Wagon Train Tonight

[CARTMATT]

Hopefully the pan fishing will be good at WT this weekend. I'll try to dodge some bass ballers!

[Pitbull22]

Hopefully the pan fishing will be good at WT this weekend. I'll try to dodge some bass ballers!

Sunday is the Beat the Huskers tourny

[Pitbull22]

MA and not even a keeper, I know not a lot of people care about MA but what is the process when you catch one and its not a keeper? Beautiful fish though!

I wouldn't know how they do it. I never have turned anything in for a MA. Not really a big deal to me. I think you can still get one from G&P on the honor system when you take or send the picture in.

[Flash04jv]

Are you going to eat a 5lb bass???? People enjoy catching big bass and you dont get big bass if you keep every 20 incher you catch. Keep it to mount, yes I agree with that but not to filet. Plenty of other fish out there to eat.

Do they even use the real fish as a mount anymore or really ever? Just take a picture, measure it for the mount and let it go if you wish.

So you are ok with keeping a fish as a trophy but not people keeping the fish to eat? It's been said a lot, I guess everyone fishes for their own reasons.

[Xander83]

I'm sure I'll get harassed but I like to keep fish and eat them. More often than not its blue gill or crappie but I'm not a 100% catch and release angler.

[fish-icer]

Do they even use the real fish as a mount anymore or really ever? Just take a picture, measure it for the mount and let it go if you wish.

So you are ok with keeping a fish as a trophy but not people keeping the fish to eat? It's been said a lot, I guess everyone fishes for their own reasons.

If you are going to keep an 8 lb bass I am okay with getting it mounted not keeping it to eat. Thats what i meant. Yes, the best thing to do is to take the measurements, get a picture and get a replica mount. Hard to tell the difference these days. Keep the genetics in the lake.

[paulsen]

Oh a side note... The cats are still on the bite there. Was just there last night. Seemed like they were spread out a littlethough. caught some shallow and mypartner caught one as he was drifting back to the boat ramp in the deeps.>>

[Xander83]

Chances are an 8 pounder has already spawned a handful of times and probably only has a couple of years before becoming fish food anyway. If someone wanted to keep an 8 pounder its up to them, I see nothing wrong with it. What they do with it at home is also their prerogative

[MA Machine]

Chances are an 8 pounder has already spawned a handful of times and probably only has a couple of years before becoming fish food anyway. If someone wanted to keep an 8 pounder its up to them, I see nothing wrong with it. What they do with it at home is also their prerogative

Keeping legal fish is legal. Keeping a fish because of some "Mercy Mission" is just self justification. It's all about who a person is, what they believe in and the level of greed they possess. I like eating fish and keep average sized fish to eat. Never more than I can eat in a week. That's just me, everyone can do what they wish as long as it's legal. One should remember that just because it's legal does not mean it is in the best interest for that particular body of water. So you can piss in your own bathwater or be a somewhat educated selective harvest person and preserve the waters you fish. But regardless, That is one fine bass!

[whitetips]

I'm sure I'll get harassed but I like to keep fish and eat them. More often than not its blue gill or crappie but I'm not a 100% catch and release angler.

A lot to be said about your questions and comments on bass regulations, but I think this particular quote of yours is a great place to start.

So, if you want to harvest some bluegill or crappie, I am assuming you will be looking for some of those panfish that are "big enough to keep". Where are you going to find those quality panfish? I can tell you where you will find quality panfish: You will find them in waters that have a healthy population of largemouth bass! And now you know why we have the restrictive harvest regulations on largemouth bass--yes, the fact is that the harvest restrictions on largemouth bass exist primarily for the management of panfish. In addition, in small- to medium-size impoundments (i.e. reservoirs and ponds) largemouth bass are THE primary predator that can utilize and control a variety of bait fish and rough fish.

We have enough fishing pressure on many of our waters in Nebraska, especially in eastern Nebraska, where we need a 21-inch minimum length limit on largemouth bass because less restrictive regulations would allow too much harvest. Simply put, those bass are worth way more in the water than they are on someone's dinner plate. I would argue that a total catch & release regulation would be appropriate and we used to have some waters with that harvest restriction on largemouth bass. But, a couple years ago we "simplified" fishing regulations and instead of having both total catch & release and 21-inch minimum length limit regulations for largemouth bass in Nebraska waters we changed all the total catch & release regulations to 21-inch minimums (afterall, you can't expect someone to release a big bass).

A person can qualify for a Master Angler award in 2 ways. First of all, and the best way, is to catch a big bass, pull out a measuring tape, measure its length and if it is at least 20 inches it qualifies for a Master Angler award. Then the fish can be released immediately, not hung on a scale, not hauled around in a livewell, catch, measure and release.

If a largemouth bass is not immediately released, then it must meet the minimum weight requirement of 5 pounds. And, I must add, that if that fish was not released immediately and it was caught from a water body with the 21-inch minimum length limit, then it better have been at least 21-inches long or the angler was in violation.

So, a person might as well keep a big fish because it is going to die anyway????? How do you know that? Fish do get old and die, and sometimes anglers capture fish that "look like 40 miles of bad road". Those tough-looking fish may in fact be at the end of their life cycle. But, with big fish, it is more common to see fish that are in excellent condition, fat, and obviously doing quite well. In fact, the largest individual fish in most populations are often the fastest-growing fish! So, that 8-pound bass that you might as well whack "because it is going to die anyway" may in fact be a lot younger than you think and most likely is some of the best genetic stock in the population. I do not care if that fish has already spawned "a handful of times", it could do a lot more good by spawning another handful. Again, those big fish are worth a lot more in the water than in the back of someone's pickup truck.

I am a HUGE fan of selective harvest. Harvesting some of the catch for a meal of fresh fish now and then should always be a part of recreational sport fishing. But, I would hope that folks understand that if the oceans can be over-fished, then there is not a body of water in Nebraska that cannot be over-fished. The days of filling the freezer, the days of "catching all you can and canning all you catch" should be over. Anglers should selectively harvest by choosing to harvest the species and sizes of fish that are most abundant and can withstand some harvest. Large fish, especially large predator fish, but even large panfish are always less abundant and some of the best candidates for release. By practicing selective harvest we can develop and maintain quality fishing for everyone.

And that is my $0.02-worth and then some,

Daryl Bauer
Fisheries Outreach Program Manager
Nebraska Game & Parks Commission
daryl.bauer@nebraska.gov
http://outdoornebraska.ne.gov/blogs/...nd-backlashes/

[LincolnLunger]

MA and not even a keeper, I know not a lot of people care about MA but what is the process when you catch one and its not a keeper? Beautiful fish though!

If you happen to catch a master angler fish you can release it and still get a master angler award for it; however it can only be awarded for the length of the fish. You don't even need to send in a picture, or other verifications that you caught it. Fill out the application they will give you an award, The master angler award program is for US anglers, and they are going by the honor system.

However for a bass like this that was 5lbs and not 20", I believe it says in the master angler award application if the fish is released it cannot qualify for the weight category so you'd be out of luck I believe.