it is more un-American to not pay your taxes.

it is great to not like big government or unfair taxes, but it is your job to pay 100% of them until the law changes. do everything you can in your power to change the laws or give up your citizenship and move away.

Yes they do and the current Private Waters Texas State Record is 15.74

Ken, I know your company has paid some mighty big $$$ to entertain clients at Lake X. I wonder if TPWD will be able to sell trips to Jalisco while Dr. Schwarz will not be able to? Or is it going to be no fishing pressure, period? Perhaps TPWD learned through the Luminant project and the other 6 lakes that the only way to grow the WW LMB is through intensive forage management and -0- fishing pressure?

Where to begin?

So the IGFA doesn't distinguish between them then? I think it'd be great for Texas bass fishing to have a world record....regardless of what waters it came from. Though.....I'll just be happy if/when I break the 10lb mark!

I am sure glad that I am not a bitter person and my attitude is not based off of what others that are more financially blessed do with their money. The man has money and is doing something he enjoys and dreamed about and also said he will be donating SAL's back to the program which in turn means that those fry will be making it back into TEXAS fisheries. Dang fellas just be happy for the man cause all of us as fishermen know that if we had that kind of money we would all have one of our own awesome lakes built just the same. If the man spends millions and puts in the time and money to build something like this he has the same right as every other business owner to try to make a profit from it and then it is up to you whether you want to pay to fish there just like any other activities you do. Congrats to La Perla and I hope it turns out great.

Texas distinguishes between public and private water records. IGFA will not accept fish from any waters used for commercial purposes (fish farms, etc.) So long as no one is charging $ to fish on Jalisco, then a world record MIGHT be accepted. This is IGFA's language..." No applications will be accepted for fish caught in hatchery waters or sanctuaries The catch must not be at variance with any laws or regulations governing the species or the waters in which it was caught."

Well said!!

Not to mention just the scientific information that will be able to be gathered from the studies and genetics.

Well said sir!

Sounds like La Perla, Jalisco, and Camelot Bell are out then.

I think it is very interesting to see what is possible with Large Mouth Bass and to see what can make fisheries the absolute best. Just like what they did with deer food plots, we have learned a lot about deer nutrition and I am able to take those teachings and improve my land. Hopefully Jalisco will help TPW improve their knowledge. I hope they learn something that is transferable and the create another lake that is as good or better than lake Fork. Imagine if we had 4 lakes just like Fork in Texas. And if TPW can learn something from Operation World Record and make them better. We could have awesome fishing all across the state.

You guys are hilarious, I'm sure this guy is paying a pretty penny for those fry and it also sounds like they decided to embark on a partnership because of the environment he has created for growth. They want him to be able to kick a couple of SAL's back into the program, which will more than compensate for what he has received from them.

If the tax dollars are going towards this, I can think of a whole heck of a lot worse places it could go. Will I ever get to fish this lake? Doubt it. But if my tax dollars I pay have to go somewhere, then as far as I am concerned, I'd like to see them going to fund something that has to do with fishing. As far as people complaining about a "high fenced" record. Who cares? I think it is awesome what they are trying to do. I find it interesting we have people willing to put in the time and money to do the research to figure out how to grow bigger fish. In the end, this could benefit us all. If you don't like what they are doing, don't open the thread. I, however, will continue to follow the project.

People will always find something to complain about. Heaven forbid this guy grows some trophy bass in a controlled environment, footing the bill for lake management and the forage he's feeding them while TPWD documents rate-of-growth and water variables along the way. I am sure the naysayers haven't thought that the owners cost will outweigh the states cost 100:1 and they will both have access to all the information gained. I want to see this place put out some 15+ lb fish!

I understand both sides of this. I operate a private fishing club, and a fish hatchery. Not that it matters but I am also a fisheries biologist with 35 years of experience in Texas.

First, this is not new, the state has (illegally) stocked private lakes and ponds since day one (after laws were changed making this illegal). Politicians, wealthy donors, TP&WD crooks, er...um commissioners, judges, wealthy favor givers, you name it, they got free fish from the state illegally. Of course this is not very well publicized, for obvious reasons.

Second, at least in this case it is above board and publicized, not a secret political payoff as is usually the case. I appreciate that as a taxpayer and license holder. Although the time and labor to make such a long trip across the state by a high ranking middle management person (hatchery manager) was costly, the few fish produced and taken there were likely not.

Third, as a biologist I appreciate and am interested in the results of this, very old and well worn technique of raising fish to feed other fish in ponds outside the lake. Not new, go read the "Koon Kreek Klub" thread, they've done it for 6 or 7 decades. I operate a 5 acre tilapia hatchery to feed 120 acres of bass lakes on my place (I'm the operator/sharecropper not the owner). There is even a name for this type of aquaculture (this is not really sportfish management as much as it is fish production) it is called "integrated multi-trophic aquaculture." In this case the "product" is a large bass on the end of a string.

Last, I doubt if this will result in any "world records" as there is much more to such a thing than food and water. At the same time, the "experiment" will indeed yield information that may ultimately lead to a world record. Personally, I believe that "fishing" and "world record producing" are mutually exclusive operations, especially in a small lake.

I'll watch this one and the others with great interest.