Harvesting Bass in Rivers and Streams

[TheCraftsman]

This is just my opinion, but I felt like this would be a good place to share my thoughts. How do y'all feel about these things: http://phkellnerfishing.blogspot.com/2012/06/small-and-large-waters.html

[RiveRover]

Personally I cant think of a good reason to take a Bass for anything. I fish the Lower Colorado and it sickens me everytime I see a stringer full of Bass killed for the frying pan or hero shots or whatever reason people can think of. The real value in these fish is when they are swimming, breeding and spreading superior genes, not in a frying pan.

[TheCraftsman]

I agree 100% with you, however I don't know that we could ever sway the rest of the fishing population enough to get TPWD to do a 180 on the 5 bass limit.

[lilpdriverrat]

I hardly ever keep fish to eat, but I do not see anything wrong with someone legally keeping few eating size/small bass to eat. Heck, I do enjoy a good bass filet on the riverbank from time to time.

[TheCraftsman]

I hardly ever keep fish to eat, but I do not see anything wrong with someone legally keeping few eating size/small bass to eat. Heck, I do enjoy a good bass filet on the riverbank from time to time.

I too keep a few small bass every now and then, but only from larger body's of water that TPWD often seems to beg for people to remove fish from. There are plenty of large bodies of water around here that are "overstocked" with bass, and removing some of the smaller fish can help the fishery. However, the smaller river and streams around here are not overstocked by any-means, and with less fish, there is more of an impact on the population when a fish or two is removed (especially the big bass.) Many of our rivers have non-native basses (such as the smallmouth) that can harm the native populations of bass. I have absolutely no problem with someone catching and keeping these fish at all.

[HookUp]

I don't.

But ...

As long as it's within the letter of the law, who am I to question authority.

Although, in some cases, I've fished place's that need a little culling and support a meal or two taken from the watershed.

[Gavin]

Non-Native Spotted bass are replacing our native smallmouth in some of the streams that I fish...I keep every one of them up to my limit of 12. Smallmouth and Largemouth get tossed back.

[hirsch]

Sometimes I think we can be like the old ranchers who will not kill a doe. That was fine when we were trying to increase the herd. Now that we have 9 does for every buck and a browse line that indicates they are starving it is time to kill does; and more does than bucks.

The state sets limits including weight length limits varying them as seems appropriate to that body of waters school. I am not sure what makes us think that as teachers, salesmen or mechanics think we know better than trained biologists except I see it often in wildlife management. It is like we believe we know better how to manage a ranch than a successful rancher. I do believe in most cases we should be removing the smallmouth/guad crosses hoping that that niche will be filled by native fish such as largemouth bass. Otherwise we are like that rancher stock piling does that go to waste edue to starvation and disease. Fish respond by stunting instead.

Since I am as guilty of playing biologist I would encourage people on rivers like the Colorado to keep hybrids 10"to 16" in length so that remaining fish are larger and or more native species can increase using that space and food. On the other hand I would be releasing native bass over about 3 lbs.:D

In the meantime I believe that as long as one complies with the law they should not be subject to critism or ridicule by those who "know" better than the biologist.

[RiveRover]

All I know is Im on "my body of water" every weekend and I,ve yet to meet a Biologist. Large lakes and rivers it may be fine but some of these smaller flows and river sections can be affected by too many keeping the wrong fish. If you want a limit of 15" fish than by all means enjoy, the problem comes in when the fish being kept are larger breeding size fish. I,ve seen strings of 20" to 25" Bass kept time and again and its going to catch up with us. I,ve only been river fishing hard for about 2 yrs and I,ve seen the number of boats quadruple if not more in that time. Lets say all of those boats decide to keep there "legal limit" everytime out? Just saying, The sport and economical value of those fish are in the water not the pan..

[TheCraftsman]

Yes, the popularity of river fishing has increased ten fold here in Texas over the past 12 or 15 years (as far back as I can remember), with the majority of the popularity coming with in the past 5 years I would say. I grew up fishing rivers from canoes and jon boats, and later kayaks, and have never seen as many anglers out on the rivers as I do now. That is good and bad. It is good because more people are being exposed the great purity and beauty of rivers, and will hopefully become more aware of the issues effecting rivers and river fish over time. It is bad in the fact that it puts more pressure on the fish.

RiveRover, I am with you. I have seen more stringers of 18-20+ in bass (often times more than the limit) being taken out of the rivers recently. The San Marcos River, where I have done most of my river fishing, is seeing more and more anglers who are keeping fish. They are for the most part keeping the huge largemouths (not good), and I have seen a few even keep a few of what I thought were pretty much pure strain Guads. Now I know that there aren't many pure strain Guads left in the San Marcos River, but there are some (or at least mostly Guad), and these fish in particular should be protected. Take the smallies out!!! Please!!!