Slot Limits vs Minimum Length for Bass

[jad2t]

I'm curious if the general populous of fishermen feel the same way as I do about this, whether you are a strict catch and release angler when it comes to bass or you're like me and like to eat them. Smallmouth Bass have a minimum length of 18 inches in almost all of our lakes here. I think we can all agree that we'd like to see 3+ pound Smallmouth released. However, that isn't going to be the case with an 18 inch minimum. There are plenty of guys harvesting Smallies. I have no guilt about harvesting an 18+ incher but I would certainly be happy to release that fish if I was allowed to harvest a handful of 14-16 inchers.

Would this be the best of both worlds and make everyone happy? Sure there are people who want every bass released and I'm really not talking to that crowd. That's like telling a vegan why I like to hunt. But for those who are willing to meet the other halfway - with allowed slot limit harvesting, guys like me who enjoy the taste of bass can harvest smaller fish and would be fine letting larger ones go so that they can pass on good genetics and be caught another day.

I'd like to actually propose this to TWRA and want to know if I could confidently say that many anglers would support this change.

Dale Hollow has something similar. You can harvest one Smallie under 16 inches and one over 21 inches. That's not exactly what I'd like to see on Center Hill and Tims Ford but it's better than the 18" minimum and last I checked, Dale Hollow wasn't hurting in terms of being full of giant Smallmouth even with the allowed harvest of one over 21 inches.

Comments like "something is wrong with you if you eat Smallmouth" like was directed at me last time this topic was discussed will not be taken seriously.

[TNBronzeback]

Im all for it! slots for various species, as a whole work well on other bodies of water across the country. Some take it as far as no "bass" fishing during the spawning season.
Your right, an approach like slots would benefit all parties and could be beneficial to the overall health of the fishery.

[spottedbass]

I have no problem with a slot limit. I also have no problem with the regulations as they are now. As far as eating bass, largemouth and smallmouth are not on my menu (because I don't care for the taste) but spotted bass most definitely are. They taste better and you can keep the 12 - 14 inch fish.

[jad2t]

The minimum length on species, especially at 18 inches for Smallies, means almost every harvested fish of that species is going to be a female which reduces reproduction capability of that species. Thinning out some of the 14-17 inch Smallies in a reservoir allows the ones that already beat that 17 inch mark to grow bigger due to having more of the resources offered by that body of water per fish. Overall I think it is better for everyone.

[spottedbass]

Just another thought, if you take out the 10 -14 inch spots then there will be more resources for that body of water to allow the 14 -17 smallies to get bigger. Especially since spotted bass are very aggressive and don't reach the larger sizes that largemouth and smallmouth do.

[jad2t]

A yak angler caught a 21 inch spotted bass on the Coosa River not too long ago. Biggest one I've ever seen come from Tennessee!

[spottedbass]

That is huge!!! JPP has a ton of them but not a lot size. Center Hill has better size and good numbers too.

[jad2t]

I hardly ever catch spots on JPP. Matter of fact, I catch a lot more Smallies than Spots on JPP, and I'm always pissed off that I can't harvest them because I've only caught 2 legal ones. One I ate, one I released only because it was during pre spawn.

[jad2t]

As we discussed in the other forum, I overlooked how this would affect bass boat tournaments.

Do you think that would be the deciding factor in keeping things the way they are now?

[TnCreekMaster]

Michigan has a straight up closed season for bass during the spawn which I think is a great idea but dont think it would ever stick here in TN

[Travis C.]

Originally Posted by jad2t

As we discussed in the other forum, I overlooked how this would affect bass boat tournaments.

A lot of times the big tourneys like FLW or BASS "if" they go to a slot limit lake the slot will be lifted for them during the tourney and a min length instituted.

[Travis C.]

I am not opposed to a slot on anything as I hardly ever keep fish. Personally, I love to eat fish but no one in my household really does except for catfish/tilapia. A slot would be a good way for me to always have quality fish to try and catch so selfishly I am for it.

I have wanted a slot on the Caney for years and glad to finally have it. Personally, I would rather see it increment up over three year period and reset like Lake Fork does bass.

The bass populations aren't in bad enough shape around here to really worry about things going haywire from people catching fish in my opinion. Most of the time the reason you aren't catching smallies in a body of water that has them is due to the location your fishing more so than fish population.

[TnCreekMaster]

I watched a documentary one time about spawning smallies on lake saint clair and as fisherman would pull them off there beds the darters and gobys would invade the nest and eat all the eggs and fry before the fish was released and thats why Michigan has emplemented this rule

"Starting in 2015, anglers can catch-and-immediately-release largemouth and smallmouth bass all year (January 1 - December 31). The catch-and-keep season for both species runs later in the year. For Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River and the Detroit River the season is the third Saturday in June through December 31. For all other waters, including the Great Lakes, the season is the Saturday before Memorial Day through December 31."

[TNBronzeback]

Originally Posted by TnCreekMaster

Michigan has a straight up closed season for bass during the spawn which I think is a great idea but dont think it would ever stick here in TN

Hard to argue the methpds of the D.N.R with the Smallmouth Meccas that are michigan lakes!

[Heiny57]

I am to much of a Narcissis to understand any of this.


Smallmouth are for those who can't catch Carp.