Stick Marsh - the season is here

[George_Welcome]

1:30 PM and 12 dozen shiners had been disposed of by two fishermen. The location: the spillway discharge area. The method: free-lined shiners. The results: many big fish, but the elusive 10-pound+ fish escaped them. They came close, but it just didn't happen.



Lots of boats were anchored up and for most shiners had been opted for. The wind was predicted to blow to 20 MPH, and the water in the lake was a bit choppy. The parking lot was filled and there were some in the overflow area. The Crappie, (Specs), fishermen outweighed the bass fishermen, with most of the Crappie activity on the north end of Farm 13.

The season is here.

[scrap]

nice fish, did ya release it? i envy the catch, looking forward to hooking something like that someday. thanks for sharing.

[George_Welcome]

Stick Marsh/Farm 13 is a catch and release lake only for bass, however, our boats have a catch and release policy only no matter what lake we are on.

[Fish On]

Originally Posted by George_Welcome

Stick Marsh/Farm 13 is a catch and release lake only for bass, however, our boats have a catch and release policy only no matter what lake we are on.

That is really good. You know you have a quality guide when they release the fish.

[flachristopherkeene9]

What if I wanted to eat it? God put it there to eat too!!!

Chris

[lovinfishin9]

Ya i agree with chris, i like to eat fish, if im not in a tourney i keep most of the decent sized fish i catch to eat.

[flachristopherkeene9]

I love to eat fish. Thats why I fish Saltwater, more meat per fish. And they taste better.

Chris

[Fish On]

a fish of those size should be left in lake. Have a lot of eggs and help spawning period

[flachristopherkeene9]

So.... Aren't there plenty of bass to go around?

Chris

[George_Welcome]

Simply put: A bass kept is not available to be caught again - On most lakes this depletion is not a big deal, but on a lake such as the Stick Marsh, if the lunkers were kept it wouldn't be long before there were no lunkers. Be that as it may, if you are fishing on my boat during the last 40+ years you would have been fishing in a catch and release enviornment.

[flachristopherkeene9]

Better cross off another guide on my list. And Can't see how keeping bass every once in a while will hurt it?? Hope Rodman won't do the same "Catch and Release Only".

Chris

[Rodman_Rob]

George, its good to hear you're a catch and release only guide. If guides didn't practice catch and release, the last people to eat bass would be their customers......think about it.

As much as I like to eat bass, I only eat it about 3-4 times a year and even then I'll limit how much I eat. Chris, if I decide to guide, it will be catch and release mostly! I'd let my customers keep enough for dinner, but wouldn't let somebody take a cooler fool of fish. And the ONLY fish I do keep would be in the 2-4lbs range.

[flachristopherkeene9]

Rodman thats all I do, Just enough for a snack or a meal or two.

Chris

And I also understand I just wanted to see what people put behind their backing of this and to see different opinion.

[lizardsrule]

Originally Posted by christopherkeene9

And I also understand I just wanted to see what people put behind their backing of this and to see different opinion.

I would say 90% of the folks on here are catch and release. I do eat a few once in awhile, but really rare for me anymore. The fact remains that if you want to keep some, don't go with George, I don't go out fishing for Bass for a meal, there are lots of fish that taste better anyways. You seem to do a lot of saltwater fishing, and there are tons of saltwater fish that are terrific. But please don't short change any guide because he is catch and release. He's been guiding for 40+ years that's all you need to know, because if he wasn't any good, there is absolutely no way he would still be guiding.

Lizards

[flachristopherkeene9]

I see what you mean lizards. George, sorry bout that and Like your constant catches and reports.

Chris

[River stumps]

I never, never, never keep a bass. To me it is CPR, Catch Photo and Release, and catch again at a later date. But I do keep alot of croaker, spot, and flounder and an occasional striper and some cats when I catch them. Crappie is another good eating fish that I can set down and stuff myself with. But I don't eat my bass...

[George_Welcome]

Imagine if you will, that we kept all these fish from the Stick Marsh:
http://www.imaginationbassin.com/LunkerAward.htm

This collection of fish represents a portion of the bass caught by our clients and us over the last 4 years. All are 9 pounds or better except a few pictures of youngsters holding their lunker. Over the last 7 Years on the Marsh we have caught over 600 bass that were over 10 pounds, and over 1150 that were over 9 pounds. They are all still there to be caught again. More importantly, they are all still there to propagate again.

[flfireman]

Amen brother. Hopefully gonna run into you one of these days down there. I either beat you or vice versa. Maybe see you on thursday 11-17. Keep an eye out for the little silver alumacraft.

[Rodman_Rob]

Originally Posted by George_Welcome

Imagine if you will, that we kept all these fish from the Stick Marsh:
http://www.imaginationbassin.com/LunkerAward.htm

This collection of fish represents a portion of the bass caught by our clients and us over the last 4 years. All are 9 pounds or better except a few pictures of youngsters holding their lunker. Over the last 7 Years on the Marsh we have caught over 600 bass that were over 10 pounds, and over 1150 that were over 9 pounds. They are all still there to be caught again. More importantly, they are all still there to propagate again.

if they keep the stick marsh catch and release, it could possibly produce a world record if she doesn't already swim in there.