Slot limits--worse thing to ever hit fishermen

[jbjennings]

I was interested in hearing some viewpoints on slot limits on bass. In case you're lucky enough to have no idea what this means --here it is. If you catch a fish in between so many inches, for example, any bass in between 14 and 19 inches, you have to throw him back--'cause he's in "the slot". First off, I'm not a trophy fisherman, if I catch a nice one, great--icing on the cake, but if I catch a nice mess, I'm tickled too. However, slot limits prevent me from keeping my decent fish that I worked for and happened to finally be lucky enough to catch. My 2nd biggest reason for despising slot limits is because they don't work. Case in point: Lake Fork in Texas had outrageous slot limits. When the lake was young and booming, one could slaughter the bass, a 6 pounder was a tight-eye. Everyone basically threw all their fish back because of the slot. Marinas were literally plastered with photos of people catching monster bass. You would be laughed at if you put your picture up with anything under 10 pounds. Now that the lakes old, you can hardly catch a bass there. The few pictures in surrounding marinas nowadays are of 7, 8 pounders as a whole, with few if any really nice bass being caught. My thinking is this--- while the lake was young and fertile, it was going to produce huge numbers of fish like any other new lake. After they get old, they fall off. Throwing your fish back will not prevent this. Sure, be reasonable with your taking of the fish and stay with the limit. I think just as many big bass would have been caught without a crazy slot limit and a lot more fun would have been had by all being able to keep a few of those fish and eating them. Everyone is not after a trophy bass, some people like to eat em! Where I live, nearly every lake around has some goofy slot limit which makes fishing them pointless to me. It seems like the whole bass regulation system is designed around trophy bass! 10% of the fisherman catch 90% of the fish anyway, what purpose do those slot limits serve? If you're a serious trophy bass fisherman, do you feel these slot limits help you catch bigger fish?
Just curious. By the way, I've looked pretty hard and can find no study that shows these slot limits work. The studies I have seen made note that the slot limit didn't work in the biologist's opinion because nobody keeps the fish outside the slot anyway. If it doesn't work, why not scrap the slot limits?
jbj--hungry bass fisherman

 

[woodrat]

Re: Slot limits--worse thing to ever hit fishermen

I'm not a bass fisherman, but on the Columbia River, slot limits were the only thing that saved the sturgeon. If it is under 42" or over 60" it has to go back. It was the only way to protect the larger, older breeders. Sturgeon here were still crashed into the seventies from the commerical overfishing in the 1890s. the 60" upper limit was the only thing that brought them back.

 

[jbjennings]

Re: Slot limits--worse thing to ever hit fishermen

I'd bet your right in that case, and I believe slot limits are essential for some species, especially those in cooler, slower growing waters and species that are commercially fished. Just don't think it works on bass down here. And I'm hungry for some bass, darn it!

 

[JB]

Re: Slot limits--worse thing to ever hit fishermen

Slot limits are not designed to produce trophys, jbj, they are designed to sustain populations.

I don't remember when I last killed a largemouth or smallmouth bass, northern pike or musky. There are more of them now, and bigger, where I fish than there were just 10 years ago.

Without slot limits I think the fishing for walleye would have gone to pot a long time ago. I release a lot in the slot and keep a few smaller ones to eat. There are more and bigger now, too. This past June we released several over 20".

I kill channel cat in moderation, crappies, yellow perch, shellcrackers and bluegills to eat if they are big enough to bother with fileting.

I am in favor of slot limits designed by competent wildlife conservation scientists. I believe they work.

 

[jbjennings]

Re: Slot limits--worse thing to ever hit fishermen

Interesting to hear about the slots on colder waters. Here, I've seen 0 evidence it works (LA) Our fish grow so fast that a limit is more than enough in my opinion. Catfish, bream, crappie reproduce and grow so fast that we hardly even have a limit on 'em. I think the limit on crappie is 50. I've only caught that many in one day a few times, however. The bass are similar to me, but as predatory fish a little higher up the food chain, they aren't quite as fast reproducing/growing as the aforementioned fish. The limit is 10 on my lake, 8 on some others. I rarely catch 10 and I'm a decent fisherman. We don't have a slot on the lake I live on and people catch plenty of fish, and the same amount of good sized fish as any other lake with a slot limit that don't have florida bass. Here, the slot for bass is for attempting to get bigger bass. I wish it was more effective for me as it has been for you, but for me, it just keeps me from keeping any fish. I don't like to scale bream-- I'm too lazy-- but I do like to eat those bass and I can assure you--I'm not catching enough to hurt the population here.
Still trying though,
jbj

 

[roscoe]

Re: Slot limits--worse thing to ever hit fishermen

We deal with slot limits for several species in WI.

Can be a pain sometimes, but in the long run, they have worked here for walleye, musky, northern.

I have never heard of or seen a lake who's fishery was destroyed by a slot limit. I bet there were other things acting on the lake you described, such as a change in the water chemistry, fertility, bad year classes, drought, low oxygen levels.

I'm sure it was Bush's fault.

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Slot limits--worse thing to ever hit fishermen

Oh SLOT limits, as in fishing...............................Sorry mis-read the title...................never mind.......................................... Back on topic, I've never heard a charter captain complain about them, every thing else associated with fishing and regs. but never the slot limits.

 

[tommays]

Re: Slot limits--worse thing to ever hit fishermen

I think it is one of the enviro things than is proven to work



Tommays

 

[jbjennings]

Re: Slot limits--worse thing to ever hit fishermen

We deal with slot limits for several species in WI.

Can be a pain sometimes, but in the long run, they have worked here for walleye, musky, northern.

I have never heard of or seen a lake who's fishery was destroyed by a slot limit. I bet there were other things acting on the lake you described, such as a change in the water chemistry, fertility, bad year classes, drought, low oxygen levels.

I'm sure it was Bush's fault.[/Q

I never mentioned that Lake Fork's fishery or any other was ruined by the slot, in my example I even stated that it went down due to the age of the lake. The slot just keeps everyday fishermen from keeping their fish, in this case, in this area.
I'm not speaking of different species or in colder water habitats. You need to practice your reading comprehension skills.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Slot limits--worse thing to ever hit fishermen

Slot is designed to thin out the dinks and keep the prime reproducing population. It's normally for reservoir with limited forage. If you want to eat bass then a slot lake is your ideal lake. If you're after bass to eat then use smaller lures, you'll catch the little ones all day. I'm sure most will agree that the 12" is always easier to catch then the 14 incher. You can keep as many as you want outside of the slot and release the productive spawners.

 

[jbjennings]

Re: Slot limits--worse thing to ever hit fishermen

All I catch is the "hawgs" in the slot. Seriously, though, most fish I catch are in the slot of my nearby lakes and to be honest, I like to eat the 14 to 16 inch fish. 12 inchers aren't worth dealing with to me and i throw them back. Don't get me wrong, I don't break the law, I just stay off slot lakes. I'm thinking that most of you guys are from much farther north than I am and that has a huge difference on the rate of growth of your fish.
I can definitely see the value of a slot limit in cooler waters where growth is slower and it seems from some of your posts that your lakes are packed with people which put more pressure on the fish. That being said, here in my area things are different, to me. Also, the only lakes nearby that have a slot limit on bass are the so-called trophy bass lakes. Before the slot, I caught a lot more fish on 'em. I live within 15 miles of the famous Caddo lake, for example. I hope someone from down south checks in.
thanks,
jbj

 

[bjcsc]

Re: Slot limits--worse thing to ever hit fishermen

Well I don't know a lot about fishing but I do know that in some cases, The State's Dept. of Natural Resources (or whatever yours may be called) can choose from packages that include slot limits, number limits, etc.. The States choose options based on the input they get from the fishermen. You should see about getting your input heard.

I think JB's response is spot on. They're managing the population. If they didn't manage the population, you would really see the worse thing to ever hit fishermen...

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: Slot limits--worse thing to ever hit fishermen

......How are you guys fixed for Trout down there in the Southern State lakes?
Pretty common or not so much?....noting that I am quite sure its super bass country.
Up here (British Columbia)...the trout do not like the warm water and come summer...you can forget catching much unless you are right on the bottom and happen to hit them at the right time.

 

[jbjennings]

Re: Slot limits--worse thing to ever hit fishermen

No trout at all, here.. Always wanted to go trout fishing but the nearest place is about 400 miles north of me. They're brown trout,I think, and state stocked rainbows. Haven't got the nerve up to spend the time and money for an out of state license. I do love to catch bluegills on my fly rod, though. That's about as close as I get to "A river runs through it". Yep, my waters are very warm, we haven't had so much as skim ice on my lake in 24 years. --ruins my duck hunting, too. (not enough cold weather to make 'em migrate here)
jbj

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Slot limits--worse thing to ever hit fishermen

Talk to the guys that fish Lake Cumberland or Dale Hollow.
Either 1 or 2 smallies a day and they have to be a certain size.
It works.
Dale Hollow, the small mouth capital of the US.

 

[woodrat]

Re: Slot limits--worse thing to ever hit fishermen

the worst thing to hit fishermen, is usually other fishermen. whether it is commerical overharvest or sport overharvest, overharvest is almost always at the root of any fish population's collapse.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Slot limits--worse thing to ever hit fishermen

the worst thing to hit fishermen, is usually other fishermen. whether it is commerical overharvest or sport overharvest, overharvest is almost always at the root of any fish population's collapse.

There ya go.

 

[jbjennings]

Re: Slot limits--worse thing to ever hit fishermen

Check out the article and see what 'ya think.

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/catch_and_release_bass.html

jbj

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Slot limits--worse thing to ever hit fishermen

That's what we've been saying, for slot limits to work you have to eat the smaller fish and be happy with it FOR NOW! 2-3 years down the road you will be able to eat larger fish more frequently. Sounded like this Debra Dean person has large interest in tackle stores or fish hatchery. She is lobbying for the continual stocking of fish and attracting new fisherman to sell more lures. It's FISHING NOT CATCHING. This person doesn't get the entire idea of fishing except the bussiness side of it. One of the greatest allure of fishing is to spend time out in nature in solitude or with a good buddy or family. Enjoying each other company and mother nature is enough of a draw. Catching fish is just a bonus. If I can sit in the middle of the lake out in nowhere for a few hours even without catching a single fish. All my problems of the day would be vanish by the time I get home.

 

[drewmitch44]

Re: Slot limits--worse thing to ever hit fishermen

Just wondering, why would you want to eat a bass anyway? Ive caught hundreds of bass but never thought about eating one. I wouldent think that they would be good eating. Its a gamefish. I never thought someone would eat a bass. Maybee its just me.