Posted By: cephusjoe
Food for thought, fish management
Posted By: the skipper
Re: Food for thought - 10/30/21 04:35 AM
Ask some guides on Fork, they will tell you the reason it can sustain is because the little fish get taken out and have all the tournament mortality.
Posted By: bassnman
Re: Food for thought - 10/30/21 03:42 PM
On slot lakes, I would like to see the majority of unders harvested. 
Posted By: BillS2006
Re: Food for thought - 10/30/21 03:48 PM
Fayette is an example of catch and release working too well. The lake is completely out of balance. I keep 5 unders every trip.
Posted By: rxkid2001
Re: Food for thought - 10/31/21 04:03 AM
Be happy, I live in a state that doesn’t believe in stocking bass. I wish they’d follow the Texas model.
Posted By: David Newton
Re: Food for thought - 10/31/21 04:05 AM
I was thinking about this topic today out on the water.
I fish a small lake that holds a few large fish and thousands of juvenile fish. I probably catch 100 to 1 small to larger. The smalls are usually about 1/4 to 1/2 pound. The large start around 2lbs. I've literally never caught anything in between.
How does this happen in a body of water? Logically these baby bass will grow up, with some of them becoming food. Yet the numbers just don't seem to add up.
Also, there are no baitfish or forage species in there. Despite the efforts of people to get panfish established, they just become food it seems.
I don't suppose the few large fish are just eating everything before they mature?
I fish a small lake that holds a few large fish and thousands of juvenile fish. I probably catch 100 to 1 small to larger. The smalls are usually about 1/4 to 1/2 pound. The large start around 2lbs. I've literally never caught anything in between.
How does this happen in a body of water? Logically these baby bass will grow up, with some of them becoming food. Yet the numbers just don't seem to add up.
Also, there are no baitfish or forage species in there. Despite the efforts of people to get panfish established, they just become food it seems.
I don't suppose the few large fish are just eating everything before they mature?
Posted By: T Bird
Re: Food for thought - 10/31/21 01:04 PM
Wish they'd reduce the harvest size on Belton to 12".
Posted By: Txduckhunter
Re: Food for thought - 11/01/21 01:04 PM
Originally Posted by David Newton
I was thinking about this topic today out on the water.
I fish a small lake that holds a few large fish and thousands of juvenile fish. I probably catch 100 to 1 small to larger. The smalls are usually about 1/4 to 1/2 pound. The large start around 2lbs. I've literally never caught anything in between.
How does this happen in a body of water? Logically these baby bass will grow up, with some of them becoming food. Yet the numbers just don't seem to add up.
Also, there are no baitfish or forage species in there. Despite the efforts of people to get panfish established, they just become food it seems.
I don't suppose the few large fish are just eating everything before they mature?
I fish a small lake that holds a few large fish and thousands of juvenile fish. I probably catch 100 to 1 small to larger. The smalls are usually about 1/4 to 1/2 pound. The large start around 2lbs. I've literally never caught anything in between.
How does this happen in a body of water? Logically these baby bass will grow up, with some of them becoming food. Yet the numbers just don't seem to add up.
Also, there are no baitfish or forage species in there. Despite the efforts of people to get panfish established, they just become food it seems.
I don't suppose the few large fish are just eating everything before they mature?
Our average seems to be 2-2.5lbs on our ranch lake. Have caught some real giants out of it in the past but we have started really targeting and retaining small fish. We've kept 75lbs of fish so far this year and the biologist says we are way behind in what we need to keep per year.
It's been hard to actually keep a bass when you've been doing catch and release most of your life.
Posted By: Hook'Em 79
Re: Food for thought - 11/02/21 03:39 PM
Originally Posted by Txduckhunter
Originally Posted by David Newton
I was thinking about this topic today out on the water.
I fish a small lake that holds a few large fish and thousands of juvenile fish. I probably catch 100 to 1 small to larger. The smalls are usually about 1/4 to 1/2 pound. The large start around 2lbs. I've literally never caught anything in between.
How does this happen in a body of water? Logically these baby bass will grow up, with some of them becoming food. Yet the numbers just don't seem to add up.
Also, there are no baitfish or forage species in there. Despite the efforts of people to get panfish established, they just become food it seems.
I don't suppose the few large fish are just eating everything before they mature?
I fish a small lake that holds a few large fish and thousands of juvenile fish. I probably catch 100 to 1 small to larger. The smalls are usually about 1/4 to 1/2 pound. The large start around 2lbs. I've literally never caught anything in between.
How does this happen in a body of water? Logically these baby bass will grow up, with some of them becoming food. Yet the numbers just don't seem to add up.
Also, there are no baitfish or forage species in there. Despite the efforts of people to get panfish established, they just become food it seems.
I don't suppose the few large fish are just eating everything before they mature?
Our average seems to be 2-2.5lbs on our ranch lake. Have caught some real giants out of it in the past but we have started really targeting and retaining small fish. We've kept 75lbs of fish so far this year and the biologist says we are way behind in what we need to keep per year.
It's been hard to actually keep a bass when you've been doing catch and release most of your life.
How big is your tank?
Posted By: Txduckhunter
Re: Food for thought - 11/02/21 04:08 PM
Originally Posted by Hook'em79
Originally Posted by Txduckhunter
Originally Posted by David Newton
I was thinking about this topic today out on the water.
I fish a small lake that holds a few large fish and thousands of juvenile fish. I probably catch 100 to 1 small to larger. The smalls are usually about 1/4 to 1/2 pound. The large start around 2lbs. I've literally never caught anything in between.
How does this happen in a body of water? Logically these baby bass will grow up, with some of them becoming food. Yet the numbers just don't seem to add up.
Also, there are no baitfish or forage species in there. Despite the efforts of people to get panfish established, they just become food it seems.
I don't suppose the few large fish are just eating everything before they mature?
I fish a small lake that holds a few large fish and thousands of juvenile fish. I probably catch 100 to 1 small to larger. The smalls are usually about 1/4 to 1/2 pound. The large start around 2lbs. I've literally never caught anything in between.
How does this happen in a body of water? Logically these baby bass will grow up, with some of them becoming food. Yet the numbers just don't seem to add up.
Also, there are no baitfish or forage species in there. Despite the efforts of people to get panfish established, they just become food it seems.
I don't suppose the few large fish are just eating everything before they mature?
Our average seems to be 2-2.5lbs on our ranch lake. Have caught some real giants out of it in the past but we have started really targeting and retaining small fish. We've kept 75lbs of fish so far this year and the biologist says we are way behind in what we need to keep per year.
It's been hard to actually keep a bass when you've been doing catch and release most of your life.
How big is your tank?
35acres at full pool.
Posted By: David Newton
Re: Food for thought - 11/02/21 05:05 PM
Originally Posted by Txduckhunter
It's been hard to actually keep a bass when you've been doing catch and release most of your life.
Not only is it counterintuitive to keep them, but what would I do with them? I believe our annual guide says fish can be taken for food but cannot just be killed off. Can't transport them to another public body of water. What can I do with a cooler full of 6-8 inch bass?
Posted By: NateRich5797
Re: Food for thought - 11/03/21 03:38 PM
Originally Posted by David Newton
Originally Posted by Txduckhunter
It's been hard to actually keep a bass when you've been doing catch and release most of your life.
Not only is it counterintuitive to keep them, but what would I do with them? I believe our annual guide says fish can be taken for food but cannot just be killed off. Can't transport them to another public body of water. What can I do with a cooler full of 6-8 inch bass?
I see no harm in replacing them in creeks or rivers. I'm no game warden, but what's the worst that could happen? Also, I'm sure you could reach out to other pond owners to see if they wouldn't mind having them in their ponds. I'm sure if you posted it on here they would come a running.