Bass problem this year

[piemma]

Originally Posted by Nebe

I told you so.

Originally Posted by tattoobob

I was under the impression that they were keeping every fish they caught as it says in a earlier post, if that's not the case then there is no need for that.

Bob:
That's what I said and I stand by it. I'm not talking about guys like Dave (Fishaholic18), Billy, myself, RIJimmy etc. We know the score and we know what keeping every fish you catch can do to the population.
Fot the record, what I'm talking about are guys who never fished for Bass before, figured our how to snag pogies and are killing evrything they hook. It IS happening right now.

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by piemma

Bob:
That's what I said and I stand by it. I'm not talking about guys like Dave (Fishaholic18), Billy, myself, RIJimmy etc. We know the score and we know what keeping every fish you catch can do to the population.
Fot the record, what I'm talking about are guys who never fished for Bass before, figured our how to snag pogies and are killing evrything they hook. It IS happening right now.

Did it ever occur to you that these guys think they are following the example set by the fisherman you quoted? They see successful fisherman they admire come home with big fish every trip and are attempting to do the same. To them, a 20lb fish is as big as a 40 to you. Have you killed a 40 in the last few years? Where did the fishing ethic.....catch and kill the biggest you can.......come from? Remember, they're new to the game and just learning....who are they learning from?

[piemma]

Originally Posted by numbskull

Did it ever occur to you that these guys think they are following the example set by the fisherman you quoted? They see successful fisherman they admire come home with big fish every trip and are attempting to do the same. To them, a 20lb fish is as big as a 40 to you. Have you killed a 40 in the last few years? Where did the fishing ethic.....catch and kill the biggest you can.......come from? Remember, they're new to the game and just learning....who are they learning from?

Numbskull:
You missed my point. These are guys that don't frequent this board or any board, for that matter. These are guys, as Nebe pointed out, are snagging pogies and just dropping it to the bottom. These guys are slaughtering large quantities of 20# + fish.
They don't know me or Bill or Dave of Jimmy. They don't know about conservation, the moratorium in the 80s, catch and release.
Now maybe you have a problem with me taking a large fish and killing it every now and then. Sorry if I offended your sense of conservation because I killed a 40.
My point was simply to inform the members of this forum that this was happening right now. It cannot be stopped or controlled because it's not illegal. If you think that the guys who have caught large for 40 years are to blame for this, you are entitled to your opinion. I can't take responsibility for someone elses actions just because I caught a big Bass sometime in the past and kept it. In my opinion, your logic is flawed.

[Saltheart]

Everyone is entitled to the legal limit. Expert , beginner , doesn't matter. No years of working at it makes anyomne more entitled to the fish.

I think if you are an expert , the burden is actually on you to talk to some of the newbies when you can. Explain ways to have fun pulling on the fish without killing them.

I understand that for some guys fishing is just a way to get out of the house with a cooler of bud and now fishing for stripers is easier than fishing for largemouth at their local pond. Let them enjoy themselves but try to bring them up to speed on techniques and a conservation awareness.

Yes , easy fishing brings more new fisherman and hurts the fishery but new fisherman also means more votes , etc. When the time comes , we may need their votes so why not nuture them a little and get them solidly on the conservation side of the issue.

[Nebe]

I think most of you did not understand Piemma's point.

What he is saying is that there are a lot of inexperienced people snag and dropping bass, keeping 2 fish (which is fine) but then they continue to fish and kill many fish because they dont know any better. lets face it, the legit way to do this act is to use 2 rods... snag with one, reel the pogie in and stick it on the other rod which is rigged with a large circle hook.. then let it swim to its death....

many do not understand this. they might as well all be yo-yoing...

[Saltheart]

Yes , I understand his point and that is part of the knowledge that needs to be passed on to the newcomers.


Also , newbies are not the only ones snagging and catching with the same hooks. Many meat fisherman do the same and have for more years than I can remember. Might be a good discussion to have with all levels of fisherman to raise awareness.

This comment is not aimed at anyone in particular but I think if you really are an expert fisherman who believes in conservation , you need to give something back to the sport by passing knowledge and conservation awareness on to future fisherman. Believe it or not , I bet half the people fishing for stripers today do not even know that at one time there was a moratorium do to the fishery collapse.Believe it or not , some fisherman have no idea that a fish can die hours or days after what looks like a safe release.

They need to be told.