ShareLunker single choice

I support SAL (67%, 220 Votes)

I do not support SAL (33%, 109 Votes)

Total Votes: 329 Voting on this poll ends: 03/25/15 08:23 PM

Neutral here. I don't see that it helps or hurts

+ 1

neutral as well. There are both sides of the program. I did have the pleasure of getting a close up tour of the TPWD sharealunker in Athens a few years ago. The workers take a great amount of care for the fish. Including getting the lighting just right so it seems as natural as possible to spring like conditions. The biggest positive I see is those off-spring can be at least raised to where there is slightly higher chance of survival when released. The negative is one of fish we saw I believe came from Falcon looked pretty beat up. Not sure if it was just from prespawning, fish was old, being kept in a livewell or the travel from falcon to athens.

Ditto

the old fish spawns in the lake for years so its genetics are already in the lake, seems pointless. as for sharing the offspring to other lakes i doubt it matters much. some lakes support monsters some dont.

If I ever catch one I won't turn it in. I'll go get a skin mount. It's just as beneficial.

I want the jacket and the potential for a life time fishing license. But I am neutral on the program and it's effectiveness.

Okay, let's recap:

The whole purpose of the SAL is to preserve the Pure FLA genetics. When a bass spawns in the wild there is a high probability that it will cross breed with a native TX fish. It has been proven time & time again that pure Floridas grow faster & get Bigger than native fish.

I'd also wonder what our Lake Fork guides think regarding what percentage of 13+ pound fish have a successful spawn each year (on Fork).

I bet it's lower than many think.

I vote "keep it". Lol. But, lower the weight standards so we can complain about SAL handling everyday.

How is it paid for, including employees? Portion of fishing license? Tax payers? Toyota pays for it all?
Guess I'm neutral until I understand the financial/cost details.

Nothing is perfect
I'd guess that lakes/fishermen that are closer Athens are more likely to donate SALs to the program. Thus lakes that are closer to Athens will benefit more from the program. Do we really want pure Florida strains that far north? I can definitely see pure Florida LMB thriving in Falcon, Amistad, and lakes as far north as Austin; but some hybridization/mixed genetics further north might be beneficial.
Some fish will die
Spraying and other eradication methods of grass/vegetation seems to be counterproductive to SALs goal (a fisherman catching a state record)
Pure Florida strain bass might not be the best choice in waters that drop below 45 degrees.
When humans try for genetic purity in a species, this can lead to disease susceptibility

The program certainly advances the science of bass/fish reproduction and behavior and is great advertising.

How effective is the program is the big question?
If the goal is to produce a state record, I'd say it's ineffective. Spawning a few bass over 13lbs a year is just a drop in the bucket compared to the power of natural selection in every body of water across the sate.
However, the secondary benefits of the program may be worthwhile.

If you think it doesn't help or hurt then why even have the program and the
costs of the program and all the time spent on it.

LOL! OMG!