Mark Riede and Don Sneed (pictured L to R)came together to fish Bridgeport. I thank them. The previous day, the fish were caught in 16 feet of water. Today 30 feet of water was the trick. Awesome day.

Michael Acosta.. Unfair Advantage Charters http://www2.itexas.net/mwacosta/unfairadvantagecharters_001.htm

How many people were fishing? Just you two?

Looks like 3 peoples Hybrid limit although I can't see further off to either side. Just think in another 3 years those 4# fish would weigh 12-14#. Just a thought though ;^).

The guide is rarely in any picture. Limit is for 3 folks, 15 fish but that shouldn't be too hard to figure out.

MWA

Man, that is a great stringer!! Did you throw them back after the picture was taken?? I would like to have a chance to catch them one day!!!!

SERIOUSLY? DO YOU THINK THEY WOULD SURVIVE BEING RELEASED THIS TIME OF YEAR GIVEN THE TEMP AND THE TEMP OF THE WATER? I BEG TO DIFFER....MAYBE A FEW WOULD, BUT THE KEEPERS NEED TO GO IN THE BOX AND I DO NOT THINK BRIDGEPORT IS KNOWN FOR "TROPHY HYBRIDS"! JUST GOOD BOX FISH. IF THE FISH THERE GOT LARGE LIKE YOU THINK, THEN WHY WOULD TPW STOP STOCKING THEM THERE AND WHY WOULD THEY PUBLISH THE SURVEYS ABOUT THE LACK OF FORAGE FISH??? DOUBT A 4 POUND FISH AT BRIDGEPORT WOULD TRIPLE IN WEIGHT IN THREE YEARS.

MAYBE I AM WRONG, BUT I DOUBT IT...AND DOUBT TPW IS WRONG IN THE OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF THE HYBRID FISHERY AT BRIDGEPORT......

Parkenstein quote:
Man, that is a great stringer!! Did you throw them back after the picture was taken?? I would like to have a chance to catch them one day!!!!


ANOTHER ONE, SERIOUSLY? FISH ON THE STRINGER BEING RELEASED? THOSE FISH WERE IN AN ICE CHEST BEFORE THE PIC WAS TAKEN....THERE ARE PLENTY OUT THERE AND I BET IF YOU BOOK A TRIP YOU CAN GO CATCH YOUR FAIR SHARE OF THEM.


FOLKS, YOU NEED TO GET OFF OF PEOPLES REARS ABOUT KEEPING FISH. IT IS NOT YOUR PLACE TO SAY A THING ABOUT IT AND PASS ANY JUDGEMENT AT ALL. ESPECIALLY A GUIDED TRIP WHERE THE GUIDE TAKES THE TIME TO REPORT ON THIS SITE AND CONTRIBUTE HELPFUL INFORMATION AS WELL AS TAKE THE TIME TO TAKE A PHOTO, POST THE PHOTO THAT DAY AND FILE THE REPORT.

STEVE


NICE FISH MIKE...... GOOD JOB...A BUDDY OF MINE WAS UP THERE ON SATURDAY, BUT I HAVE YET TO HEAR HOW HE DID, BUT I WILL BET $ HE DID NOT DO AS WELL AS YOU AS HE WAS NOT GETTING ON THE WATER UNTIL 8....HE LIKES TO SLEEP LATE...

WAY TO GO MIKE. I BELIEVE IN CATCH AND GREASE TO.THOSE MEN HIRED YOU TO CATCH FISH AND YOU DID. IF THEY WANT TO KEEP A LIMIT OF FISH THATS FINE.THATS WHY ITS CALLED A LIMIT.A LEGAL LIMIT!!!!! I SOMETIMES TIRE OF TRYING TO ALWAYS CATCH THE BIGGEST FISH IN THE LAKE. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH CATCHING A LIMIT OF FISH AND CLEANING THEM. I HAVE EVEN CAUGHT A LIMIT OF BLACK BASS AND FRIED THEM UP TO.(TO SOME PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE LIKE SPITTING ON WILLY'S GUITAR.) GREAT REPORT AS ALWAYS. IF PEOPLE ARE WORRIED ABOUT TPWL STOCKING HYBRIDS THEN FOWARD MIKES POST TO THEM. IT LOOKS LIKE THE PUPLIC IS PUTTING THE LAKE BRIDGEPORT HYBRIDS TO GOOD USE. THOSE WHO FISH ONLY ON OCCASION HAVE JUST AS MUCH RIGHT TO EAT FISH AS I DO.

I got a kick from above link so will add my 2 cents worth. I guide about 8-10 days a month on CC and my bread and butter is white bass, and of all the trips that I've had this year only one did not want very many fish, most want what we keep, since they are paying for me, they are the boss.
Last year was approached on water by a boat that knew me and asked how many Hybrids that I had caught so far that year which at the time was around 200, don't remember, but then he told me that guides like me were ruining it for others like himself. I said calmly that if he does not like it, contact TP&W and vent to them.
Starting in Sept. the way I fish will change, why??? with the new boat limit effect going in will make it harder on me. If I have paying clients then we have one set of rules to go by, but if I have family or friends out then a different set of rules. For example: if I have 2 clients now, we can have 75 Whites legally, but in September we can only keep 50. Sadly I will lose some clients over this deal. Some people's only goal is to get a limit so they can brag to their family or friends, but that is thier prerogative.
But on occassion that I take out only one client and he/she wants 50 whites, my son is more than willing to go, he can fish probably better than I can, at least as far as dropping a slab over the side of the boat and my clients will not mind one bit.
Hybrids were put in for 2 reasons, one for their fighitng quality and their size, if TP&W did not want any fish kept or had a one fish limit like on Redfish, then they would set up the rules that way.
So in a nutshell if you do not like they way we do business take it before TP$W at one of their many townhall meetings and complain to them.

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Billy Seaman(guide Service)

I stand corrected. I guess the catch and release system has been ingrained in me for too long. If I want to catch some eating fish then I stick with sandies or crappie, you can catch a ton of those. But I always thought that a 8 to 10 pound hybrid should go back.

Thanks for the information!!

Between thursday and sunday, I spent three days on Bridgeport. Limits on two days and one day with 12 fish and this is a slow time of the month due to the moon. Just wait until they really get active around the new moon coming up soon!

This tuesday has a peak in the am (moon overhead in line with the sun up). Time to go fishing!

Clean and grease...I like that phrase Randy.

MWAcosta

WHAT WERE YOU FISHING WITH ?? BAIT OR LURES ??
VERY NICE STRINGER

I agree with Billy S, Mike A, Steve B, and Randy W. The Hybrids on B-port (and other lakes) are "put and take" (especially during August) I do more than my fair share of catch and release, but when clients want to keep a limit we will,that is the job I am being paid to do. (and the license they paid for)

I posted my first pics here last week and was accused of joining in a "dead hybrid" contest.
I did not want to be quick to respond because I was P@#*ED at being called out for posting a pic I was proud of.
By the way there was 4 fisherman and 8 fish pictured, do the math ( the rest of the fish were released).

As noted B-port is not a trophy Hybrid fishery, but the attention it is getting now, MAY, just maybe, change TPW position on stocking, but at reduced rates.
The creel survey is going very well this year.
Some fish in the box show the Hybrids being used for what TPW intended, which makes a case for stocking them.

Keith
Lake Bridgeport Guide Service

BTW, Nice fish Mike. I have been doing well in the evenings, between 5-8:15 pm. Lots of good fish on jigs and the start of a slab bite seems to be here.

Keith

I fish for hybrids exclusively from March to November. When I started, I did catch and release hybrids during the hot months until I noticed that they would die. I would bet that the survival rate for catch and release during the summer is less than 20%.

The hybrids fight like no other, but they fight to the death in the summer. The stress is just too much for them.

I really feel that releasing hybrids while the water temp is greater than 85 deg with air temps above 90 is violating the law. You are not supposed to release a legal fish to die. They are supposed to be part of the bag limit. That is the law.

When the water temps get below 80 deg, then it is safer to release them.

My 2 cents.

Very Nice Stringer Mike!! They sure will taste good blackened.

Billy, I wish that guy would have came up to me last year on CC and asked me how many i have caught that year. Better yet, ask me how many fish I have caught overall this year out of there and how many were cleaned and how many knives i have gone thru.. All of my clients were very happy. And as guides we are fishing for the clients and putting them on fish is they main objective. Also, I do fish for fun with my friends from time to time and we keep all the hybrids that are legal...

When I go out there and catch 5 for everybody in the boat, 7 days a week and 30 days a month and 300 days a year for a few years, then maybe folks can worry. I too have had folks come up to me on the lake, some members here, just to say "hi" when i am on fish and then gun it after a brief visit, then others who come up just to try to figure it out, but none to say I was ruining it for them......My response would have been the same you gave, but I would have handed them a business card and said, call me and you can book a trip.

Catch and release if you want to. I do if they will survive, but not this time of year and the only release is to the grease(sorry, had to steal that one)

As long as somebody is in the legal methods and legal size, let no person tell them what to do or pass judgement on them.....Judge not! You do not like it, well that is just too bad, since that person does not catch many fish they are jealous????Again, do not hate the player, hate the game. I cannot help it if you(they) cannot catch fish. Only advice I can give is to book a trip and think of it as a fishing lesson to help in future fishing.


At least these guides on here on this topic and including myself and Billy on other lakes, take the time to report and post photos. I might guess that the other guides get the same amount or more e-mails from total strangers wanting help on a certain lake. I try to help most, but do not give away all the info, just enough for them to go out and try and get a few fish anyway. Those who have booked trips with me, I help them on and off the water. They may book again, they may not. I assume that they will not after the first trip and they are armed with a lot of info on where and how to. That is why I do it, to help them and if they call me on the lake, or at home or whatever, I tell them what they want to know. I have told several to follow me, told several on the lake and on the phone where I am, come join me, etc. I even call the three other guides, though all are on this forum when I am on fish at CC and tell them. Profesional Courtesy.