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For quality size, numbers and the occasional monster, it seems the more I read about this lake the more intrigued I am. Are 10-12 inch redear a common thing? A buddy of mine just started going down there and the crackers I saw were down right impressive. I take it the bluegill are big too?
There are some good'uns here, but I don't think states like Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, and Lousiana can be counted out. I see and hear a lot about those states producing big numbers and big fish.
The Santee lakes in South Carolina probably would be rated the best since the last couple of world's records came from that area.
KY/Barkley have a great bluegill and redear fishery going as long as folks will be respectful of the redear limits. I am hearing some HORROR stories of folks who come here for a few days and basically take a big whizz on the limits. They were put into place to protect the fishery but some folks just don't understand the concept!
I've seen the same with largemouth.....guy was cleaning a whole bunch of 12 inch fish...a waste.
You would think that it was the only lake in the south that had them by the number of people fishing for them this year.
I've never seen this many gill/cracker fishermen here in my entire life.
I wonder does that mean their crappie numbers for the year were down? I know mine have been down. I made only two trips to KY Lake this year and never did real great. I think both days we caught in the 20's but I can remember numbers in the upper 30 to 50 per day over the past three or four years. I remember a trip me and my two sons caught 90 in one day at Rough River two years ago. I haven't sen numbers like that on here in some time. As far as people catching to many fish on the redear and bass, nothing ticks me off more then seeing someone keep bass. I know it is legal and people do it but I personally wish they would return the trophy fish back to the water and eat the pan fish. I actually saw a guy side hock about a four pound bass that had been returned to a lake from a tournament and he kept it. I don't mean he was fishing in the area, he was fishing right where the pipe dropped them back into the water and side hooked one. I wanted to punch him in the mouth. He walked around that marina bragging about his big catch all evening that night.
A trophy fish is in the eye of the beholder.. or bass holder as the case may be.
I never cease to be amazed by people that think nothing of a 90 fish crappie haul from KY Lake but get their knickers in a twist whenever they see someone put a knife to a bass. They ate just fine before bass fishing was turned into something on the order of NASCAR.
I cleaned a livewell full of bass just about 3 weeks ago. I found a golden bone in nary a one of them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jigboy
I just fail to understand the "evil" in killing a bass. If it's legal, in moderation, and you want some fish to eat, what's the difference in a bass and any other species?
Bass? People keep those trash fish?
This might be why they think so.Quote:
Originally Posted by redearhoosier
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...IMG_0008-3.jpg
Got these this week at KY lake. And close to 700 gills in 5 days.
I don't mind people keeping ANY fish as long as it is a LEGAL limit. But a bunch of 10 inch bass ain't legal....Those redears look great.....are they tasty?
You know they are.
Prefished a crappie usa event about 10 years ago was fishing with 12 foot rods. I caught 4 4+ green carp took to cleaning station nearly got in a fist fight with some snobby bass fisherman. Now i keep them just for spite.
I don't understand the bass is golden deal either. I have fished my share of tournaments and used to be a die hard bass guy but I still ate a few. Keep it within the limits, don't be stocking all of the neighbors freezers, and respect the lake. The fish will be fine. I agee with a previous poster, I have known many people who feel it is ok to fillet hundreds of crappie in a week but act like it is some kind of sin to eat a 15 inch bass. Oh well, just my $00.02.
I personally don't have a problem with it even though I don't keep bass unless he is going on the wall and the wall is pretty empty of bass. I would personally prefer to see people release any bass that is large and close to a trophy size. I prefer this same thing on crappie. I have six crappie mounted. One was caught by my wife and is an ounce shy of three pounds. My son who was 7 at the time caught five in a matter of one hour that all went over two pounds and we mounted all five on a brush pile mount. I have never kept another 2 pounder because I have enough and I have plenty of small fish to eat. I have no clue if it is true but I have been told that big fish produce big fish. The guide that I use at Wiess actually will ask a person like me who he knows has plenty of 2 pounders to release any you catch while with him. He ask and I do. I look at bass the same way. I got one six pound largemouth and a five and six pound smallmouth. I won't keep another until I get that seven pounder. I almost never keep them for food because I have tons of crappie normally. I am not sure how the reproduction goes with bass and crappie but I know most people who don't want crappie in a pond don't want them because they reproduce so much that they take over the lake. I never hear that about bass from anyone so I would guess they don't reproduce as much or we would have a 30 fish daily limit. If someone is legal I say do what you want when it comes to eatting fish but some turd who snags a large bass (that had to be dazed from being weighed and was just released 30 seconds before) should be embarressed.
That is a very interesting question. I would like have an answer to that one. we have some good crackers here in Ga.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrdux
Ditto, although Pine Mountain Lake here in Georgia is supposed to be excellent as well. A few line class records have come out of there.
The best shell cracker lake? Well I would have to say Santee here in SC is a good un' and so is Lake Murray. If I could find the pictures I'd post the 1.5 lb slabs that my dad and uncle caught the other year. Pulled about 90 off a bed beside our dock by wading out to it with a bream buster. Had to dip them up with a dip net to get them to the cooler! I also hear good things about Flordia and LA panfishing. Lake Okochobee is supposed to be a really good lake for the bream!
As far as the 'trophy' Bass go. Who cares if someone keeps some 12 in bass!?!?! He might not ever get the chance to go fishing and wants some fish to eat. A 12 in bass will eat just as good as a 12 lber. I've seen the day on the water that I'd love to have had a bunch of 12 inchers in the live well! I don't know where ever one gets off on a bass being such a trophy fish. Like stated earlier a trophy is only one in the eyes of the beholder. I love bass fishing as much as anyone, but if I ain't catching big ones then the little ones get the knife..... I like fried fish!
As long as a person is legal I don't care what they keep and/or release. DNR officials and biologists make the rules so that fish populations stay healthy. The way I see it is that if keeping big fish was bad for the population they would limit the size fish you keep. To each his own though! Just my .02 cents!
And they guy hooking the 4 lber after it was weighed should have got him self a nuckle sandwhich for supper! What a helpless individual.
Tight lines to all!
CB