How ya doin Mr Conbread Mafia? I am still alive and kickin, wish I could join ya'll at a few TSA tournies this year. George G and I will be up catchin some bigguns in TN in March , Lord willin.

Catchin 100 - 3-5# hybrids a day on Sooner is more cost effective than comin down to Texas.

Tony explained it well.
Until striper fishermen are organized such as bass and trout fishermen are, our favorite species will get the step-child treatment. Tag isn't the answer.

Education, regulation and control of the situation.

The way I see it more more big fish the more the guides can line their pockets. It's all about money. I quit fishing Texoma because you could be fishing schooling stripers and a guide would run right through the middle of them. I am not saying all guides but it has happened to me few time. They want the fish for themselves. I think the guides on fresh & saltwater need to take a step back and look at their own fishing ethics and start to police their own selves and stop trying to change the law to line their pockets then there just might be some better fish out there.

Here is some food for thought. Have you ever noticed how few gizzard shad you catch in the 5 to 10 inch size on Texoma? We have been overpopulated with small fish for the last 5 years and I believe they eat most of the small shad in the lake before they get to be a year old. Nature may have fixed the overpopulation problem last summer. Small Striper in Texoma are usually healthy but when they get to about 20 inches a lot of them get skinney and I think this is a result of not having the right size forage in the lake to get them to the next level. They spend to much energy catching small shad. Fish over 30 inches can eat very large baits and are usually healthy. I think the only way to get larger fish is to control the number of small fish by whatever means necessary to balance the forage base.

Thats it in a nutshell Steve --

see ya at POC next Fall -

They need to up the limit to thirty with none allowed over 24 inches for about five years, that would bring bigger fish back, but a lot of folks would be unhappy because bigger fish are harder to catch for the average angler

Texoma has been boom and bust for as long as I have been around her -- some 38 years now.

Brian you also have to realize that most people want a LOT of action and could care less about big fish. Trophy fishermen make up about a 1/2 of 1 percent of all fishermen.

I catch 25+ lb striper all the time on Texoma. No need for a tag. You're just not using the right baits.

I am not trying to question anyones fishing skills here

I wanted to say this when this thread started but chose to wait until others had posted some of there thoughts. Big fish very rarly bite small slabs and 3 inch long shad. It does happen but not often. Larger fish are around but must be targeted. I guide......I understand folks wanting some fish catching action. I myself enjoy a good Sand Bass Meat Haul Slaughter

If you want to catch big fish then go big. Fish big baits were big fish roam. If you target big fish then you will catch them.
The link below is a great example of fishermen who are trying to catch a few big fish.

http://www.texasstriper.com/PhotoGallery.shtml

The smiles and the fish say it all.
Leave your purse in the truck and fish for a bigun and you will catch one.

Tony Have I met you in POC ?

Howdy Tony. The corbread Mafia still lives. We are older and nicer now!
I may be joining you and George next spring in Tenn. After I saw George's pictures last year I invited myself. We will see if family and work let me go.

I'm not saying that this was directed at me, and I really do not care if it were, but some of the online readers might conclude that it was, so from a business standpoint, I do have a reputation to uphold thus I will have to defend myself. All of my pictures can be viewed on my website, July wan an excellent month for big fish this past year. Here is a thread I put togher that covers about a month during the fall of 09. Topwaters are my favorite way to catch big fish http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbt...el#Post4140798.

Big fish are my passion I know all the ins and outs of catching them and I'll go the extra mile to do so. My heart still beats faster every time we hook one up. Thats why I want to ensure their prosperity and that big fish will be around for future gererations to come.

Brian

Brian it was not directed toward you. I don't know you therefore I could not make such a statement about you personally. Most that no me... know thats not my style.
I am just strongly suggesting to all striper fishermen that....If you want to catch a big fish then fish for them. There are big fish in all striper lakes that have not had Golden Alga kills. There is still a few big fish in some of those lakes to.
There is nothing wrong with fishing for numbers all the time and catching a big one every now and then.

You can quote on this.....
1.Fish for the largest striper in the lake and you will still catch plenty of small fish and some big fish also.Fishermen that fish for big fish catch small fish but eventually learn to catch big fish.

3.Fish for small fish and thats what you will catch.

Again this is not directed towards any one person. It is just food for thought.

Have y'all tried chicken livers? I caught a 32 lber on one last week.

pics please...I call BS.

Chicken livers yes.....32lbs?????

Brian,

I want to thank you for this post, even though as I previously stated I don't agree with "one size fits all" regulations for stripers in Texas...and in fact very much oppose them.

I have enjoyed reading the responses and particularly those you posted from the biologists and inland fishery director. It was most re-assuring to read their comments especially the one "As you can see the management of striped bass in Texas is pretty complicated and in my opinion is best done on a lake by lake basis" from the inland fishery director.

Also want to say I respect your courage...because by saying that large stripers have become hard to come by, you opened up yourself to pot shots from folks who will always say the problem is you and not the fish. You have enabled a very good discussion, IMO, that has brought out a lot of interesting points of view and we can all learn from that. Thanks.

^^^^^^What he said...