Exactly.... California has no sal program. They stock the same fish we stock, Florida's. You let them exist under ideal conditions, they will get bigggg

just like my other replies.....IM NOT talking about any of that.

Im not debating, not denying or anything related to big bass being caught before the program started. I fully understand...that you are looking for a straw man because nothing I said was unreasonable and can potentially be pretty accurate.

I dont pretend to know more than the biologist in the program...and why I asked how many of those 5+ pounders have SAL genetics. Lots of pointing to data points that support your side...but ignore the big picture.

Address what im talking about, not some straw man im not even close to trying to discredit or even debate.....please.

I literally mentioned excluding california and florida because I know whats up there, just like we all do...but that wont support your argument so lets not go there, right? theres more than 3 states in the country.....and yea Texas cant have naturally occuring Florida strain bass for obvious reasons, and doesnt see the trout stockings cali does or did. SO....what can they do to try and compete? The SAL program. Comparing the SAL program to pretty much every other state in the country beside Cali and Florida....and seeing how continually well the texas lakes keep on producing....Im of the opinion maybe they are doing something right.

You all please try and debate the points im making, not just going off on something im not debating about. I know Florida strain bass work. I figure theres a lot more involved than Texas showing up to florida and saying "Ill take 10 trucks please", so maybe that is another reason for the birth of the SAL program. You all are focusing on very fine and tiny points....while ignoring the big picture....in my opinion.

TPW is where I get my info of 1 % in fact many times they have said it could be as low as 05 percent that make it.

As far as your comment about big people making big people you are mostly correct and you are not even a biologist, so you got more right than they did.

You would think they would pair the SAL female with the biggest male right ??? NOPE !!! They put her with a dink male that has no for sure DNA of being a big fish in general.

Back in the days Fork had giant male bass some over 8 lbs. TPW in the 90's told me they had shocked males up to almost 9 lbs. Now that is what we need with the 13 lb females. You would think big on big equals BIG Right ??

Not in their mind.

I was told by a Biologist years ago they think the female bass carries all the gene to be big. LOL. God made nothing with all the genes in one side. When I have seen giants on the beds back in Forks Great Days the males were 4-7 lbs.

Now you cannot find a male that size on Fork. My guess is water downed genetics . Our females are not choosing big males cause they are not available, therefor we are suffering on the big bass production and off spring. IMO

As I stated before I am in contact with the fisheries fairly often and I consider our Fork Biologist a friend and he keeps me informed often.

He also knows I do not like the program as well as many of my guide friends.

You can't take out your genetics and give them to everyone else and expect to still be King of Texas Fisheries.

Ok, I guess I don’t “get” your point. So far, 2 (two) bass caught have been PROVEN to have SAL DNA. The program has been going for something like 20 years, we have no bigger bass being caught because of it. There’s private lakes in Texas that buy SAL fry from the program and feed them like cattle, they aren’t growing records with them.

It gets publicity for the state, gives anglers a free replica, gives the lake some SAL fry; but it doesn’t grow freak of nature fish like you assume it does.

World record bass belongs to Japan, they don’t do [censored] to grow bass.

Do you know what lake holds the Bassmaster record for the most weight caught in a tournament? It’s not a Texas lake.

I think many lakes could benefit more from a baitfish stocking program, especially if the lake has stripers & whites in it.

And feed them rainbow trout.

I spoke with the biologist just a couple of days ago and he told me that the results were not in yet on any of the fish being SAL babies. Just texted him and waiting on a reply soon. If it is true then it is Fresh News. When he replies I will post his comment.

Jim Gore caught a SAL, along with a male, that was 6lbs something. TPWD took the male also. Personally, I haven’t seen a male that was 8 lbs. But that’s just me.

The 2 I’m referring too aren’t from the Ivie batch, in case you thought that’s what I meant. I believe one came from Deep South Texas and one from West Texas.

I was not sure but I know there has to be a SAL baby out there somewhere. IMO

another thing I feel is happening/been happening...is that the fishing pressure today is nothing compared to 30+ years ago. Then when you combine that with the potential harvest numbers from all the fishing pressure....I just think over all across the entire country bass genetics have been watered down. But Texas is still a top 3 (debatebly top 2 with Florida being 1) destination for bass heads...despite this potential for watering down of genetics.

Think about your common Joe Blow weekend warrior hitting the lake with his family. Do you think they are gonna keep and eat the smaller keeper size bass (like they should to grow trophy bass), or are they out for the bigs just like us hardcore guys? They want the bigs just as bad as us and if they can get their hands on one theyre probably taking it home. Now multiply that many times over....the Weekend Warriors hope and want the bigs just as bad as us hardcore bass heads, but most wont have the same appreciation and understanding of how special catching big bass is and subsequently take it home to brag on it the rest of their lives. Now knowing that if a big gets caught by most tom, dick and harry's they arent making it back in....its lead to a natural watering down of genetics in my opinion.

I still think there are freaks out there, the same as Shaq or Lebron exist. genetic freaks happen....and I really think the giants are those genetic freaks versus those fish that just happened to have the right conditions and lived long enough. The fact that private lakes arent producing World records should actually lend some credence to my opinion on them being genetic freaks versus well fed old fish only....but Im sure you all wont see it that way 🤷‍♂️

^^^^ dude, you write dissertations on every response.....you do realize the average attention span on here is very short right...,,????

Lol, I know mine is about 3 seconds!

Sir, I noticed your location is “Gar Hole”...I believe I have been to “Gar Hole”’ a time or two. No SAL’s coming from Gar Hole, Texas.

You can just scroll past the wall of text, no harm no foul and theyre easy to spot too. Some will read it though 🤷‍♂️