We do all owe the TP&W a big thanks for the introduction of Florida Largemouth.

Does'nt the State have better things to fund, here are all the School Districts having funding problems, lay-offs?

Sad!

That is a whole other political deal. These guys down in Athens working for SAL need jobs too. They have families, and work hard as well.

If it wasnt for the introduction of the Flordia strain bass into Texas all you lunker chasers would be doing is chasing a 9.0lb bass.This does help keep the program going on other lakes also

No doubt that Florida Strain Bass have improved fisheries in Texas. But SAL didn't prove that Floridas get larger than northerns, that was known before SAL. Dave Cambell is the biologist who drove to Florida to obtain the first Florida strain bass for the program. The genetic testing they are doing is to ensure the bass they use are a certain percentage Florida strain.

Would someone please explain to me how we can measure what amount (monetarily) of the bass fishing industry can be attributed to the SAL program. I just don't see how that can be logically measured. People come to fish Fork or Falcon or Ivie to catch fish, lots of fish and big fish. SAL was not designed with the purpose of improving the size and quality of fish caught in Texas lakes. I don't recall reading anywhere it's purpose was to produce the world record bass or to help out 100 guide services on Lake Fork so they can get more clients. They are there to improve fisheries for everyone. With the current state of our economy that can be accomplished cheaper by buying Florida strain bass to stock. TPWD must have an ace in the hole when it comes to SAL or else surely some director would have questioned the efficiency of the program long before now, oh yeah that's right TOYOTA! Athens bid and won with $ 4 million for the right to build the facility where SAL is housed and Toyota is sponsoring it. The question is how much of the operating budget does Toyota take care of. On an underpaying note has anyone else noticed that Toyota is the only car company not to get a government bailout and now they have had to testify before the government about the safety of their cars. Now all the sudden Rep Larson is after a program with their name on it? If I was Toyota I would be all over this. ( that was me stirring the pot by the way.)

Sorry didn't proof read. SAL "was" designed to improve our fisheries. Next time I'll proof read.

Bottom line. State regulations say that I can keep 5 bass for myself. If I want to give it up as a SAL, then that is my buisiness. If I want to keep them in my livewell all day and release them, then that is my business. If I want to eat them, then that is my business. If I want to feed them to the dogs, then that is my business. If I want to through them on the bank to die, then that is my business. So tell me again what I am suppose to do with my 5 bass??

OH YA. and I have never had a fish die on me while in my care!!

Guess you don't remember Ford refusing the bailout money and restructured without going bankrupt.

I bet that since Toyota funds this program that the Pure Florida's are being sent to lake Biwa in Japan! It's a conspiracy man!

I made a post previously about not agreeing with the SAL program and thought I would clarify especially after reading all of these post. I believe SAL was once a great program and a great idea including being a great marketing machine for bass fishing in Texas. I have several friends who are guides and they love the publicity of one of their clients or even them catching a SAL but most of them also talked at the same time about how taking the giants out definitely hurts the chance of the new world record or even state record being broken. The reality is, in my opinion, is that something mentioned above is probably more of a inhibitor of those records than taking the 13+ pounders out of the lake....its the total amount of fish in a lake. Back in the days our Fathers and even Grandfather's fished (I'm 38), there was no such thing as a limit or a size requirement and I have seen pictures from my Father in Law from Rayburn with a rope extending 10-12 feet with nothing but 4-8# fish going home to the fryer. I don't know the actual year or even time frame where catch and release became so prominent, but to me, the lack of harvest is a big issue because it affects everything from water chemistry to available bait population. Just look at some of the lakes that get over run by white bass....while they are still great places to fish, the long term effects of an uncontrolled population of any type has negative effects. Just look at TPWD's recommendations for pond mgmt. They suggest for any pond over 3 years old that you remove 10-15 pounds of bass per surface acre PER YEAR, assuming a good population is in place. Obviously, ponds are dynamically different than lakes mainly due to depth, but at just 10#/acre, the theory would mean the recommended harvest of 270,000# pounds of bass annually and we know there is no way that is happening. That doesn't even take into account the numbers for white bass, crappie, catfish, etc.

Now for a solution, it's a tough one...the reality is we need to start keeping limits of smaller bass and pretty much no one does because of the supposed "stigma" of keeping LMB. For me personally I much prefer to eat crappie over bass so that tends to be the only harvesting I ever do from a lake.

I can tell you Hondo that Rep. Larson is not 'after' the SAL program. It's a public hearing to find out what SAL is...whether it's a PR campaign, a program designed to create a superior genetic strain of bass, both, or something else entirely. He, along with the other committee members, a commitee mind you chaired by Rep. Guillen (Falcon Lake lies in his district), just want to know what the heck is going on.

Your Toyota conspiracy isn't stirring the pot. It's just total garbage. Big difference.

Very interesting. I like #10.

SAL it does not seem is in the business of lake management. That is up to the angler. They seem to be in it for genetic research, knowledge base, and marketing, so that our future has good potential across the state.

Like most developments, you have to try something and learn from it, before you can do it better. If the whole thing gets scrapped, we wont have as much to learn from.

The Toyota conspiracy theory was a joke. Sorry if you took it otherwise. I was just being sarcastic.

As far as what you do with your five bass. Your right it's you business, to a point. I dare you to throw them on the bank to die in front of a GW. That is what is considered wanton waste. Not only is that an offense but you can be pursued civilly for restitution to the state. Same as you are not to kill a deer and just leave it lay or shoot dove and make no attempt to recover it. You also can't legally sell your five bass. If you want to give them away then go ahead. If you want to release them then go for it. As long as they live through the experience that's your right. So if you want to release them then do it. If you want to donate to SAL then go ahead. If you want to fillet them go ahead. I don't care what you do with your five as long as you dont waste them. I fillet mine every chance I get because I understand the need for harvest.

I am simply saying that SAL is a waste of money and resources if all they are providing is Florida bass fingerlings. You can try to argue the publicity they provide Texas fishing but let's just measure that publicity. On another thread I asked a fisherman from Minnisota who is planning a trip to Fork if he coming for the great fishing at Fork or the chance at hooking into a SAL fish. He said he didn't know what SAL was. He's going there because he has family in Dallas to stay with and Fork is nearby. Same reason I fish Canyon Lake, Dunlap, and Choke Canyon; they are nearby.