[tkwalker]

Billy, if you will check the comments you will still see the 50/50 Catch and release and keep ratio is now kicking in ... .......... If you have never tasted Smallie or large mouth ... Why Not ??? These Fish are not religious Gods for the privileged ... If you fish the Canada waters ... These are caught for your shore lunch (and considered eatable trash fish over the Walleye) ... When I was Tourney fishing in the 70's and 80's points was deducted for dead fish ... But a pool was set up on who got the dead ones from week to week ... Because !!!! They are good eating ... I believe in catch and release ... This was an issue I pushed when I was guiding for stripers ... Not for a table fare but as a wall hanger ... But I still let clients keep trophys under certain guidelines same as Ralph Dallas ...

Now, with this said ... I measured your fish and you are right on with 22 inches ... It is called interpulation ... I measured your fist from thumb to pinky .. approx. 5 +/- inches (average width .. I used mine as a example) ... I then took a ruler and measured the whole pic of you holding the fish (I have a 24 inch monitor) ... The interpulation was your 5 inch fist converted to 2 inches on my ruler .. Holding it up to your pic ... The length of your pic was 9 inches divided by 2 = 4.5 X 5 inches = 22.5 inches ... ...,

Also read where big smallies are rare ... Somebody needs to stop watching Football in January and TV in February and go to the Hollow and fish Floatn' Flys or Westmorelands blade baits ... And at the same time watch the Eagles (not the one's from Philadelphia) over head ... and try to keep your butt warm ... with the ice formations on the bank walls ... If you are lucky you might get a true keeper Smallie in the boat !!!

Do not be intimidated by the posters ... ............. either way ... Flyfisher purist verses the spin guy ... The catch and release verses the meat eater who feeds his family (now there are pros and cons there when you have a $35,000 Bass Boat) ...... If it is legal it is up to you ... Sample what God and TWRA did give us and you make up your mind on what works for you ... I'll guarantee you that there are more Smallies and LM Bass in these waters than ther was 30 years ago ... and there was no shortage then !!! As far as substituting Gills for smallies for a table fare instead of Smalies ... I really don't know what this has to do with the subject ... I caught 8 hybrid Gills and Shellcrackers out of my pond today which I stock for a great meal and the freezer ... But I also stock bass for my table as well ... But I am fortunate that I can stock my on (Do to hard work and NO entitlements!!) ... But If I didn't have this Luxury I would take From Our fisheries ... JUST REMEMBER!!! ... .... Take legally what you need for an occasional treat, unless you are on wellfare, foodstamps, and fish from the bank, In that case keep everything you catch !! "It saves my Tax Dollars" !! ... ) <'TK><