Where are all the bass??

[shantysitter]

that is typical -- lets change the subject cuz i cant justfy my remarks lets not compare apples to oranges bassman

I am not changing the subject .It's the same thing. You are complaining that they are killing the bass fishing on a certain lake while half of the people you talk to say there are no deer left. If you think people are taking to many fish out of the lake make a proposal to the game commission about making it a special regulation lake with a slot limit .Don't just complain on the computer.Are you jealous that these guys are showing you up all the time.

[ChenBassHead]

 This is ridiculous. You're acting as if you think that the bass population won't replenish itself. God forbid anyones keeps any. That bass = the death of a fishery. The fact is, generally speaking, most people will let bass go anyway. So what if someone keeps a few now and then? Here in NY, we can only keep bass in certain Finger Lakes during the winter. I think being able to keep them during the winter, then going to C&R at, say, April 1st, would help the fisheries. I was a fisheries student, and can tell you right now that on a lot of lakes we electroshocked, there were a lot of small bass. And the same goes for a lot of lakes I fish. Cull some from the herd. The fact is, the genetics from the big fish are still in the lake. It's not the end of a fishery just because someone keeps a big bass now and then.

-Zach

[shantysitter]

This is ridiculous. You're acting as if you think that the bass population won't replenish itself. God forbid anyones keeps any. That bass = the death of a fishery. The fact is, generally speaking, most people will let bass go anyway. So what if someone keeps a few now and then? Here in NY, we can only keep bass in certain Finger Lakes during the winter. I think being about to keep them during the winter, then going to C&R at, say, April 1st, would help the fisheries. I was a fisheries student, and can tell you right now that on a lot of lakes we electroshocked, there were a lot of small bass. And the same goes for a lot of lakes I fish. Cull some from the herd. The fact is, the genetics from the big fish are still in the lake. It's not the end of a fishery just because someone keeps a big bass now and then.

-Zach

THANK YOU I TOTALLY AGREE

[bassman79]

chen nice job !! RIDICULOUS?? ARE YOU KIDDING???  you better wake up and smell the coffee!!! im suprised that someone who studied fish would take such a position with a disregard for the future wow im amazed!!

[Pajns]

Come fish lakes in Western PA...you can catch all the big bass you want...year after year after year.

[bassman79]

I am not changing the subject .It's the same thing. You are complaining that they are killing the bass fishing on a certain lake while half of the people you talk to say there are no deer left. If you think people are taking to many fish out of the lake make a proposal to the game commission about making it a special regulation lake with a slot limit .Don't just complain on the computer.Are you jealous that these guys are showing you up all the time.


please!!! i dont fish for bass in the winter so i dont think these guys are showing me up --i dont eat ANY fish it doesnt take much skill to catch a half starved bass by hanging a minnow in front of his nose in the middle of winter-- catch a 15-20 lb sack of bass in the middle of summer wth no bait --that is what impresses me!!!

[ChenBassHead]

So what makes you right and myself and everyone else wrong? Please elaborate. You're surprised by my stance. Why, because it's educated or because it's not what you want to hear? The fact is, bass need culling. Who are you to be the bass police? If I went to PA and caught some bass, and decided to keep them, who are you to tell me I'm wrong? Please. I fish tournaments too. Some of the lakes I fish could really use some catch and KEEP. Don't try to force your views on everyone else.

[bassman79]

im not trying to force my views on anyone im voicing my opinion discussion is a good form of education  ithought  must be i am wrong chen your one post states some lakes you cant keep bass in the winter i wonder why that sort of goes along with my thoughts must be those laws are wrong or are they trying to protect a vulnerable fish during the winter?? as far as your word replenish how long does it take a bass in your area to grow to 6 lbs?? and how long for a 12 in perch?? and how long to grow a 10 in bluegill???no comparison in these times is there--also no comparison as to how many of these types there are in your waters --is there??are these points also wrong?? bassman79

[Pajns]

Don't think this debate will ever come to a happy result for either side. I applaud people who have a passion for the outdoors and their fav fish. Hats off to you!!!   But I will catch fish and release fish and bring some home for a meal. Until they change the laws...which are made by people alot more educated then me....I will keep some. Which has never been nowhere near the limit. I would never criticize people who are releasing em and in return I would also expect the same in return.

[icewagon]

i just checked that post it was by icewagon and he released his fish and did say digger had a hog laying on the ice so i mistook that but the big lunker was dead we might as well clean all the bid ones out of there we wouldnt want them to spawn too many fry and stunt the lake  bass killers are not impressive to me i fish 35 tourneys a year and catch and release hundreds of bass a year with no bait i catch the hard way it is real tuff to catch them by dangling a minnow on a tip up in front of their nose this takes a lot of skill bassman79

My son and I have caught many bass this ice season released a lot and kept some. I was unaware of your ownership of Hills Creek . The last time I talked to you, you told me,,,       "that's why I can't catch any in the spring"  evidently the bass I kept that day were in the lake that spring . You say you fish tourneys, most of the tourneys are in the spring. (spawning season) bass will attack anything that gets close to their bed when they are spawning   ANY KID WITH POLE CAN CATCH A BASS IN THE SPRING !!! Your lack of skill can not be made up by ranting . Because I fish only big bait I catch many big pickerel as well ,The # of bass up to 9" in the stomachs of these pickerel exceeded the # of bass I caught this year. Are we to randomly kill pickerel because they eat bass also ?

[bassman79]

NO  dontkill the pics wagon they are fun to catch also i fish pickerel tourniies!!! oh they are in ny so take all of those bone bags out of hills creek!!!

[bassman79]

Come fish lakes in Western PA...you can catch all the big bass you want...year after year after year.

     need directions i dont know where sixburgh is ill come out when it warms up ill be glad to take ya fishin pajns you pick the water i need a good launch  i have a big tug  im sure we would have fun as long as i caught the first fish bassman79

[Pajns]

Guess your not a Steeler fan??? 

[bassman79]

duh i figured it out right after i posted!!!!

[shantysitter]

You have never eaten a fish ;try one maybe you would change your view . Maybe these fish are starving because nobody is taking them out.iI hope you someday win the lottery so you can build your own pond and catch all the bass you want .If you are a   fisherman and fish bass on there beds yOU can't talk about a tipup being to easy. If there is any time of the year that bass should be closed is the spring .

[salmonrebel]

I find all of this hilarious. Most of us on here have been joking and highly exagerating about the issue of how many bass we are keeping, and the pro-C&A guys are flippin' their lids about it. Like MIKE said in a previous post. We are not fish biologists, so contact your local fish commission office for your complaints.

[salmonrebel]

This is ridiculous. You're acting as if you think that the bass population won't replenish itself. God forbid anyones keeps any. That bass = the death of a fishery. The fact is, generally speaking, most people will let bass go anyway. So what if someone keeps a few now and then? Here in NY, we can only keep bass in certain Finger Lakes during the winter. I think being able to keep them during the winter, then going to C&R at, say, April 1st, would help the fisheries. I was a fisheries student, and can tell you right now that on a lot of lakes we electroshocked, there were a lot of small bass. And the same goes for a lot of lakes I fish. Cull some from the herd. The fact is, the genetics from the big fish are still in the lake. It's not the end of a fishery just because someone keeps a big bass now and then.

-Zach

Very well said, ChenBassHead.
One of our area prime examples of this happening to, is Lake Winola. Lots a little ones. Good luck trying to find a nice one.

[TIME2FISH]

This thread has become analogous to fishing. You do a little “chumming” and you hook IS members. This is where “catch and release” really needs to be applied. The use of “barbless hooks” should be mandatory. The PB&FC says “chumming with corn or other bait to attract fish would be considered a legal practice, providing that anglers don't get carried away and liberally coat the bottom of the stream with corn. If this were the case, then it could be considered littering” Are we there yet???.

[btechvft70]

I agree salmonrebel I am not 100% sure the under 12" and over 18" is working on winola I have caught some nice bass out of there but you have to weed through 10 "winola keepers" to find a decent one

[salmonrebel]

I LOVE BASS!, THEY'RE DELICIOUS!!!

LET THE MASSACRE BEGIN!!!!!!!!!

EAT BASS!, IT'S THE OTHER WHITE MEAT!!!

[DasRottweiler]

I can see the maturity level decreasing at an alarming rate - Gilly calls me a baby -seriously -don`t like my views-then state your own and leave it at that ! That was what the post was intended for. Fine representations of your state.

[icewagon]

I always fish 2 holes for bass an 8" to fish through and a 2" hole to release them through. 

[JiggerMan]

there is a private lake that me and a couple of other guys fish alot and get some decent bass out of along with lots of medium sized ones.  actually it not uncommon to catch 30 bass between 2 people in a day of fishing.  they used to be pretty healthy but this year they are getting to be a little funny looking with the big heads and small bodies.  it is because they are malnourished due to there being so many of them in the lake. over the pasr few years the average sized fish has not increased but the popualtion has.  again not enough food for all of them.  

Our proposed plan for the summer is to have a giant fish fry with all the bass we can catch in a day, a few days this summer.  

do you think that will help get a healthier population of fish..... i think so.  

if you dont harvest fish regularly you get to many to compete for food.  

also you can not take all the small ones or all the big ones out because then there will be a dead spot in the cycle of that lake.  

if you through back everybass you get that is of prime breeding size then you could potentially hurt the quality of the fish in the lake because they wiil be producing more compititon for what little foods there is in the lake.  on the flip side of that they are also producing food for the mature fish.  it really is a is the glass half empty or half full look at things....

i guess the individuall fisherman should use their own judgement and decide what to do with the fish they catch.  

here is another thing that alot of guys dont get.  it goesalong with the cycles of lakes.  

there is this lake that you always got some nice fish out of everytime you went for a few years then all of a sudden you notice the big ones are not there any more or not near as many of them.  it is most likely not because of fish hogs going there durring what ever season and catching all of the big ones and keeping everone of them..... it is most likely that that particular age class of fish is just simply dwindling because of old age.   those quality will be back some day but it may be a couple of years or longer. alot of the time there are large numbers of really nice quality large fish of one species because that particular year there was a good hatch out and there was plenty of food around for them to grow quickly and not be victims to predation as easy thus creating a population boom in that year class fo fish.    

oh and once a fish gets to a certain age the are no longer prime breeders. there are all sorts of problems with fertility when they are older.  the fish may be really fat with eggs but they are vurtually worth less because they are no longer viable or atleast most of them wont be.  
    

thats it for now

[Rebelfisher]

Its really simple...you kill a mature tom (turkey) and what happens? the next largest takes his place.  you kill a trophy buck and what happens? Does all mating stop? No. The next largest claims the spot. Is the bass any different. No.   

[Rebelfisher]

Maybe we should start shooting deer with beanbags or paintball guns. That way we wont "harm" precious bambi and destroy his genetics. By using paintballs you'll be able to see if you hit the animal but he'll be able to "fight another day"! 

One more thing...if all you catch and release guys really catch so many bass...arent they MORE SUSCEPTIBLE to DYING??? The more times someone handles that fish the more likely it is to NOT survive! common sense. I dont care if you use imacculate catch and release tactics, you're still harming the fish everytime you touch it.  I think C&R harms MORE fish than keeping them. Thank god I had to add more wood to the fire, but had to get that off my chest.

[bassman79]

you r right rebel it is simple take large bunches of bass out of a small 137 acre lake year after year and soon enuff there wont be anymore big ones  left to make the little ones to grow up into the big ones!!! the lake i fish alot is where i am seeing numbers of bass taken thru the ice most of the bass live in the shallow end which is probaly .5 of the lake so how many bass can actually live in 65 acres of water?? and how long can that population sustain losing its breeding stock?? i know that small bodies of water like this can have certain species depleted but all i hear is that will never happen i guess i will give up on this one it looks like trying to help save some green carp is a waste of time  have fun bashing me some more with this thread im done with it bassman79 down and out!!!

[JiggerMan]

a fish is a fish correct........

fish swim correct......

fish like to eat correct...

I find it hard to believe that the bass only live in that small section of a lake and never move out unless they are on top of the ice. 

fish move with the food, the water temp, levels of Oxygen, cover, what ever.   I always get a kick out of guys that follow the stocking trucks around putting the trout in that special spot.  if its in a stream the fish may stay if it like the area but it also could swim up or down stream to find more suitable habitat.  it surely wont wait for the guy to come back to catch it on opening day.  lakes are the best to see this happen, ( oh by the way i work a trout hatchery and deliver some fish), we will pull up to a lake or pond and start handing buckets to guys to dump the trout and there is always a guy that will tak a bucket all the way tothe other side of the pond or even 50 ft away and think those fish are going to stay right there were he put them.  FISH SWIM AROUND......   

this year alone i have caught largemouths in 45 feet of water the same day i am catching them 10 feet of water.   i have also only caught them at one end of lake one day and gone the next day and only caught them at the other end.
 

[digger953]

take the big ones then the little ones have time to grow up into big ones instead of being eatin by all the big ones
they shoot carp with bow and arrows but dont see any body bashing that on here

[Gillaholic]

Maybe we should start shooting deer with beanbags or paintball guns. That way we wont "harm" precious bambi and destroy his genetics. By using paintballs you'll be able to see if you hit the animal but he'll be able to "fight another day"! 

One more thing...if all you catch and release guys really catch so many bass...arent they MORE SUSCEPTIBLE to DYING??? The more times someone handles that fish the more likely it is to NOT survive! common sense. I dont care if you use imacculate catch and release tactics, you're still harming the fish everytime you touch it.  I think C&R harms MORE fish than keeping them. Thank god I had to add more wood to the fire, but had to get that off my chest.

 

[Gillaholic]

I can see the maturity level decreasing at an alarming rate - Gilly calls me a baby -seriously -don`t like my views-then state your own and leave it at that ! That was what the post was intended for. Fine representations of your state.

I did state my own! If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck then it must be a duck!
Rebelfisher is right on the money about catch & realease. I watched a show on tv yesterday about you "Holyier Than Thou" bass fisherman. They fished in separate boats & when they caught a bass they cranked them in as hard as they could, banged them off the side of the boat, bounced them off the deck & then tossed them in the livewell. Later in the day they met to compare thier catch. They grabbed each fish by the lower jaw holding all the weight of the fish by the lower jaw & then piled them on top of another in a rubber bag, weighed them & then dumped them back into the live well to be released later. Then bragged about what good fishermen they were & how they would release the bass unharmed!!!! I really wonder if ANY of those fish will survive! Most of the so called tournament fishermen get out in their $20,000 plus bass boats with their 200 hp motors, tear up the lake & expect everyone to get out of their way because they are "Catch & Release Gods". You need to look in the mirror, get real & re-evaluate your selves!

Any body got any good recipies for bass filets!