3 in the summer is the wise thing to do,IMHO

But ya'll must admit, a 3 fish limit DOES change your strategy and tactics, doesn't it ? Your not looking for five squeakers to fill a limit. Now it's quality that is the game. It is different.

That would make a change in tactics. Fishing for a few quality bites is much different than going for 5 and upsizing.

In a tournament series a 3 fish limit will result in about the same consistency among the anglers as a 5 fish limit. Our club is in the 2nd year of using a 3 fish limit and the people that consistently did well with a 5 fish limit are still doing just as well with the 3 fish limit. Luck always plays some part in a tournament. The number you draw for take-off can have more bearing on how well you do than the 3 or 5 fish limit. (at least a bad draw is an excuse a lot of us like to use for not doing better - lol)

Like Carl said, it may make you change your tactics.

See what I mean!! Many people around here just dont care about protecting the lakes and fisheries, as long as "They" have a "Good Time!"

I assure you, we will start having less of a good time; if we dont try and protect what we got! Now, this does not mean that I am not in favor of keeping 5 eating size fish every once in a while for a meal, that is perfectly okay! But, I just think it is a very important thing for Tournys to consider, especially with the amount of them going on these days!

I dont think a 3 fish limmit for tournys should be law, but it should be considered and used more often by allot of events. Especially very large events, and many of the club tournys that dont have proper weight stations to keep fish healthy.

Regardless, a 3 fish limmit idea for tournys is a very good topic to discuss and utilize. Bass fishing is getting more and more popular, and alot more fish are being caught from our waters. We must ensure that enough fish are put back, or replaced so that we can enjoy great fishing for years to come. That is not a bad idea!

hows that bass club treatin ya??? oh thats right YOU WERE KICKED OUT BECAUSE OF THE SEWAGE THAT FLOWS FROM YOUR PIEHOLE!!!! lmfao!!!!

I vote for paper tournaments all the way. That would stress the fish the least. But I know that will never happen. Wouldn't be able to have the big show at the weigh in.

we need to stop this knee jerk response you get when people think that they know what is going on with the lakes. I would love to see 100% live release of all bass caught in tournaments but do not believe that you should change what I love doing for fun without knowing exactly what is needed.

Do you think that mortality rates are too high at tournaments?? Remember there are those that want to stop us from fishing tournaments all together or only paper tournaments should be allowed. Would you like that???

I made the commnet earlier about keeping all of the fish to make a point that with over 30 years of fishing Texas lakes from Amistad to Sam Rayburn and Falcon to Texoma, I have seen huge 1500 boat tournaments and small club tournaments where some fish die and most are returned to the water for another day. Start the change and you won't be able to stop it and you will kill tournaments as we know it today. From three fish to no fish paper only.
Think about it!

Based on the number of short fish I have caught on virtually every lake I've fished on in the last year, I don't think the 5 fish limit needs to be changed at all. There are plenty of fish out there. Has anyone read the study that says only about 10% of the bass in a given lake ever see a hook in their lifetime?
I say keep it where it is.

I gotta agree with the five fish limit to ensure one big fish and two dinks does not have too large effect, otherwise just turn the T into a big fish only affair and drop the limit to one.
And anyone that does not like the idea of harming a bass and maybe causing it to die had better just stop what you are doing and get ready to have a big fishing gear yard sale next weekend, cause everytime you throw a bait you are taking a chance of having a bass die over your actions...you murderer you...!!!

There's your concensus...Guys from the south end of Texas prefer 3 fish limits because its gonna take 3 big ones or 5 big ones to win either way (might as well only potentially harm 3 of them), guys from the North end of Texas prefer 5 fish limits because a limit will usually win a tournament and they don't want " the guy that get's lucky and catches one big one and two keepers" to win over the guy that can only catch 3 heads.

Mark P was right, there is a geographical difference, lol...

Just poking fun at the "northerners"

I think the better fisherman wins the 5 fish more then the 3 fish. so i'am for the 1 fish limit.

Here is an example of a 5 fish tourney vs a 3 fish tourney. Given one had to take some considerations. Random numbers were used that were within reason. Then to the same results and eliminated the two smallest fish. You can tell that there is definately a difference in how one may fish. Granite the top five did catch a limit of 5, but they also would have caught a limit of 3 as well. This does not take into consideration, those that just cauth only three. A-1, etc = Anger 1

You can see that A-1 won first with five fish, but tied for 1st with 3 fish. The interesting thing is that A-3 was in third with five fish, but then was tied for 1st with only three fish. The tables will be turned when you do a comparison.


A-1 A-2 A-3 A-4 A-5
3 2 2 2 3
3 2 3 2 3
4 2 5 5 3
2 2 1 2 1
2 2 1 2 1
Total 14 10 12 13 11
1st 4th 3rd 2nd 5th

A-1 A-2 A-3 A-4 A-5
4 2 5 5 3
3 2 3 2 3
3 2 2 2 3
Total 10 6 10 9 9
1st 3rd 1st 2nd 2nd

Sorre for such a bad table, I could not get them lined up, but you get the picture.

A person could be catching 2 lb bass all day long and never have over 10 lbs in a five fish limit, culls multiple times. He is consistent. But that one person catches a 7,2,2 and weighs 11 lbs and he wins. Who is better? Luck plays an important part in the big fish category IMO, but I will take consistancy all the time.

As you increase the creel limit, the consistent fishermen rise to the top and will continue to dominate as you decrease the creel limit, you increase the chances of the non consistent fisherman (Luck) doing better than the others.

If you always weigh in a 5 fish limit, then you will not want it to change. If you struggle to get you limit, but realize that in years past, you have always weighed in at least three, then you will favor the 3 fish limit.

Of course, this is MHO.

Thats what I said, but in a lot less words.

A lot of people responding have missed the point: protecting the fishery. The question was NOT which will give me a better chance to win, or which is more fun... A lot of rationalization in some responses.