On the flip side, how has the program helped? The 90's were the best, right? Seems like the improving genes would be kicking out more and more "lunkers".

Give it some time, hey you could always come to Canyon LOL, by the way TTZ was ruff we had two keepers. Looking forward to Travis after Easter they'll prob be pretty close to done spawning but who knows with all these thunderstorms we are getting and cold fronts..

I edited my earlier post, not sure if you knew who Elroy Krueger was. (If not google his name, I wish I would have picked his brain about the lake more).


Even in Chokes current state I can still catch more fish there than I can at Canyon. I am absolutely mystified at my lack of catching fish at Canyon. Guys telling me that they were catching 3-5 lb bass average and I can't catch a single dink when I go.

In terms of mismanagement they may be referring to the number of fish that have died in recent years in the hands of the TPWD. In most cases the deaths have been attributed to broken jaws which then reflects poorly on the angler. Unfortunately that creates a counter incentive for folks to turn them in. If the fish dies, you may get ridiculed for poor handling. I suspect the increased mortality rate has more to do with a rotten streak of luck than mismanagement of the program or fishermen all the sudden breaking a bunch of jaws. Fish that old are at the end of the life expectancy. Old fish sometimes do what old people do, they up and die.

I've heard all the arguments, but stepping back and looking at the program from the big picture, it's tough for me to understand how folks think the program could do anything but help. Hundreds of thousands of fry with superior genetics have been released into our lakes. Any way you spin it, this is a good thing. Mother nature may in fact have a greater influence over fishing in general, but things would be that much worse were it not for the program. I for one, would like to see the program continue. It's good for fisherman. It's good for bass. It's good for Texas.

2009 was good for me. caught my pb on ivie that yr. i made the 200 mile one way trip 11 of 13 consecutive weekends in the spring tho. lots of driving and fishing that yr for me..