I always check out the photo section on www.westernbass.com and more and more big bass photos are being tanken in the driveway or even worse kitchen. Which really bothers me dont these people know that these fish are the breeding stock? I don't think a 10lber tastes and better than 10 1lbers but hey I have never killed a big bass. Anyway I just had to post this somehwere it's bothering me.

Taylor-

Hey let that Bass go I wanna catch her some day
http://www.calfishing.com/gallery/v/members/tmcustoms/

http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/4547-Beatingadeadhorse.gif

http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/4548-Beat_Dead_Horse.jpg


}( }(

Ok so it wasn't the most informative post but it gets my point across...

Attachment #1, (.gif file)
Attachment #2, (.jpg file)

ok I did have to laugh at that

If you were reffering to the guy with the Bass Pro shops hat, He responded to the Photos thread on Westernbass yesterday. he stated he forgot his camera put the fish in his livewell went home took the pics and raced back to the launch ramp dumped his boat in and released the fish where he caught them. If he told us the truth I think thats believeable:-)

Donald C. Osborne

should have used spell check. Oh well

Donald C. Osborne

ok, on a more serious note...

It happens from time to time that I get to feeling pretty down about some website thing or another. Usually it's the same general topics. So in the last year or two I have a little thing that I do to cheer myself up. I stop thinking about whatever I'm thinking about that's negative and I take some time to work on something new for the site, whether it's an article, a review, something in the gallery, etc.

For this topic I have an idea. I'm going to commit to writing a new article all about trophy bass handling. Things you should have with you, ideas for proper bass care, and general tips. It'll take me a little while to get the photos but I'll get it done. I think half the time when you see the dead bass in the kitchen type pic it happens because a guy isn't prepared to catch that sort of fish and winds up taking the fish home because they want people to believe them that they caught it and they want to get a picture or a mount. Fish Chris has always promoted education versus yelling at people and I happen to agree, so look forward to a new article in the coming weeks.

Well some people call it beating a dead horse, but I am hoping at least one person will see this thread and relize it is important to release trophy fish and do so the next time they catch one. As for the guy w/ the bps hat I am not refering to him in general (mabey he did release the fish??) but I have heard the same stories about bass in the kitchen. Anyhow people need to realize the big girls need to stay at the lake.

Hey let that Bass go I wanna catch her some day
http://www.calfishing.com/gallery/v/members/tmcustoms/

The way I see it is a majority of trophy bass are caught by anglers that know the virtues of Catch & Release and usually practice it. Trust me having a double digit can make your brain turn to mush.

However there are those trophy bass that are caught by non bass anglers on powerbait and what not and kept but for the most part this does not happen on a regular basis so in my opinion should not be that big of a deal on whether they keep them or not.

The third angler is the one who knows how to catch bass regularly and choses to keep them for whatever reason, dinks and trophies. He knows the benefits of catch and release and keeps his fish anyway. He would be more dangerous to a fishery than the angler that accidently catches a trophy bass because he has the knowledge to catch bass and has made the decision to keep his fish. Unfortunately this third angler will be extremely hard to convince start to catch & release because he is more set in his ways.

Most of the lakes in Cali seem to be healthy fisheries, of course there are always exceptions, but I don't think what happened at castaic in the 80's is going to happen again where hundreds of bass anglers from around the nation converged on the lake and kept every trophy bass they caught. Then again I could be wrong

These are just my 2 am ramblings....

What about the picture of the guy in his kitchen? Think that one got released. And by the way I watched the thread on Westernbass and this board and no one mentioned that it is illegal to transport live gamefish in CA. Each fish is a seperate offense. My .02 is that there are a lot of guys out there who need to learn about C&R. bob

Oh yeah, one other pet peeve of mine is all the pictures of guys holding up two or more fish at a time. What are they doing? Catching bass, throwing them in the livewell and later hauling them out for pictures? Sure livewells usually work pretty good these days, but what's the point in hauling a bass around just so you can get a picture with a bunch of fish? Catch and release means just that - catch a fish, take a picture, then release it. Anything more is stress on the fish. My .02, bob

Believe it or not, we have a bad bad problem regarding trophy bass here on the east coast. If you guys lived over here you would label it "emergency mode" I think the average west coast fisherman is alot more educated than an east coast fisherman. Our lakes get raped and battered over here. It's not even funny. From NC, to Florida its terrible. People have the mindset of catch a trophy and keep it before its too late and you will never catch another one. And then you have the typical redneck who keeps 6 over 7 lbs for the dinner table. Yes, some people are dumb enough to eat big bass. Small bass taste better, that is a proven fact, but that doesn't matter to these guys.

Now, this may be beating a dead horse to you guys in cali, but definitely not over here on the east coast. It's sad. Some awesome fisheries are pretty average now because of this. And then ofcourse you have all the lakes in GA, that used to kick out teen largemouth but now the biggest fish you can catch is 5 lb spot. Luckily in FL, I think the fish grow so fast that a fishery can heal in a couple years. But overall the fishing stays at average compared to how it could be if all the lakes were like Stick Marsh/Farm 13 and required you to release your bass.

It sucks seeing 10 lber after 8 lber after 11 lber being kept. If only these people knew what they were doing to a fishery.

http://www.calfishing.com/gallery/v/members/bigreenjobass/

It seem's funny how many people claim C-R ,that is until they catch a hog. I personally know people that have sow's over 10 p#s wrapped in the freezer. And for what, if you can't afford to mount a fish what's the point in taking them. When I,caught my P-B of about 8#s sure wanted to take it home but I,knew it would sit in the freezer.The point here is we are slowly killing the gene pool.We need to have these fish in our water's not on our wall's. Today picture quality is awesome and can surelly outlast any taxidermy job.Im not bitter or against people taking fish but I've seen so many huge fish get snuffed its'not even funny.We are respnosible for keeping these sow's around let's do our part. CATCH & RELEASE

The dead horse post was a classic.

I've grown tired of all the political correctness, but I do like the catch and release philosiphy...

I use to say when I catch my first 10 I was going to tell it "sorry" as I placed it in my freezer, but now I am content with a replica.

To each his own!

Jeremy do you live in Fl? I know the average guy catches his 10+ in FL on a shiner and that one is definatley goin on the wall. SUCKS!

Hey let that Bass go I wanna catch her some day
http://www.calfishing.com/gallery/v/members/tmcustoms/

I've said(publically) it before and I'll say it again; when I catch my first(and any subsequent ones) double-digit(holding now at 9-even) Bass, she will get weighed, taped, and her picture taken(with 'rests' in the water) several times and then she will go back 'home', none the worse for wear.

I've caught the same 6 lber three times over a span of about 3-4 months:-) .

Second time: http://www.f150online.com/galleries/pictureview.cfm?pnum=73078&anum=3723

Third time: http://www.f150online.com/galleries/pictureview.cfm?pnum=73076&anum=3723

Can't find the first time.


Dan

"Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less"

Deo Vindice

yep you can't catch em' again if you keep em' :+

Hey let that Bass go I wanna catch her some day
http://www.calfishing.com/gallery/v/members/tmcustoms/