****** Creek

[tkwalker]

Originally Posted by jad2t

You guys are getting off topic. Of course we all hate the Asians and Mexicans that keep small/too many fish they caught using nets. Hey TK, how's that for political correctness haha.

Certain people on this forum, who will remain nameless, absolutely hate the thought of someone keeping a trout or a bass from any body of water. Don't believe me? Look up the thread where a member posted a video of a guy fishing below a huge dam (I don't remember where it was) and caught a 4lb smallie and put it in the cooler. People wanted to burn him alive for doing such a thing. That was no middle TN stream was it? I'm so sick of those kind of people whining about fishermen who want to keep their legal limit. Guys like me, who hold a valid license every year and absolutely never break the rules. If I want to keep a big smallie, I'm doing to do it. I don't care if I catch it in Center Hill Lake, or some tiny stream in Smyrna, it's mine.

TK - You claim my head is in the sand about fish population being more heavily affected by pollution. Is it? Check out the scientific articles about birth control hormones in our water causing fish to undergo sex changes from male to female. How can a stream full of female fish repopulate?

Jimmy, in fact I was dicussing this with our fellow member who stocks ponds ... There are a lot of variables to the reason this happens ...it has a lot to do with the species of fish ...

What I was referring to, that statistically if the fishery (in this case a small creek or lets even say the East Fork on the Stones River) Or the Caney ... If it is a stocked species' and if that area is over fished of that species. Your Honey Hole will be a slow go until it does replenish...

And what we are saying it has nothing to do with catch and release but most of these creeks and streams that have been mentioned here are usually fished by multitudes of Bank Fisherman ... Who pays no attention to limits, Nor the trash they leave behind ... I've even witnessed Cast nets being thrown and everything in it hauled to the truck, multiple times ... <'TK><

[jad2t]

I'm with you guys 100% on the illegals using cast nets and what not, even fishing with rods but still keeping undersized fish. I've called TWRA multiple times to report it and unfortunately nothing gets done. The trash irritates me too. People don't have any respect for the beautiful fisheries that God gave us and that's a shame.

I'm not talking about small streams though. I can guarantee you that if I was to take a 24 inch brown out of the Caney for dinner (as soon as I catch one you can believe it's going into some hot olive oil) and posted about it, rather than congratulating me on such an awesome fish, I'd catch heat for keeping it instead of releasing it. That's my gripe.

[agelesssone]

I go fishing yesterday in 25 degree weather and 15 MPH winds. I catch 14"-14 3/4" saugers that I throw back because the SIZE LIMIT is 15 inches. As I am looking at the measuring board, the two beautiful filets I am fixing to release, I have to do a self examination. Do you follow the rules or not. There's probably not a TWRA person within fifty miles, I haven't seen another boat on the water, TWRA will be checking out the duck hunters because they are understaffed as it is and can't police every boat ramp in their territory.

1/4 of an inch is not much.....but it is the difference between living with myself or dealing with a bad conscience. When does it become too far undersized to keep? 1/2 inch? 3/4 inch? To me it doesn't matter if it is an inch under or 1/8 inch under, it goes back. I know a number of people who just look at a fish and say, "Yeah, that's legal" and throw it in the livewell.

Since I feel the laws are there for a reason, the undersized fish goes overboard. Instead of coming home with six or seven fish, I came home with three....and didn't look back. People who know me personally know if a crappie is 9 7/8", a bass on PP is 14 13/16", or a sauger is 14 3/4", they go back in the lake/river/water. Having said all that, I have to say this....if I catch and want to keep a limit of legal sized fish, be it LM SM, crappie, white bass, sauger, walleye or catfish, I will do so and have no qualms about it.

People here in Tennessee revere the smallmouth bass whereas in Canada it is akin to our carp, it's considered a trash fish. It's only saving grace is it's good for a shore lunch. Myself, I give a crap about a smallmouth and, if I caught one that was legal size and wanted to keep it, I would and would vigorously defend my right to do so against any self righteous individual who wanted to challenge me on it.

BUT! When I see the "bucket brigade" throwing cast nets, hauling in shad, white bass, and or crappie and everything goes in the bucket/livewell, regardless of size, yes, I get outraged and incensed. Too bad we can't have the old "citizens arrest" take place there on the shoreline.

[agelesssone]

And Jimmy I agree with you. If you catch, photograph, and post a photo of a 24" brown trout and then post photos of it in the frying pan, you WILL BE castigated, spit on, called many unsavory names, have your sanity questioned, be labeled an eco-terrorist, and unjustly be stricken from many sportsmen's invite list.

Myself on the other hand would ask you if it was delicious and were you thinking of sharing!

[MNfisher]

Jimmy, first of all, you are a great person, I enjoyed fishing with you and look forward to doing so again in the future, but there is a large difference in keeping a 24" trout in the caney or a 20" smallie from center hill than keeping a 20" smallie from a small stream, there might only be one 20" smallie in a 1 mile section of that stream, once it's gone, it's gone. There are several large trout in the caney and large bass in our reservoirs, but the small streams, which was the original topic in this thread, can and will get fished out if people keep the bass they catch there.

As far as the 24" brown, eat away. There are several in the river and most of the general public will probably not catch many if any at all. 99% of the few guys who can consistently bring in big browns are releasing them. I said 99%, I know some do eat them. I have tried to catch big brown for a whole, I have gotten several from 18-23 1/2", none over 24 yet.


Again I have absolutely no problem with keeping a limit of anything....until I see you walking up the bank of a 20' wide stream dragging a limit of bass.....just my 2 cents

[MNfisher]

And yes, if you post a pic of a big dead trout, you will get bombarded. Not by me, but it will happen. Trout in TN are like Musky in MN. If someone knifed a 50" musky in MN, there is a possibility they would get thrown in a ditch and beaten! Ha!

[Travis C.]

I think we are bouncing around between a few different topics in here.

The first issue brought up was posting specific creeks names on a public forum. They simply can't stand a huge amount of fish taking without a noticeable impact on the populations and it is more of a problem than you might think. It's just a smaller ecosystem than a lake or river and this site gets major traffic through it.

Non-licensed anglers regardless of ethnic background "illegals" if you must say should be reported whether we feel the TWRA can act on it that particular time or not. Keep in mind statewide it would average out to about 1 agent per county if I remember correctly. You can imagine the job that would take. They are not only responsible for fish/game violations but also boating violations and have to help in meth/drug cases in the backwoods too.

As far as the example of the big trout Jimmy, take that with a grain of salt and not personally...be proud of the accomplishment. Remember there are fisherman who target and treasure many different species not just trout then may eat others or not at all. Some may take just as much offense to a nice bass taken home as a trout or say if you treasure that huge rockfish then some else may see it as food but you see as a trophy. Everyones wired differently and has different goals I just try to respect them as much as I can. The old saying "One man's trash is another man's treasure" is pretty universal in all things.

[tkwalker]

Originally Posted by agelesssone

And Jimmy I agree with you. If you catch, photograph, and post a photo of a 24" brown trout and then post photos of it in the frying pan, you WILL BE castigated, spit on, called many unsavory names, have your sanity questioned, be labeled an eco-terrorist, and unjustly be stricken from many sportsmen's invite list.

Myself on the other hand would ask you if it was delicious and were you thinking of sharing!

Agelessone, Your story reminded me of a similar situation that happened some years back . My brother was with me below Cordell Hull Dam one chilly evening and I was throwing my Cast net for bait ... And when I brought it to the surface and started unloading it; there laid about 5 pound walleye just flopping around. After loading my live wells with bait ... I reached down and pitched the Big Eye overboard with no hesitation.

I thought my brother was going to croak there on the spot. He said what the Hell did you do that for !!! I had that already filleted and steaked out and in the oil !!! I looked at and said ... Yep it would have been good ... But My conscience would not let live with myself and it wouldn't have tasted near as good to me. I told him it was illegal to catch and keep game fish with a net ... <'TK><

[old sailor]

I can guarantee you that if I was to take a 24 inch brown out of the Caney for dinner (as soon as I catch one you can believe it's going into some hot olive oil) and posted about it, rather than congratulating me on such an awesome fish, I'd catch heat for keeping it instead of releasing it. That's my gripe.[/QUOTE]

Gee thats too bad; I haven't eaten one of those bad boys since sunday.

[agelesssone]

LMAO at old sailor! I wouldn't eat one if I caught it. It'd be like eating a carp to me cause I just don't like trout......or catfish.....or rockfish.....or white bass.

But Bass!! Spots, largemouth, smallies! If it's legal, it's getting dunked in an olive oil hot tub! Crappie and bluegill too!

[tkwalker]

Originally Posted by jad2t

I'm with you guys 100% on the illegals using cast nets and what not, even fishing with rods but still keeping undersized fish. I've called TWRA multiple times to report it and unfortunately nothing gets done. The trash irritates me too. People don't have any respect for the beautiful fisheries that God gave us and that's a shame.

I'm not talking about small streams though. I can guarantee you that if I was to take a 24 inch brown out of the Caney for dinner (as soon as I catch one you can believe it's going into some hot olive oil) and posted about it, rather than congratulating me on such an awesome fish, I'd catch heat for keeping it instead of releasing it. That's my gripe.

This battle between what is legal by law and the release concept was really set in motion in the late 60's and early 70's when the BASS Tourneys started up and has perpetuated. Heck when I was a kid no one threw anything back ... You have seen the old pic's of stringers of bass being held up for a pic.. In fact I have a 1972 Corps Lake map with such a pic on it ... But what gets me ... There were more larger fish caught then than now ?!

So since the 60's to present ... 5 decades this has been going on ...

My opinion " if it is legal and it itches scratch it" ... Everybody has a little bag of rocks to Tote ... bd and I have seen these same type of posts and discussions go on about every 6 months for the last 16 years this web site has been in existence ... and it will go on for another 16 years as well ... <'TK><

[Mike Anderson]

Then there's also an attitude of I eat every big fish I catch and I think it's funny so I brag about it publicly. I think I see that attitude peeking it's nasty little head out here too.


There is a younger generation that would love a shot at big browns. Like this guy who got this one on a fly on his first fly fishing trip with me.

I take kids like this out all the time.

Check out the look on his face. He'll never forget this day. We need more of this and catch and release is the only way to assure it will be there always.


Sitting on the same fish day in day out with live bait, cast nets, cranks or flies, catching the alpha fish and eating them is selfish plain and simple.

[jad2t]

Originally Posted by agelesssone

And Jimmy I agree with you. If you catch, photograph, and post a photo of a 24" brown trout and then post photos of it in the frying pan, you WILL BE castigated, spit on, called many unsavory names, have your sanity questioned, be labeled an eco-terrorist, and unjustly be stricken from many sportsmen's invite list.

Myself on the other hand would ask you if it was delicious and were you thinking of sharing!

And that's why I like to go fishing with you!

[jad2t]

Originally Posted by MNfisher

Jimmy, first of all, you are a great person, I enjoyed fishing with you and look forward to doing so again in the future, but there is a large difference in keeping a 24" trout in the caney or a 20" smallie from center hill than keeping a 20" smallie from a small stream, there might only be one 20" smallie in a 1 mile section of that stream, once it's gone, it's gone. There are several large trout in the caney and large bass in our reservoirs, but the small streams, which was the original topic in this thread, can and will get fished out if people keep the bass they catch there.

As far as the 24" brown, eat away. There are several in the river and most of the general public will probably not catch many if any at all. 99% of the few guys who can consistently bring in big browns are releasing them. I said 99%, I know some do eat them. I have tried to catch big brown for a whole, I have gotten several from 18-23 1/2", none over 24 yet.


Again I have absolutely no problem with keeping a limit of anything....until I see you walking up the bank of a 20' wide stream dragging a limit of bass.....just my 2 cents

I had a blast with you and Merv that day. Me and Merv have fished several times since then and after I graduate in May I plan to meet and fish with several more of the members here so that soon I'll have a Rolodex of fishing buddies!

I'm not saying I'd actually go to a tiny stream in search of a limit of bass. I don't do much exploring of small streams...yet. I'm sure there are some treasures hidden away with some great fishing but if I was going after a limit of bass, which I often do, I would go to a big lake, not a stream. I don't know that people would consistently target a tiny stream for food and be able to keep catching limits until it's depleted but I could be wrong.

As a guy who loves to eat fish (the worshipped trout and bass included), I realize that on this forum I'm about as popular as my Conservative politics would make me in San Francisco. My beef really isn't with guys not wanting someone to habitually hit tiny streams and take 5 bass home every time they go because I agree. Even if I was to take home that keeper brown out of the Caney, or a 20" smallie out of Center Hill, I'd be bombarded for it and that's just ridiculous. We all have our beliefs of eating or not eating fish and nobody on here should be ridiculed for their habits.

And to you Mike - If you're so concerned about people depleting your middle TN streams, why take them on guided trips there? Do you really think some of them don't come back, now that they know your hot spots, and fish for food if they so desire?

[jad2t]

Originally Posted by Mike Anderson

There is a younger generation that would love a shot at big browns.

Sitting on the same fish day in day out with live bait, cast nets, cranks or flies, catching the alpha fish and eating them is selfish plain and simple.

And the younger generation will always have a shot at them because TWRA keeps stocking fish in the Caney as well as trout fisheries all over Tennessee.

Trout in the Caney are not your pets, saying it's selfish to enjoy eating them is beyond ridiculous. There is no attitude about bragging on eating big fish, not with me. I don't catch many trophy fish. I did catch a 7lb largemouth a few years ago, best one yet. Guess where it went? In the cooler. That wasn't the least bit selfish. Just for the record, I have yet to catch a keeper brown in the Caney. Biggest so far was 22 inches caught in pitch black, not a soul around. I could have kept it and nobody ever would know but I did the right thing and threw it back. I respect the rules. Had it been 2 inches longer, without hesitation it would have been destined to be cooked in my famous picatta recipe and I wouldn't have felt an ounce of guilt. I sure do like to eat the 12 inchers though!

You sentence calling me selfish because I would absolutely eat a 24 inch brown trout is exactly the attitude that we need less of in our community of outdoorsmen.