An interesting question occurred to me while reading this post…

Not a lot of people target bass for food. A lot of people target bass for tournament fishing and although they practice and preach catch & release a percentage of the bass brought to the weigh in aren’t going to survive. I wonder who is really taking/killing more big bass in the lakes?

Gentlemen
I didn't start this thread to bash anyone. But I do think it is time for a change.

I know the DEP monitor this forum. And the more reply's the better.

In 1996 Lake Mamanasco got rid of all the weeds that have been there for years. I caught 2 bass over 5lbs in one day. It was like a field day the rest of the season. I saw big bass being taken out every time I was there. The place is now overrun with runts.
Now it is bass managment and no one wants to keep bass under 12" So what's the answer?

I've also seen some meat guys keeping some nice bass at Hatch Pond.

Someone said we used to keep a lot of bass 20yrs ago. And so did I. Usedto have a big fish fry at the end of the season. But when I saw all the bass that was caught very legally. I told my friends it was time to stop.
Today there are many more knowledgeable anglers then 20 or 30yrs ago. And a few meat eaters can decimate a small lake or pond like Mamanasco or Pierrepont.

When I started fishing Pierrpont over 10yrs ago. There was a good year class of 1 1/2 to 2lb bass that would just about rip the rod out of your hands. One day when I got there. There were about 15 chopped off heads of bass in the water by the launch. Now for the most part. You have a lake full of runts. It is not legal to throw the fish heads in the water. But with 3 people. It was legal for the amount kept.

I'm getting away from the subject. I'm not against keeping a few bass for the table. But I am against keeping lunkers and saying there are a lot of them in the lake. Because there are not.
That is why I would like to see a restriction on keeping bass over 4lbs And a change in the creel limit.

High Growth rates alone doesn't mean you will definitely have good fisheries, nor do low growth rates equal a bad fishery, no matter what the species. Typically slot limits are put in place to protect a size class that is most vulnerable, but other factors need to be considered as well.

I believe one of the main paramaters that the DEP looks at is the number of years for a fish to reach quality size (30 cm I think). There is a scale from fast to slow and all kinds of things between. Above average quality size is anywhere from 3 to 3.3 years. Looking at the published DEP numbers for lakes and rivers in CT, many of your lakes are right in that range, some lower, some higher.

There could be so many other thing influencing the fish in the lakes. A creel limit of 1 may have no more impact than a creel limit of 10 if the limiting factor in the lake isn't related to mortality at all.

Personally, I'm interested to see the results of the 2005 data from the bass management lakes. I'm assuming (we all know what happens) that along with the 2005 data and initial conclusions the DEP will also present data all the other factors influencing the LMB. Also, changing too many regulations at once (slots, seasons, creel) can blur the results.

I can't belive the $#@^%@$ storm I started over my day of fishing....OK here goes....

First what I mean't by "Filling" my freezer was exactly what you saw 6 FISH! ALL YEAR and 6 Fish....yes 2 of them were over 4lbs 1 of them would have died because he swallowed the lure way down and either would not have been able to eat if I left it in, or would have died from me trying to remove it. The others were 3lbs or less. OK so I DID take 1 fish out of the lake over 4.5lbs.....If the limits were changed like everyone wanted, then I WOULD STILL BE LEAGALLY WITHIN MY 1 BASS limit! Also changing limits wouldn't amount to a hill of beans. Most people that take fish to eat don't do it legally anyway, I.E. Slot limits, amount, size etc. Those people should be raked over the coals not me. And yes my friend DID catch 5 bass himself...BUT HE RELEASED ALL OF THEM, he does not like Bass to eat. I agree with Dusty, I know some of you are hunters and choosing between a 12 point buck or a 2 point buck I can pretty much determine which one you'd take the shot at, and THERE AINT NO CATCH AND RELEASE IN HUNTING!!!

I've been fishing for well over 30yrs and grand total I have probablly honestly only kept 30 fish....that's 1 fish a year!!! I know that horrifies some of you, and you hate my guts and think I should be banned from even being in the same room as you. But to tell you the truth you know what was a little upsetting to me? I moved up here from SC in 1999, I fished down there all the time tourney etc....99.9% of the fish I caught were catch and release (except if I was Catfishing)I ran across this board, and posted for some fishing helps/tips since the Bass fishing up here is a lot different from down there. Yes I got a few replies, and tips from some really great guys, Dusty, Booty, Tall1, Big Beave, Cajun, Wonka, Blue Fox....and sorry if I missed anyone, but did I get a response to my post like I did this one? NO!!! Some of you guys call yourself anglers and promote the sport but you couldn't open your mouths to help a new person out, but you can sure rake him over the coals....sad. Anyway my rant is over....it's out of my system.

Rebel, don't take it to heart....I know some people are upset about it but it is only because they care about the fisheries and want to ensure the ability to catch fish in the future...its a perspective thing here.

People are VERY protective of what they have here...its not like South Carolina, Florida, Texas...shoot even NY, it is a tiny state that has a limited number of waters. I think what people are overlooking is the FACT that angling mortality from catch and release accounts for more death of bass than does allotted harvesting. yes, I said FACT. If anyone wants proof of that one I will mail you the reports I have from 17 different states stating so. Not to mention the destruction that angling nesting bass has on the populations....caveman, your gonna read that article weather you like it or not . Your statement
is incorrect on two points, one that angling fish during the spawn will not hurt the fisheries...I am quoting a report from the Michigan DNR wher they say that Catch and Release during the spawn results in "decreased number of spawinings and increase number of nest abandonments. This will lead to reduced fry production, and could ultimately lead to reduced bass recruitment " I have 6 other scinetific papers stating that angling during the spawn DOES have an effect on the number of fry entering the system.

two, NY is one season from implementing the new regulation where Catch and Release will be allowed year round, basically leaving everything in place which exsists but making the closed season from Nov 30 till the 3rd Sat in June Catch and release only.

I guess it is an issue that will never die...i say be easy on the "don't kill any big fish," because I can GUARANTEE that those of us who have fished a lot throughout the season solely as catch and release have killed just as many, and in many cases, more fish than Rebel did on that one day.

There is no question that over-harvest is a huge issue which can potentially cripple a system...but I don't think what he did will "put a dent" in the population....we have a responsibility as outdoorsmen to preserve our natural resorces, I just think we need to look more critically at the season being open during spawning than the creel limits. Just my opinion, please nobody take offense to it...it is meant with the best intentions.