And I heard that bigfoot has a permanent residence in The Colony as well.

I saw her once at the pool at Austin Ranch...

1 caught a 13 at fork 3 years ago on april 30. photographed and released.

lol

I have seen one SAL caught. It was photographed and returned to the water. I'm sure if I ever get that lucky I will call and donate it to them hoping the right thing is done with the fish and it's offspring.

Was there not an issue with the State stocking fish in our political Friends private lakes a few years ago when the duck hunting incident came to light?

Does anybody know how many of the (4) 15lb or greater that were donated this season have survived ?

Knowing my luck if I ever catch one over 13 it'll be on May 1st or September 30th. LOL

But I say the benefits and incentives far outweight the negatives in the SAL program.

A 13 lb bass most likely does not have much time left in it's life anyhow and, regardles, it does get returned to the lake, and the fisherman gets a free replica clotes and a chance at a lifetime license, and they spawn the fish and release the fingerlings into public waters if it is 100% Florida, and every SAL definetely stimulates the economy of bass fishing, and the program increases public awareness of proper bass handling, and on and on.

The negatives are there is about a 15% (correct me if wrong) chance of the fish dying during the process of transporting it to the TFFC, and someone's lake may get unwanted publicity.

Personally I think they should spawn all 13+ lbers since they took the time and effort to haul it all the way to Athens anyway. I know the SAL program seeks only to spawn Florida's but a 13lb native has the gentics to reach 13lb am I wrong? Just my .02 there.

Hmmm...I thought it was Frico myself.

I hear what you're saying and I totally respect that opinion, but if the health of the fish is of paramount importance (and I'm not saying that it isn't, just playing devil's advocate here) then why let a tournament weigh-in (or not) dictate what is or isn't done with the fish?

I guess what I'm trying to say here is that one man's tournament weigh-in and big bass check is another man's SAL entry and replica.

Some (not me) would even argue that the worst thing that can be done for the health of big bass in Texas is to hold a tournament weigh-in for caught fish, especially as the year progresses and the water temp rises.

But I'm not prepared to open that Pandora's box.

I believe anyone who catches a legal bass of any size has the right to do what they want to with it. I think that the TPWD has done a great job with our bass fisheries in the state. I'm just waiting in the day when I get to make that decision on what to do with a 13# plus bass.

"I guess what I'm trying to say here is that one man's tournament weigh-in and big bass check is another man's SAL entry and replica."


catch-and-release vs. transported-relocation.

Wouldn't catch-and-release actually be right at the boat?

Again, a little devil's advocacy here, but I'm not sure you can truly call it catch-and-release after you catch it; put it in a live-well; continue to fish; transport it across a lake in a live-well; take it out of the live-well water and put into a weigh-in bag full of water; stand in line with the weigh-in bag set in a holding tank; take the fish totally out of the water to put it on a scale; hold it up for tournament pictures; put it back into a holding tank; then release it in another portion of the lake.

How is that fish going to necessarily have a better chance of survival than being transported in a state of the art scientific truck to a state of the art scientific research and breeding facility?

crying. so funny. I like you. a lot.

Trust me, I don't support either side of it, sir. The point you made here about catch-and-release is crystal clear and rather funny. Anglers have a funny way of complicating a rather simple procedure.

But..... "state of the art scientific truck" seriously?

So, umm, does Michael J Fox come pick the fish up in his fully loaded Delorean rockin tha flux capacitor and 21.1 gigawatts? Does he bring the hoverboard!?!?!

Killin' me.

i had a buddy catch a 14 out of falcon and called tpw and they said they already had 2 other calls in north texas so in fear of loosing the fish it was released