12 inch limit on spotted bass to go into effect April 30

[olbasser]

Wonder what coin MDC used to make this decision?  All I've seen is they "believe" that this will improve black bass population. Sure would like to know when we can have data that shows a population change.  What will be done if there is no change, i.e, evaluate the result of your changes.  Lastly does a decrease in spots equate to an increase in largemouth or small mouth or something else.  Remember gobies were going to destroy the great lakes.

[fishinwrench]

48 minutes ago, olbasser said:

Wonder what coin MDC used to make this decision?  All I've seen is they "believe" that this will improve black bass population. Sure would like to know when we can have data that shows a population change.  What will be done if there is no change, i.e, evaluate the result of your changes.  Lastly does a decrease in spots equate to an increase in largemouth or small mouth or something else.  Remember gobies were going to destroy the great lakes.

Right.  Like everybody that fishes TR is suddenly going to start harvesting 12" Kentucky's 🙄

[Quillback]

With 12 inch spots being keepers, it is going to be a lot easier to tell your buds you caught a limit of keepers.  No need to mention they were all 12 1/8 inch fish.  Just say - "Yeah had a great day, caught a limit of solid keepers", and leave it at that.

[tjm]

What percentage of TR  bass anglers actually keep the fish? 

My first reaction was that the change will make very little difference, only those anglers that specifically want to eat  spotted bass will be affected, and they are still limited by number in possession.  It's been years since I kept a bass, but like any other fish, I'd prefer to eat the smaller, younger fish in hope/belief that they have accumulated less poisons.  If the length was 11" I might be more interested in  eating   bass, but that growth from 11 to 12 seems to take longer time than the growth from 6 to 11. 

[Flysmallie]

19 minutes ago, tjm said:

What percentage of TR  bass anglers actually keep the fish? 

The thing that would be most concerning to me is, how many meat fisherman are now booking trips to Table Rock to catch limits?

I bet it's more than you think. 

[miket]

Often fictional characters such as hordes of fishermen catching and keeping all spotted bass over 12" to "cook and eat" rears their heads when considering length limit changes. Some anglers will do just that but the vast majority will not so impacts tend to be minimal. I believe bass fishing is and has been based on "catch and release" for so long that it will exist as the norm. I am certain that if this change becomes detrimental to the spotted bass population that the MDC can and will act accordingly. Best thing to do is trust the MDC and enjoy your spotted bass fishing under the new rule.  Best of fishing to you!

[tjm]

4 hours ago, Flysmallie said:

The thing that would be most concerning to me is, how many meat fisherman are now booking trips to Table Rock to catch limits?

I bet it's more than you think. 

Perhaps. All the meat fishermen that I have known went for goggle eye, crappie, cats and suckers except a couple that liked white bass and some back east that liked carp. I've only known a few people that ate black bass. But I don't know many fishermen, the ones I see on the creeks seem to be all C&R.  

[Flysmallie]

Well I guess all is good to go then. If fishermen are always catch and release on bass wouldn’t it be much easier to just do away with any harvest laws on them. No sense in useless laws. 

[Terrierman]

I've eaten plenty of bass over the years.  Mostly on float trips or from farm ponds.  They're OK but I'd never target them for a fish fry.

[tjm]

3 hours ago, Flysmallie said:

Well I guess all is good to go then. If fishermen are always catch and release on bass wouldn’t it be much easier to just do away with any harvest laws on them. No sense in useless laws. 

Fishermen seem to fall into two or three categories and I have no idea of what percentage of each, there are the C&R type, the kill and eat them all poacher type, and the follow the rules and limits type, maybe other types too.  The laws are pretty much useless if unenforced and I don't often see them being enforced, but they do provide some guidance for the law abiding, and of course laws  never have applied to the poachers.