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rickstr66 · 12-22-2004, 12:24 PM

All I asked was about fish size and now its turned into a bass fisherman bash. I fished the lake 15 years ago..... 5 and 6 pounders were not "very common". More common? Sure but not very common. People constantly over estimate a fishes size. A 4lb smallie is a huge fish. I constantly see recreational fisherman catch fish and say "WOW its about 6 pounds. When I look at the fish...... its more like 4. Im a bassfisherman. Been doing it for 20+ years. I even over estimate at times.
I agree there are a lot of tournaments on the lake.but Grant you make a few mistakes in your post. I will address what I think is abig misconception. Infisherman magazine along with a major University(dont recall ) did a study. The caught bass of all different sizes, put transmitters in them, and drove them around the lake, realeassing them all over different locations in the lake but never near where it was caught. 95% returned to the area where it was caught, 3 percent established a new "home range" and 2% died. If what you say were true...... Launch point for tournaments would be the best spots on the lake to fish for bass..... trust me thats not the case. Id guess that 90% of all bass tournaments on the lake are held at launch areas that are considered "open areas" with direct access to deep water. Ames farm is by far the most popular one. Merideth neck and Center harbor are 2 more.... all direct access to deep water. The larger tournaments....30+ boats ALWAYS transport their fish out to deeper water.
The statement that you see big fish now but imagin what you might have seen 30 years ago can apply to everything in life. I assume you drive a car.... imagin how many more deer, squirrels, skunks, wildlife et al there would be if cars didnt exsist....... silly statement right?? So was yours. Bass fishing has become popular as has the automobile. Its natural progression that fewer animals exsist because of cars and that fewer bass exsist because fishing is more popular. Bass fisherman pay a steep liscence fee. what do we get for it????? Little or nothing. Bass are a reproductive fish. They spawn and replace themselves..... On the other hand almost all of the cold water species are a "put and take" fishery... That is they have to be stocked because they dont reproduce in our waters. 99% of a warm water fishing liscence goes to support a fishey that cant support itself. Bass arnt stocked in northern ststes because they do so well on their own. Southern states do stock bass. If Bass were truly in trouble in Winni ..... Fish and Game would do something about it. They do creel censuses.... the average fish caught in a tournament today id BIGGER then the average fish caught in a tournament 5,10 years ago. Thats a fact. You can look it up at Fish and Game.

12-22-2004, 12:24 PM	#8
rickstr66 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Boston, Ma Posts: 63 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	All I asked was about fish size and now its turned into a bass fisherman bash. I fished the lake 15 years ago..... 5 and 6 pounders were not "very common". More common? Sure but not very common. People constantly over estimate a fishes size. A 4lb smallie is a huge fish. I constantly see recreational fisherman catch fish and say "WOW its about 6 pounds. When I look at the fish...... its more like 4. Im a bassfisherman. Been doing it for 20+ years. I even over estimate at times. I agree there are a lot of tournaments on the lake.but Grant you make a few mistakes in your post. I will address what I think is abig misconception. Infisherman magazine along with a major University(dont recall ) did a study. The caught bass of all different sizes, put transmitters in them, and drove them around the lake, realeassing them all over different locations in the lake but never near where it was caught. 95% returned to the area where it was caught, 3 percent established a new "home range" and 2% died. If what you say were true...... Launch point for tournaments would be the best spots on the lake to fish for bass..... trust me thats not the case. Id guess that 90% of all bass tournaments on the lake are held at launch areas that are considered "open areas" with direct access to deep water. Ames farm is by far the most popular one. Merideth neck and Center harbor are 2 more.... all direct access to deep water. The larger tournaments....30+ boats ALWAYS transport their fish out to deeper water. The statement that you see big fish now but imagin what you might have seen 30 years ago can apply to everything in life. I assume you drive a car.... imagin how many more deer, squirrels, skunks, wildlife et al there would be if cars didnt exsist....... silly statement right?? So was yours. Bass fishing has become popular as has the automobile. Its natural progression that fewer animals exsist because of cars and that fewer bass exsist because fishing is more popular. Bass fisherman pay a steep liscence fee. what do we get for it????? Little or nothing. Bass are a reproductive fish. They spawn and replace themselves..... On the other hand almost all of the cold water species are a "put and take" fishery... That is they have to be stocked because they dont reproduce in our waters. 99% of a warm water fishing liscence goes to support a fishey that cant support itself. Bass arnt stocked in northern ststes because they do so well on their own. Southern states do stock bass. If Bass were truly in trouble in Winni ..... Fish and Game would do something about it. They do creel censuses.... the average fish caught in a tournament today id BIGGER then the average fish caught in a tournament 5,10 years ago. Thats a fact. You can look it up at Fish and Game.