Where are all the bass??

[Rebelfisher]

This ice fishing season has been a spectacular one for me and my gang, to say the least....but, we,ve only managed 1 largemouth (15"...2.5#) Usually, during the month of February we get into them. (smallmouths especially...they make great fillets) but havent landed any except for the 1 mentioned above. Just wondering if its just us or has anybody else caught less bass this year?

[Van_Cleaver]

Somebody must have told them about the catch and keep/ release thread. 

[Ski Hunter]

I haven't had any problem with them so far this year. Too bad I really don't want to catch the things    Usually this time of year (right before ice out) I start landing quite a few fishing the shallows but they are completely incidental catches while fishing for muskies.

[crazycrawler]

Here in Mass. I would have to agree with you, it's been a low volume of Bass numbers every time out this year.

[icewagon]

This ice fishing season has been a spectacular one for me and my gang, to say the least....but, we,ve only managed 1 largemouth (15"...2.5#) Usually, during the month of February we get into them. (smallmouths especially...they make great fillets) but havent landed any except for the 1 mentioned above. Just wondering if its just us or has anybody else caught less bass this year?

Smallmouth fillets ?? 

[salmonrebel]

Somebody must have told them about the catch and keep/ release thread. 

That's excellent!

[digger953]

in my freezer
just put a 6 lb 10 oz in there sat night
we caught LM bass all day sat on tip ups

[Rebelfisher]

Smallmouth fillets ?? 

Smallmouth fillets are truly delicious. any bass, or for that matter...any fish OTHER THAN A STOCKED TROUT are delicious!!! But I wont ramble any further about that..its already in another thread! 

[salmonrebel]

in my freezer
just put a 6 lb 10 oz in there sat night
we caught LM bass all day sat on tip ups

I wish I had a freezer full of bass! ...Oh well, it's full of calico, walleye, gills, perch, and catties instead. I guess I got to buy another freezer, to start fillin' up on the bass!

[DasRottweiler]

Apparently your catch and kill methods have drained your lakes of bass. Try leaving some for your kids!
There are far better fish to eat than bass!  If its a freezer filling thing -try food stamps. That 6lber was prime genetic breed stock for future large bass-good job on removing that potential from the lake.

[Rebelfisher]

I say Take It To The Limit!  If nobody kept any bass...you'd have a stunted fishery such as the case with Lake Winola.

[salmonrebel]

in my freezer
just put a 6 lb 10 oz in there sat night
we caught LM bass all day sat on tip ups

Why didn't you throw that 6lb'er back?

[bassman79]

if you read the post about this fish on hills creek the one fella says they released all the fish they caught yea as usual another whopper story of the bass killers they have caught all the big ones and now have to drive north to wipe out our breeding stock--- if that bass was 20 in idoubt it was 6-10 at 20 in it would only run about 5 lbs another fish story keep killin all of them so when you quit catchin them in hills creek you will go some place else and hog all the fish you guys arent much smarter than the bass youre catchin bassman79

[bassman79]

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

[btechvft70]

the same thing can be said about alot of other species what about that 10 inch bull gill the 12 plus inch perch loaded w/ eggs and the 15" crappie why is it that no one knocks the person that kills these fish and guys are making such a fuss over one bass???

[Dizzy]

the same thing can be said about alot of other species what about that 10 inch bull gill the 12 plus inch perch loaded w/ eggs and the 15" crappie why is it that no one knocks the person that kills these fish and guys are making such a fuss over one bass???

Valid point.

[digger953]

if you read the post about this fish on hills creek the one fella says they released all the fish they caught yea as usual another whopper story of the bass killers they have caught all the big ones and now have to drive north to wipe out our breeding stock--- if that bass was 20 in idoubt it was 6-10 at 20 in it would only run about 5 lbs another fish story keep killin all of them so when you quit catchin them in hills creek you will go some place else and hog all the fish you guys arent much smarter than the bass youre catchin bassman79

another mister know it all 
well im here to tell you it was 6 lbs 10 oz and it need ed to be taken out so all them little ones can grow now that fish ate way to many little ones that could grow up to be big ones
your just jealous cause you didnt catch it so quit your cryin

[Gillaholic]

Apparently your catch and kill methods have drained your lakes of bass. Try leaving some for your kids!
There are far better fish to eat than bass!  If its a freezer filling thing -try food stamps. That 6lber was prime genetic breed stock for future large bass-good job on removing that potential from the lake.
(Image removed from quote.)

http://skam232.smugmug.com/photos/15367550_aXC9a-M.gif  http://skam232.smugmug.com/photos/15367550_aXC9a-M.gif

[sbfPA_Mike]

This petty little debate needs to stop. Unless you are an accredited fisheries biologist, you have no basis for rendering opinion. Since iceshanty has been operating for over 10 years, this horse has been dead for over 10 years. There are limits set for legal fish to keep, so y,all need to shut it.

[Gillaholic]

This petty little debate needs to stop. Unless you are an accredited fisheries biologist, you have no basis for rendering opinion. Since iceshanty has been operating for over 10 years, this horse has been dead for over 10 years. There are limits set for legal fish to keep, so y,all need to shut it.

AMEN BROTHER!..............AMEN!

[bassman79]

sorry mike this is not a dead horse issue it is a current event which is a matter of conserving fisheries for a good sustainable future of fishing you dont need to be a biologist to know how fisheries work you only need to be a fisherman with a brain if you are going to put a gag order on such subjects you might as well delete about 75% of this site there is nothing wrong with debates about important fishing topics bassman79

[Ski Hunter]

If you'd like to go the whole all bass (people consider these things gamefish ) must be released for the good of the fishery I'll be more than happy to give you access to the lake I learned to fish on. I grew up with people harvesting bass and picks and back then the average green carp (bass) went around 3-4# and 5 and 6s were common. Now after the past 10 years of everyone ramming C&R down everyones throats you're lucky to get a fish over 2#...theres been mass die offs of pannies and shiners due to the lack of food which in turn causes the predators to become undernourished/ die off. So 100% C&R sounds like the best thing in the world for me to cram down everyones throat 

I know plenty of lakes like this, both public and private, where the 100% C&R mentality has completely stunted the fishery. I don't know about you but I'd rather a shot at a few bigger fish than a few dozen dinks that are obviously malnourished and half dead.


Mike brings up a very valid point. While a lot of us like to think we know everything we don't. If you really think the limits are too high, fisheries are on the brink of collapse, ect; contact the PFBC with your concerns and their fisheries biologists would be more than happy to look into them. Ranting and raving on the internet will never get anything accomplished

[shantysitter]

sorry mike this is not a dead horse issue it is a current event which is a matter of conserving fisheries for a good sustainable future of fishing you dont need to be a biologist to know how fisheries work you only need to be a fisherman with a brain if you are going to put a gag order on such subjects you might as well delete about 75% of this site there is nothing wrong with debates about important fishing topics bassman79

The guy takes a bass out of the lake and catches grief about it . More people practice c -r now than ever before. I think the bigger concerns of conserving the fisheries would be protecting your lakes from invasive species . People are gripping about having to get there minnows tested in NY  for VHS but this disease could wipe out the fishery. Peoplewill always have an opinion on wether or not someone should keep a big fish. I feel if he wants to keep it and it is legal to keep than stop on the way home and buy some tarter sauce. GREATFISH.

[bassman79]

sitter this guy and his buddies have been bragging all winter about taking many large bass from hills creek this winter it is a small lake and this has been ongoing it is not about 1 fish there is as usual more to the story than you know about it sometimes it helps to know the whole sorry b4 rendering judgment also i am not against taking bass just against taking breeding stock bassman79

[shantysitter]

sitter this guy and his buddies have been bragging all winter about taking many large bass from hills creek this winter it is a small lake and this has been ongoing it is not about 1 fish there is as usual more to the story than you know about it sometimes it helps to know the whole sorry b4 rendering judgment also i am not against taking bass just against taking breeding stock bassman79

This post didn't say that they were catching the bass at Hills Creek. You posted that info. So next time you go to the lake and the amount of people there has doubled you have no one to blame but yourself. I have never fished Hills Creek but now that I know they are killing bass on that lake maybe me and my buddies will come up and set tipups all over the lake . PS  You are more than invited to the fish fry.

[Pajns]

If a Bass is hooked deep and bleeding I don't care what size it is...Its coming home!!!!   No sense in throwing it back down the hole and waste it. That goes for all gamefish. I know for a fact that Bass do taste better in the winter. I would never keep and eat em in the spring or summer. Maybe its in my head but alot of others agree. I fish for the sport...But...I also fish to bring home fish to eat. I've thrown alot of gamefish back down the hole. If I'm in the mood for a fish dinner....Oh well. What I catch is coming home. Last year while fishing a guy came up to me after landing a Bass on a tipup and said., I hope your letting the Bass go cause I fish tourneys here???  I said ....So I should let em go so YOU can fish in tourneys and win money and I'll go home without nothing. I think thats being greedy. Besides this is a meal for me.   With that He turned and walked away. I wouldn't have the nerve and I sure don't have the right to tell anyone what to do.

[bassman79]

good take as many as you can the law allows it  when they r all gone it dont whine about not catchin any bassman79

[Pajns]

One of the lakes I fish has been getting alot of pressure last 20 years or more. More citation fish including bass come out of there than any other lake in PA. And that is year in and year out. So your theory for this lake is wrong. You darn bet ya I going to keep what I want!!!!  People have been saying what you are saying for those 20 years or more........Still Bass in that lake!!!!  Still more citations that any other lake in PA. Guess if Crappieman or Troutman or Bluegillman did try and push his opinion on everyone then no one would be keeping any fish.

[shantysitter]

I bet alot othe people that are complaining about taking home bass are the same people that cry that there are no more deer left but apply for 2 doe tags.

[bassman79]

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