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TWRA proposes dramatic change in smallmouth bass limits

rsimms

rsimms

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For 40 years bass fishermen have considered it taboo to keep and eat ANY smallmouth bass caught in Chattanooga-area waters. But if a new regulation passes, that might change. TWRA's proposed new regulation will basically be encouraging anglers to keep and eat more smallmouth and spotted bass. Read why here: https://bit.ly/4gh9YaA There is also a Link where you can share your opinions, but be sure you read about TWRA's reasoning before you do.

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Interesting about the hybridization. I agree with the proposal. I don't think taking 10-12" bass out of the lake is going to harm anything and potentially allow the larger fish to grow with less food competition. I say that in theory, because I doubt many people will keep them anyways. My question would be how is it going to affect tournament anglers. Now they can only keep 1 smallmouth (of size), I think it's going to completely change how they are targeted.

I will say, having eaten 12" bass out of the creeks where it is legal compared to 15-16" fish out of the lake… there is no comparison to the quality of table fare. The 12" bass is about as good as it gets in the bass world (in my opinion)
 
Buzzard Breath said:
Those pesky bucket biologists. My only question would be "will enough people actually keep them to help slow the spread of hybridization?"
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I dont see many anglers ever keeping a smallmouth. I wont unless it has swallowed the bait and wont survive release. Spotted bass i will keep from cold water streams
 
They really need to address the problem of too many tournaments first and foremost. Would be the best thing they can do for any of the fisheries. They also seem to manage only for tournament anglers and aren't really concerned for the fishery outside of that. Other states have taken measures due to tournaments and live scope and like always, it seems TWRA sucks hind tit on management. No need to kill a Small mouth ever. They encourage killing spotted bass and there is no reason for that either.
 
Setterman said:
I can't see me killing smallmouth for any reason
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It's just a fish. Tennessee has plenty, and they taste great.

Why are smallies held to almost idol worship?
tnanh said:
They encourage killing spotted bass and there is no reason for that either.
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Again, it's just a fish and TN isn't short on a population of them. They taste great.
 
tnanh said:
They really need to address the problem of too many tournaments first and foremost. Would be the best thing they can do for any of the fisheries. They also seem to manage only for tournament anglers and aren't really concerned for the fishery outside of that. Other states have taken measures due to tournaments and live scope and like always, it seems TWRA sucks hind tit on management. No need to kill a Small mouth ever. They encourage killing spotted bass and there is no reason for that either.
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i disagree on the alabama spots. theyll destroy a smallmouth fishery and are aggressive enough to affect the largemouth fishery as well.

the old ways of fish management are slowly changing, especially if you are trying to grow trophy fish, which means taking the smaller fish and protecting the larger fish.

agree on the tournaments though, the latest study from alabama shows they are deteimental.
 
I'll never understand holding the smallmouth bass to a place of almost idol worship. It's just a fish. They taste great and they are a source of food, just like all fish.

They should never have been protected to the point of an 18" limit in the first place. That's just forcing someone to kill a spawning female smallie if they wanted to eat one. I've done it and I'll do it again but I'd much rather eat 13-14" smallies.

It's absolutely stupid. And smallmouth bass, as well as spots, taste better than largemouth.
 
MidTennFisher said:
I'll never understand holding the smallmouth bass to a place of almost idol worship. It's just a fish. They taste great and they are a source of food, just like all fish.

They should never have been protected to the point of an 18" limit in the first place. That's just forcing someone to kill a spawning female smallie if they wanted to eat one. I've done it and I'll do it again but I'd much rather eat 13-14" smallies.

It's absolutely stupid. And smallmouth bass, as well as spots, taste better than largemouth.
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they are sunfish just like any other sunfish.
 
MidTennFisher said:
I'll never understand holding the smallmouth bass to a place of almost idol worship.
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heretic! unbeliever! may giant buglemouth bass torment you unmercifully for eternity! and gar, too! ;) i've caught a couple of very large smallmouth, and don't eat them "just because". love them old brown bass. they'd drag a same-size largemouth to death. :cool:
 
Wooden Arrow said:
heretic! unbeliever! may giant buglemouth bass torment you unmercifully for eternity! and gar, too! ;) i've caught a couple of very large smallmouth, and don't eat them "just because". love them old brown bass. they'd drag a same-size largemouth to death. :cool:
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Hey I don't discriminate, many of those buglemouth bass have been hit with blackening seasoning and hot butter and I'll continue to do so!
 

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