I only keep limits on occassion. Most of the time I go out I dont wanna hassle with cleaning so I let them all go. About 3 or 4 times a year I will keep the fish(attempting to limit) for enough for me for the year. Id rather clean a few limits then clean 10 or 12 at a time.

With every lake being different and so many different variables how can anyone know that the limit is or isn't appropriate. thier is no way to tell how many people are fishing any given lake and even more difficult to try and figure out how many fish are being kept. So I guess my question is how can you have so much faith in an agency that is dealing with the unknown. My two cents, It falls on all of us to preserve our waters. release them or eat them, just don't waste them.

I think if they weren't setting the limits appropriately we would see a significant decline in the numbers/size of fish that are being caught.
Like what we are currently seeing at Lewisville.

I only keep what the wife lets me! Actually, I only keep fish a few times during the year unless I have someone with me that wants a few for their fridge.

I think people browse these forums and their imagination runs wild when they see pics with lots of fish. Guess how many people went out and only caught a few or none? Lots. I might catch and keep a limit of sandbass twice or three times a year, and they all get eaten. No waste, ever. (agree with everyone on that point).

I disagree with looking at pictures on a forum and trying to do what people with specialized training and experienced do - assess the proper way to manage our fishery. If you get permission to go out and conduct surveys, to include gill netting and electric shock checks of fish populations year after year, carefully factoring in food supply, water quality, restocking practices, and historical trends, then (and only then) can you make any scientific claims to how the fishery should be managed (this is what the TPWD does). Seeing 10 limits a week coming out of Lake Tawakoni in a week on the forum doesn't make me batt an eye - because I have a sneaking suspicion that we are well within the tolerance of the fishery we have and that we'll be okay. How do I know? I'm trusting that the TPWD knows what they're doing because I know I'm not as smart as they are at managing the fishery.

Why trust your doctor? What if he has it all wrong and is giving you a prescription for the wrong meds? You trust him because they're trained to do what they do and know their business better than you know their business.

All of us who love the sport of fishing, LOVE to catch fish, especially the big ones. Just keep that in mind the next time you have a haul of limits. If we want to share the sport with others and with our children, lets' not exhaust this living resource.

I eat everything I catch and usually have folks asking for fillets constantly my freezer is usually empty around december... but that is to make room for the ducks!!!

there are 4 in my family and 6 to 8 will make a good meal depending on how many french fries you eat...

Depending on which website or food site you read, lean fish can be frozen and kept for 6 months. After six months the meat begins to breakdown and gets mushy and has poor texture and is less tasty (so they say).

Fatty fish are only recommended to be kept in the freezer for only 3 months.

I don't see a problem keeping a limit if the intent is to eat or share them within the 6 month period. Say a group of 4 fishes and they take a 100 white bass and 50+ crappie, that might be more than they really need, but I can't say "No, I won't allow you to keep that many..." They are allowed by law to take what they catch as long as they are within the law.

I like catching more than eatting, so when I fish I release almost all my fish unless I have a family fry coming up.

I let customers decide what they want to do. Sometimes that want them all and sometimes only a few. We are very lucky in Texas to have some great places to fish and as long as we all act responsbilly, I do not believe that we will over fish the lakes. At least, I hope we don't.

White bass, like crappie do not live more than 4-5 years and are prolific spawners. Don't beat me up on this, I am not advocating wanton waste of any fish you catch, but I am less concerned about depleating the white bass population than other species. Sure it can happen to white bass but in my humble opinion its not likely and is a non-issue. Waste not want not.

OK, I may be one of the offenders you speak of.... My take on this is only for Lake Tawakoni. I have been there and questioned the TPWD biologist several times on the limit on white bass. I was under the impression that 25 might be too many myself. I do worry about the fish population. My job certainly depends on having a stout population of fish. From the information I have recieved, the population of white bass on Tawakoni is more than sustainable at the current limit. In fact, it could be set much higher and still be sufficient. Now hybrid and striper are a different story. They have a much more strict limit set at an aggregate limit of 5 fish per angler. These fish are predominately stocked and are monitored closely. TPWD seems to have a good eye on this population and we are actually seeing improved catch and size rates each year.

Now trust me on this I wish all my customers were C&R fishermen! I do try and tell everyone that a limit is plenty, keep all you like, just make sure they get eaten.

We also hold a Lake Tawakoni Sportsmen Association Tournament (which is June 12 - try and make it!) to raise $ to pay and stock Hybrid in Tawakoni each year. We are putting in an order right now for a bunch and will be putting in another order after the tournament for even more. So if you are fishing Tawakoni in the coming months, be sure to join up and fish the tournament and buy something at the auction afterwards. We could use all the help we can get !

man that is a great idea Lakeguide I like that the tourney's main goal is to help return more fish to the lake for everyone to enjoy. And just my .02 on the topic at hand is that I keep fish only when I have none in the freezer or am planning on eating them that night. In my experiences I only need 6-8 keepers will feed two quite nicely. As long as you follow the length limits and you don't waste the fish you keep more power to you!

Tawakoni is lucky to have guys like Matt. I got to fish with him a couple years ago and he was about the nicest guy I had ever met.

I wish that tourney would have been a week ealier. I'll be down in that partof the country the weekend of the 5th...

Sorry for this late reply, but here are my thoughts. I try to earn a living now selling tackle. More fish in the lake or river = more anglers = more chances to sell lures!

I grew up in OR and if you were to keep 1 fish, that was bad. If an angler pays a guide to fish 2-3 times a year and wants to keep a limit, so be it! That's how guides earn a living.

TXPW sets limits for reasons. I prefer to release all fish ( an OR thing )! if someone wants a limit to eat, good deal. Have been fishing in TX since 1990 and not heard of a lake fished OUT.

Keep what ya need for dinner, release the others. I prefer not to see ant hybrids in the box, but that is just me. Hatcheries make hybrids to stock lakes. Enjoy the fishing now, it is good! Keep enough for Dinner, enjoy our TX lakes, they are good. If we were counting on fish for dinner in AR it would have been wish sandwiches??

I am going to start doing fish frys for the fatherless boys we take out fishing and camping.This cuts way down on my grocery bill in turn allows us to be able to take more boys fishing.

Ken

some folks can eat fish 5, 6 times a week no problem. they know how to prepare em all sort of ways not just Deeep Fried. in yrs past i was one of the many that couldnt get on the water as much as i like. i would only catch a few here & there but always luved fishing & eat em too (especialy when they are fresh). during that time i noticed that i had a tendency to WANT to keep more than what i NEEDED. times are different today so just because the sign says "speed limit 80 mph" doesnt mean im going to drive 80mph. but its nice to know that i could if i wanted to and still be within the law. when your good & can catch fish even when the bite is slow, you tend to want to turn a few back for another day. call it lazy, or just arrogants thats my 2 cents