Ban Hooks

The ease of camera's via phone or point and shoot may have also been a big contributor to catch and release.

There is no denying the role genetics play in any living creature.

Over 27 years 551 fish have been in the program. A good percentage have been returned to the lakes they came from. This has to be a very small number of all the 13#+ fish out there. It's obviously done some good by the number of big fish caught now across the state as opposed to prior to when the program began in 1986.

As far as fork is concerned it peaked the late 1980's thru the mid 1990's. It was impounded in 1980 and reached its full pool in 1985. stocking began in 1979. New lakes are very fertile for their first 10 years or so. Typically you see fishing peak during that time. Since 2000 it's balanced out to a average of 4.5 per year.

1987 3
1988 7
1989 18
1990 17
1991 22
1992 21
1993 17
1994 16
1995 23
1996 21
1997 6
1998 10
1999 7
2000 1
2001 6
2002 7
2003 7
2004 7
2005 6
2006 8
2007 3
2008 4
2009 3
2010 1
2011 2
2012 4

A few years ago they killed almost all of them by mistake or disease.

I am not a fan of SAL.

Some big fisherman in Cali and Mexico consider a 13 lbs bass no big deal.....

I am not a fan of the SAL program either !

I have donated one and also had one that I did not donate. I think the experience of donating was enjoyable and I'm glad I did it. I also think letting the second one go was rewarding and I dont regret it. Every situation is different and I had good reasons for doing both.

No one on here will ever prove what is better or worse for the lake or bass fishing. All that 'the other side doesnt have proof' stuff is a bunch of nonsense. I think the guys/gals down in Athens are doing a great job and people shouldn't be so quick to publicly negate their work.

Worry about catching the fish first and if you get the opportunity, do whatever you want with your fish. Even if you want to make it fertilizer for your garden, it is your choice.

I think the benefits far outweigh any negatives. Plus its not taxpayer funded. TP&W catches the blame when a fish dies but often what the angler did or did not do at the time of the catch is what kills them. Personally I can't see how it hurts anything at all.

I really have not seen any of the data from the SAL program but I can tell you
guys that whatever you are doing in Texas, it is working.

I have fished all over the country and Texas by far has been the best for Bass.

Yes Alabama and California have good fisheries too but those states are not as
good as Texas.

JT Bagwell


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http://tpwmagazine.com/archive/2013/mar/scout2_sharelunker/

Granted this is from TPW Magazine but an interesting read. I figure TPWD is going to stock fish anyway which is most of the cost. So why not do some research and stock fish breading from fish that grew and survived in the wild? That being said personally I'd release a fish back right now because I'm not a tournament angler with a large live well and all the knowledge and resources to keep one alive.

Interesting article. They mentioned how long the old record had been in place. Here in Illinois our state record of around 13.5 lbs was caught the year I was born and I will be 38 in a couple of months.

There's 4 keys to growing really big bass

1. Florida strain bass or F1 hybrid
2. Suitable lake (not too hot, not too cold)
3. Tons of food, especially big baitfish
4. Catch and release all bass, of all sizes. Don't even keep the occasional big one for your wall. Keep none.

If Share a Lunker is helping with #4, then it may be beneficial. If the program engendered an overall catch and release attitude where people would eat a lot of bass before, then it's good. The question is whether the time the big bass spends in captivity thwarts it's overall growth potential after being release. There's some re-catching going on but this effect is hard to quantify.

The exact perfect genes are probably not that big of a deal. In CA, I fished just about every lake known for trophy bass from Dixon to Spring Lake. There's a dozen or more lakes in CA with bigger bass than the Texas state record right now. It's because of the 4 factors above.

If the real goal of TPWD is to grow huge bass, pick a few lakes where the water temps seldom go under 44 and seldom go over 85. Stock each one with florida bass or first generation hybrids. Stock with rainbow trout at least 6 months out of the year, once a week. Enforce strict catch and release only. No slot, or allowance to keep one trophy fish. No small-minded attitude that tries to justify "just that one fish for my wall". Wait 6 to 10 years. Enjoy catching giant bass.

I don't agree with the part in red. Some small fish need to be removed or the lake will over populate and it will be impossible to keep enough food in it.

Rob that makes some sense but stocking trout just to feed bass doesn't seem to be very cost effective. In fact as much as I love fishing I'd probably be mad as hell if my tax dollars went to it. If there were sponsors then go for it.

Just another fyi everyone on here should check out this page regardless of your opinion of the program. Start with the FAQ and go from there. Lots of info about survival rates and handling the fish. Answers several questions being asked on here.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/visitorcenters/tffc/sharelunker/faq/

Nor I. Every trophy fishery requires removal of smaller fish to remain healthy.