SCLakes.com

I guess my take on it is that catch and release is great!. I have done that and 20 years or so ago I caught and fileted every fish that came in the boat. Every so often I caught a big fish5-8lb and ate them too. The steaks were sure nice and thick but they didn't taste as good as the 1.5-3lb bass filets.

I will have to admit that as I recall the bigger KEPT AND EATEN fish came from Florida.

I can remember eating 4 or 5 lb fish from Keowee and well they just were not that good. I remember having to stop out in the middle of the lake (Keowee) and stop to count the fish to be sure we were not over our limit of 20. When they were really biting it was hard to keep count. With catch and release its not much of a problem anymore.

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Release the fighter! Gators rule the SEC!!!!! Seminoles ruled the ACC!!!!! (now past tense)

Hey Blaze, You want to put your money were your mouth is put up or shut up!!!!!! IF you and hole want to fish for some money or just bragging right say when!!!!

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I think were going to need a Bigger Boat!!!!

ok everyone cool your jets & put on the brakes.

lets not let things get out of hand.

Everyone is allowed to have their opinion & eat their catch if they chose to do so.

If you dont agree with that, its ok.

THX

Mike

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One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.....

aint nothing wrong with keeping fish, just be selective. smaller bass are better to keep as far as keeping the lake managed.

and the spots are way too thick in hartwell so by all means whack away on em... i just wouldnt consider it a good idea to keep too many largemouth over 3lbs, those are all solid breeders and the lake needs every one we can spare.

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If you aren't going to eat it, don't kill it...
Take your kids along, I don't know where I'd be if my dad hadn't...

Every lake has an assortment of Gene pools in black bass levels. When a Black bass grows over the 5 pound size that is rare in native bass since their life spans are 10 years on average and a 5+ is at or close to the end of their life and any spawn you can get from those fish you need to get to keep that large growth Gene pool in the lakes. Some female bass can be 10 years old and never reach 5 pounds but will be 3 pounds. They will in turn produce a 3 + Gene pool. So many large Bass have been removed from so many lakes in the Southeast that the Gene pools of Big Bass has been depleted about 65%. Everytime a lake loses a bass over 5 or 6 pounds it makes the eco system of that lake a slight bit weaker. The TWRA did a survey from a large amount of big tournaments and requested records be sent to them pertaining to fish caught in each event over a span of two years. After calculating the numbers it work out that the average Bass angler had to spend 351 hours of fishing to catch 1 bass over 5 pounds in Tennessees lakes and Rivers. That is alot of hours of fishing to take 1 bass over 5 pounds. you can find those stats on the TWRA web site under the B.I.T.E. section. That is because to many big bass Gene pools have been destroyed by fish for grease anglers and bass tournaments that took place back years ago before catch and release was practiced and size limits were placed on lakes and rivers. Now those precious Gene pools of big fish need to be protected if future generations of big bass are to survive and our children are going to be able to enjoy a sport we all have come to love. Now I don't know what the big fish catch ratio is in S.C. but I'm sure it is suffering about like the lakes and rivers are in Tennessee is because the ASA stats show that Black Bass is the most sought after fish in the world today and the southeastern states does recieve the greatest amount of Black Bass angling in the entire United States. I'm not trying to create and negative nor positive statement towards this thread. I'm just putting some stats up and you can check with your DNR and the ASA for the stats on your state by going to their web sites and getting them.

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Life Jackets and Kill switch's save lives! Soft baits catch fish softer baits catch more fish!
I carry a gun cause a cop is to heavy and when seconds count the police are only minutes away!!

Dont kill any big bass, if you want to keep the proper balance then stock enough bait fish in lake to keep these big bass fed. No reason not to release a healthy large bass IMO.