My best bass from last week
 

I caught about 30 fish, but these were the best two. Caught both in Buzzels cove. SM and LM.

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n...ber2007029.jpg

Catch and release
 

Hopefully you let them go right after you took the picture

Yes I did. I release everything I catch. They went back happy and healthy, well maybe not happy.:laugh:

AWESOME, thank you

A question for a bass fisherman
 

I appreciated that you practice "catch and release" - good for you. My question is a concern I have for what I have noticed from some fisherman. I have noticed that a lot of fisherman in front of my house (nice bass fishing) catch some nice bass in front of my house. Many, if not most, put the bass in their live well. I use to think this was for their dinner but I finally ask one of them why and the answer disturbed me. They were keeping the bass so they could transport it back to "their fishing spot" close to home. It keeps them from traveling far from home if they can bring the fish home for later catching. I guess I can understand but I have a real problem with this activity.

What do you think?

Well, I'll be honest. I released these fish in front of the house, but it's just around the corner from Buzzells cove where I caught them. About a 1 minute boat ride. I did this because I HAD to show my dad in person that there are bigger fish in the lake than little 8 and 10" bass. That's what we were catching all week, little scrawny ones. I practice catch and release everywhere I fish and all the time. If I want a mount of a fish, I'll take lots of pics for a replica to be made. I figure that since I had the good fortune of catching the fish, it should have the good fortune returned of being set free to live. Now, if I catch a big tagged rainbow this winter during the derby, I maybe have to bring it down to the headquarters for prize entry. :rolleye2: But I won't count on that happening. Been fishing the derby for about 18 years and never caught one :laugh:

As far as bring fish back to there favorite spots, I thinks it's BS. I remember a bass being found 9 miles away from it's release spot during that study they did. Fish move around too much to hope that the same fish is there next week.

Hey, Nice Fish Mister!
 

Nice fish HomeWood! Thanks for sharing your fun with us.

Now for the stupid question of the day, is the large mouth in your right hand, the one with the white belly? Other than the mouths being different and the white belly, what are the other differences? Do they taste the same? ToW told me that people don’t eat the smallies, why is that? Thanks!

Correct. The LM is on your left. The coloring is obviously different and smallies seem to fight a little harder. This one hit my lure like a truck. The LM hit it good, but not near as hard as the SM. Not sure on taste. I've eaten "Bass Mcnuggets" made from a LM and they were great. Never eaten SM before. I've caughten SM's ice fishing before in deep water, but never any LM's. This SM was caught in about two feet of water in rocks.

Steveo wrote:
I could be wrong, but I think that practice is illegal unless "their fishing spot" is somewhere else on the same lake. If they are bringing them home like to Mass then I believe it is illegal.

People don't eat small-mouths? Whoops!:eek: Yes, of course they do. And they're pretty tasty, too. Haven't had one in many years, but I know I used to love them.

Yes I meant taking them back to their favorite spot on the same lake. Winni is big enough where fish won't find their way back like Homewood suggested

Read the statistics being compiled through the bass tagging study. It's very interesting to see how far they travel. The results are posted here.

And, yes, smallmouth is way tasty. Although I primarily and preferably practice catch and release, there are times when you have to opt for (as Dr. Lyons so aptly put it) "catch and fillet." That being said, can't remember last time I had to. Only caught about 10-15 fish this year, and they all went back to the lake.

But let me catch a salmon this coming spring, and that sucker's going on a cedar plank on the grill.

I shot and released a deer once.:eek: Oh just kidding, don't go local on me.:D

Eating Smallies
 

I've eaten smallmouth before and though I'm not much of a fish eater I can tell you it was very good. I would recommend eating fish caught in the early spring or late fall. I think around this area, the summer fish get fatty and wormy. I found the flesh to be much better in the early spring and late fall. Also, I feel that smallmouth are like lobster, don't bother eating the big ones. Let those ones live on to keep those genes reproducing in the lake. By all means, take the little ones. There is an abundant supply and their better eating. It's also typically much easier to catch 10 scrappy little 1 pound smallmout than it is to catch three 3 pounders...

My 2 cents.

Not bambi, you monster!

Nope!
 

It was Bambi's MOTHER! :eek: He let her go!


I very rarely keep any fish I catch. They eat worms!:liplick: