Fished Nickajack 2/10/06

[buzzbait]

Caught some good smallies today. We ended up catching 1 about 2lbs 3 around 3lbs 1 that was close to 4.5lbs 1 that was 5lb 6oz. I had to keep that one it was my biggest every and i didn't have scales with me and i thought it was close to 6lbs. We had severl smaller ones that were less than 12 inches. Caught some on drifts in the river channel but most came from 20-25ft of water in off a point. All came on live minnows. We left arond 11:30 my starter on my boat got to acting up and not wanting to catch the fly wheel so once we got it running we just headed back we had to leave with the fish biting which sucked!!!. It was my buddy's first time catching smallies and we had a blast.
Tight lines
Chris

 

[fisherpal2k]

Sounds like you had a good day! Sorry to hear about yer boat starter tho, maybe you can get it fixed up right. Where did ya'll put in at?

 

[jim4596]

i am not trying to start an argument on this subject at all. i just want to make some of u guys aware of something. i have noticed that there are several guys on here that have kept some smallmouth bass that they have caught. so i just wanted them to know that fiberglass replica mounts look just as good as an original and cost about the same. also, it takes a smallmouth bass an average of 7 1/2 years to reach 5 lbs in our area. not criticizing your decision to take that fish home, simply pointing out that there are some other options out there. i just know that smallmouth are limited resources and we need to take care of the few that we have. i love to catch them too, i only hope that one day there will be some for my kids to catch. i fish for them a lot too. congrats on the catch and see u around.

 

[DHaun]

Buzzbait, I'm glad someone is catching them somewhere...were you fishing in Nickajack Reservoir or Below Chickamauga Dam?

 

[Fusion Man]

Buzzbait- I'm in agreement with the replicas. My brother and I have made a few replicas of largemouth out of our farm pond in IN. We have caught his "replica" several times from the pond. The second time we caught his fish, it had grown another 3/4ths of a pound (over 7lbs). Remember: Not all bass (largemouth or smallmouth) have the same genes. The big ones get big because of a combination of genes, forage, and "healthy" water. Many of the reservoirs in TN have healthy water and great forage....but fish genes make the difference. Best of luck to everyone fishing!

 

[SNUFFY]

i`ll have to agree a copy mount is probably best but to jump in here with a different point of view from your local fisheries experts....back a few years ago when the increase of size limits on smallmouth was such a controversy here in tenn. i went to one of the public session with twra on the issue...and it was a testy event well populated by local fisherman...the question was why have such a high side limit before you could keep a smallmouth...why not target smaller fish with a slot limit instead...the explanation was that the larger (i.e. Older) fish were on their way toward being played out as far as spawners ...that the younger fish would be better spawners......but then again on some lakes the minimum limit was 15(cherokee I think).. inches on some lakes and 18 &20 inches(Douglas)...and that explanation had to do with the population already in place....cherokee has lots of smallmouth of decent size and douglas has a really small population of smallmouth...whatever the case I don`t think taking the occasion true trophy is going to make a big dent in the fishery...i will tell you if i ever get a smallmouth over 7 1/2 ...it`s going on the wall...congratulations buzzbait ..get some scalesemoPoke

 

[buzzbait]

We put in at the riverpark. And fished the river there below the dam all the way to I-24. As far as my opion is this the TWRA regs say that my smallie was over the size limit and I have every right to keep it. Yall do your thing and Ill do mine is the way i look at it. Sorry if you don't like this but O Well.
CHRIS

 

[DHaun]

Thanks for the info buzzbait - It's good to know they were biting today!

 

[whywecatchsomany]

Jim, I know where you are coming from, but all of the replicas I have seen have not impressed me much. Now I could have had bad examples. I know I really struggled with the decision to keep the fish that I caught, but as I said, I have fished for over 30 years and have never, never harvested a single bass. Also I had resigned myself to the fact that I would not take a smallmouth under 6lbs. I love the smallmouth more than anyone on here and the one I caught will be my last smallmouth harvested. If I am ever lucky enough to get one bigger, I would definitely have a replica made.

Buzz, nice fish.

 

[whenwegoin]

It's time for my two cents. In my opinion it is far less stress on the resource to keep one trophy in a lifetime than to tournament fish and drag 5-10 keeper fish miles away from where you catch them (potentially off of the beds endangering thousands) in all sorts of temps and conditions only to try to win money.

By the way, I am a former avid tournament fisherman.

I will guarantee you that the average tournament fisherman will kill more fish in a year's time than someone who wants to mount one or eat one for that matter.

To each his own. If you want to fish tournaments that is fine. If I want to mount one, that SHOULD be fine as well.

None of us "own" the fish.

By the way, whywecatchsomany has probably released, where he caught them, more trophy sized largemouth, smallmouth, crappie, and even trout than some will catch in a lifetime. I don't know about buzz because I don't know him.

 

[Roccus]

My thoughts exactly whenwegoin. Only, I'm new here and didn't want to start out with that post.emoThumbsup

 

[JerDog]

Buzzbait,

That is a lifetime "wall-material" smallmouth! Let's remember that us folks from GA are paying $40+ a year for a fishing liscense, so my $.02 says that I am keeping an occasional fish and they can use my money to help the smallmouth any way they can.

Anyone know if fishing liscenses are going up this year? Almost time to renew.

 

[dhpro]

there is nothing wrong with keeping a mess of fish to eat. i am a guy who fish 40 + tourney a year .God put them here to eat twra put a limit people should not have aproblem with it also you paid for your fishing stamp use it to your best judgement hope i dont offend anyone

 

[flip1up]

Good points from everyone. He was nice about it, nothing wrong with stating your point in the manner that he did. Bottom line, obey the laws, if you wish to keep legal fish, thats your right. I still have the one that I put on the wall in 1995. I have not caught another one close to it, thats why I mounted it, I figured it to be my biggest ever.

 

[ranman]

I wish more people would start keeping these little spotted bass that are taking over!That is one population that needs to be kept in check. I.M.O.

 

[flip1up]

Ranman, I do sometimes keep a limit of them. I think they are great to eat. Your right, there are plenty of them for sure.

 

[ranman]

Someone told me the genetic strain that we have here is not the same as the ones they catch elswhere that get in the 3 or 4 lb range anybody else know anything about that?

 

[jim4596]

well, like i said, i wasnt trying to start an argument, just stating my opinion and some facts about the time it takes the fish to get that big. i have some friends that have kept some smallmouth they thought were big. then they catch one bigger than that and kept them too. before long they have kept many fish. i think largemouth and spots are different, smallmouth are limited around here, so we gotta protect them. the replicas i have seen looked pretty good. i have seen some bad ones, but the newer ones i have seen looked pretty good. but anyway, think about the number of members on this site, around 200. if half those people go out and catch a good sized smallie and keep them, thats 100 less big fish in the river. thats common sense. and keep them for what, to hang on the wall? it would be different if u were starving and keeping the fish to eat, but to hang on the wall, just doesnt seem very sportsman like to me. but like i said, not trying to start an argument, just stating my opinion.
oh, and to the person that said that tourney fishing kills more fish, that may be true, but in a tourney u can only have 1 smallmouth per person in the boat. so its not like u are carrying around a boatload of smallies. like i said, spots and largemouth are different than smallies. also, if tourneys kill that many fish plus the bank beaters take them home and then guys out in boats also take them home, then eventually the resources will be exhausted. especially if the fishing population continues to increase. like i said before, i just hope that when i have kids there will still be some fish for them to catch. that is if i can afford gas for the boat by then.

 

[2jigs]

That's why TWRA had to put a limit on smallmouth! Every one that got a smallmouth bass over 2.5 or 3 lbs. was keeping it. Not to eat, but to show off. Now days you have a better chance getting a good replica than a fish mount. Now I'll have to be the first to agree, NO one has the right to tell anyone else how or what to do with their fish. In this day & age were everyone seems to be more worried about someone else's business than their own. But the post was made and you got several different views on the subject. Mine is, that just a few weeks ago a guy had a 7.1lbs. smallmouth & a 5.4lber. at the dogfight out of sullivan's & their both swimming rite now. I've known too many people who say their going to mount a fish & 6 months later you ask them about it. An they had to throw the fish out because it was freezer burnt. It's not cheep to have a fish mounted. An after a few weeks the excitement wears off other things seem more importment. All I'm sayin is a pitcher is easer cheaper & the 5.6 can be 7.1. But your totally right, it's your call.emoScratch emoVomit

 

[hog daddy]

we'll here is my 2 cents ive caught a ton of small mouth below chic. dam i've never kept one the largest bass ive ever caught was a small mouth behinde the first drum @ chic and she was safely relased i live in ga and have to pay that high price licens but i release my small mouth because i want to if some one wants to keep one i have no problem with it i agree with 2jigs if youre going to keep them please dont wast them i my self like a picture dont take me the wrong way i'll get my money's worth i just dont take it out of the small mouth acount