[LOST TACKLE]

there is one thing that has botherd me for a long time and it is probably just me but how many guys keep bass that they catch through the ice. don't get me wrong if you catch one that is over twelve inches long you have every right to but to me bass fish is a sport of catch and release. i am interested in what others have to say about it.

[let it freeze]

Ice or softwater if its the biggest bass I caught its on the wall!Anything else goes back.

[ratherbefishing]

I usually won't keep a bass larger than 1 1/2lbs. I always release bass larger than 2lbs. unless they have a mortal injury from the hook. Two years ago I was with my father-in-law and caught one over 3 1/2lbs. I got my picture with it and put it back doen the hole.

Remember, with bass and crappie especially... mouth closed and head first on the ice release.

[sir fishalot]

bass seem to be a protected class where any self respecting angler practices catch and release.i enjoy catching any fish,but don't care to eat fish(i perfer beef),so releasing fish is a little easier for me  unless they are trophy class;i do enjoy seeing a good mount on the wall.i wish the protection of bass were given to saugeye.it seems any saugeye is like putting gold in the freezer.i believe great fisheries need to have anglers that practice selective harvest. a lake can become healthier by keeping smaller fish and keeping an occasional trophy while may not be helpful,probably doesn't hurt.

[wapak ice dawg]

I used to fish tourneys in Alabama, Oklahoma and in Ohio, I used to love to site fish the big trophy bass and always took pride in bringing in the biggest bass of the tourney. I quit bass fishing in tournaments around the early 90's, I got tired of the rush and to be honest I started hating everything about bass fishing tournaments. We are one of the biggest hypocrites of our own sport. Agree or not we do more harm to the sport we loved, 1 by overfishing, there are so many clubs around now you cant go a weekend without a lake hosting some type of tourney,the other is the time of the year we host most of the tournaments, during the spring we rip more female bass off of beds , tote them around in our live wells all day and add so much stress to the fish that allot of times they just dump their eggs in the middle of the lake. Money is the only thing that has kept the bass out of your freezer, the  big money guys practice catch and release and they preach that to you and conditioned us to think bass taste bad. If you want to piss a B.A.S.S guy off tell them they cant site fish for bass during the spawn and listen to them flip it back to you and tell you not to do this because it's not good for the sport. Want to see something funny, catch a 3lb bass through the ice and keep it, catch a 3lb saugeye through the ice and return it back down the hole, make sure everyone around you sees this , watch what reaction you'll get. I can hear the tourney fisherman now.

[wballard77]

catch a 3lb bass through the ice and keep it, catch a 3lb saugeye through the ice and return it back down the hole, make sure everyone around you sees this , watch what reaction you'll get. I can hear the tourney fisherman now.

LOL 

[LOST TACKLE]

there is no reason not to keep bass if they they are of leagel size BASS use to do the samething in its early years but i believe that they have made it possable to catch the quality of bass in some places and the quanity of bass in others. i believe that not haveing a size on indian lake saugeyes has hurt the fishing some what but that is just my opinion. the good quality fish are still in the lake just seem to be hard to pin down this year.

[IceBucky]

I believe if you want to take a bass to eat go ahead. one and two pound bass are very tasty!

[firefish532]

Ice Bucky you are correct they are tasty but my thing is this if you went crappie fishing and caught a catfish most people throw it back. but some guys catch a bass and they either aint catchin saugeye or perch so they keep the bass. Bass is a sport fish not like the saugeye and perch or crappie so next time just throw it back in the hole and make a bass fisherman happy. my 2 cents

[sir fishalot]

what defines a sport fish? to me a saugeye is a sport fish.saugeye seem to be every bit the challenge to catch as a bass with alot of sucess depending on the knowledge of the angler and his ability to present a lure in a specific style or technique.this is not derectly aimed at firefish, but bass anglers seem to be snobish in there attitude toward other fish, putting the almighty bass at the top.there is not a bass angler out there that knows challenge if they haven't spent time chasing steelhead in rivers under harsh winter conditions and if they did they became better bass fisherman from the experience.my 2 cent.

[wapak ice dawg]

As you see this is a touchy subject, it all comes down to money, if you don't believe me go to the bait store and see what species of fish take up most of the shelves. I bet catfish and perch have  the smallest and you don't here too much about catch and release on them. I never fished a catfish tourney , do they practice catch and release after weigh in.

[IceBucky]

yes.but those big flatheads are nasty to eat.

[firefish532]

I do fish alot of tourney's for bass and pride myself on keeping my fish alive so someone else can have the fun of catching them I don't put any one down if they want to keep a bass and never will