

[okie]

I don't remember all the details, but 20 ish years ago, Oklahoma biologists wanted to increase harvest of spots in Skiatook lake. Don't remember why, but they increased creel limits, shortened or maybe even removed length limt entirely,  and as I remember it they never were able to increase the kill of the spots. C&R was just too ingrained apparently. Not sure how it fits in here at TR. The post just jogged my memory.