Let's clear the air about slot limits.

[MadBomber]

All of this heated discussion about slot limits has gotten way out of hand.  If you go back and read the very first post by Carl, you will see that my efforts to increase the limit on spots got him to thinking about other things that could help bass fishing in general.</p>

First off, you should know that Carl Guffy is associated somehow with the Bass Federation and cares deeply about bass fishing.  You should also realize that he lives in Friendsville, TN which is located between Tellico & Fort Loudon lakes. So, I believe his frame of reference is based on that general area.  Every one of the lakes in his area, Cherokee, Douglas, Boone, Watauga, and especially Norris has a 15 per day limit on spots.  Effective March 1st, the limit on spots will be removed altogether in Norris, which means that if you can catch 100 of them you should KEEP them!</p>

Forget about anyone pushing for slot limits on Chickamauga and Nickajack.  It ain't happening.  So let's get back to what is happening.</p>

The upper end of Nickajack from the Dam down to at least Suck Creek has an abundance of Northern Strain Spotted Bass (Kentuckys).  They are the #1 predator of all three black bass species.  I believe the major culprit is the spot that is less than 10" long.  They roam the shallow areas of the river in wolf packs devoring baby fish as they go.  They share the same spawning areas with largemouth and Smallmouth so in the spring, they have a field day with the newly hatched bass.  It is in the best interest of LM & SM to remove as many spots as legal.</p>

I agree that grass is good.  Chickamauga is coming back as a grass lake and with it will come better bass fishing.  Again though, that probably will require some sort of management to be most effective.  We haven't heard much from Shocker this summer because he has been on Guntersville mowing grass!  Also, the folks living on the lake deserve to have access to their docks.  I don't see much chance of having grass growing in the upper Nick.</p>

When I first proposed changing the limit, the first response was "it won't help because a bass fisherman will not keep a 10" bass."   </p>

So, please help make the change in the spot limit effective.  After March 1st, 2008, begin selectively harvesting spotted bass.  If we can show TWRA that we are willing to do this, they will be more willing to assign the resources to help make the Chickamauga tailwaters the premiere smallmouth water in the South.  </p>

 

[Fat Albert]

<font color="#ff0033">Amen....

</font>

 

[Fishin Fool]

I'm with you on this Bomber!

 

[Guest]

Well said!emoThumbsup

 

[Louie B]

Good Post. I 100% agree.

LB

 

[jon the fisherman]

emoThumbsup Carl only wants what is best for the resource. I commend him for all the work he does towards preserving our fisheries.

 

[churly]

Preach on! I agree.

 

[SpurHunter]

You know I am your biggest fan MB! Were you a preacher in your former life??

 

[MrWiskers]

I like keeping the 10-12" spots as they are the best eating and easiest to clean. The filets are larger than a bull bluegill and catching a limit of these size spots is very easy. Bought an electic filet knife today (my 1st so everyone welcome me to the modern age) as I plan on keeping a few limits this fall. We boated 88 bass yesterday with 50 or more of them being spots in the 8-12" range and we never went any further than downtown (all were released yesterday). I am saying this as I know for a fact there are greater concertrations of spots down around Mocassun bend than up river and the CFF members I have taken down there will tell you stories of 10-15 bass at a time sitting under the boat waiting for something to move. I would like to see the limit increased all the way to Suck Creek or at least down to Lookout Creek.

 

[MadBomber]

MrWiskers - 10/28/2007 10:57 AM I like keeping the 10-12" spots as they are the best eating and easiest to clean. The filets are larger than a bull bluegill and catching a limit of these size spots is very easy. Bought an electic filet knife today (my 1st so everyone welcome me to the modern age) as I plan on keeping a few limits this fall. We boated 88 bass yesterday with 50 or more of them being spots in the 8-12" range and we never went any further than downtown (all were released yesterday). I am saying this as I know for a fact there are greater concertrations of spots down around Mocassun bend than up river and the CFF members I have taken down there will tell you stories of 10-15 bass at a time sitting under the boat waiting for something to move. I would like to see the limit increased all the way to Suck Creek or at least down to Lookout Creek.

</p>



That's my plan too.  It may take a couple of years but I'm going to keep after it.</p>

 

[2jigs]

MB, Shocker hasn't just been on the Big G. I just a  few weeks ago got a shocking report from the Chick. And as for the slot being up around Carls end of the state I think we all prety much got that but the thread had taken on a Chick. Nick. thought. Thats all.

 

[Guest]

I completely agree with MB. That is why I am going to start fishing as much as I possibly can in the River Park, so that I can contribute to removing some of the spots in that part of the lake. Personally, I would rather keep a spot that is anywhere from 8" up to 2 lbs. Anything bigger may have the chance to go back. I have always kept any of the spotted bass that I have ever caught from anywhere, as long as they were legal. Since there is no length limit on the spots in TN, and with the efforts of MB, I can keep 15 of them starting in March of 08, why not go up there as often as I can and take some home?

I have had more fun with the smallies over this last weekend, and if it means taking a few more spaaaats home to the freezer in order for the smallie population to become better, then I am all for it.

Not to mention, them spaaats are great table fare.

 

[beetlespin]

If you don't want to catch little ssspppaaaatttss just don't fish where they are at. We had three sspppaaaatttss in our tx yesterday that were 2-3 lbs each. Those are pretty nice fish. Largemouth bass are lazy water fish. They will never out compete the ssppaaatttss in riverine areas and we can't catch enough of them to change that. Once again, as Darwin said, the strong will survive. I'm not trying to start a religious war with that comment but that's the way it works.

Lance

 

[DHaun]

I love catching big spots myself and always throw them back. I hardly keep any fish regardless of species so I'll be throwing mine back unless they are small and someone is with me who likes to clean them. This is an interesting topic and I see lots of value value in learning more about it. I commend MadBomber for creating a heightened awareness about selective harvesting.

Whatever the TWRA and their Biologists decide in terms of limits (slot or not) works for me since they are ultimately the ones evaluating all the empirical data. What I find curious about the spots was that I understand there was an actual lack of data in the area below the Dam.

I am hoping TWRA can gather (and communicate) some meaningful statistics the next few years to quantify impacts of the new creel limit change. You cannot manage a resource effectively if you know little about it, so I think additional data is key to understanding more about whats going on. I also think its great that so many are being educated on this topic as that's what will ultimately help to maintain a healthy smallmouth fishery.

Beetlespin makes a good point as well...I don't think I have ever caught a spot in the shallow grassy areas of the lake with little current. I believe a lot of it has to do with thriving in their natural habitat, but I also understand how aggressive they are in competing with smallmouth and eating their spawn.

I am personally more concerned about the uneducated/unlawful anglers who either keep everything they catch regardless of species -or- ignore creel limits altogether. That's a different focus but one that I think may be having a larger impact. FM told me yesterday he saw a very nice smallmouth strung up off the Chickamauga dam pier last week. I wonder if the angler keeping it even new what the legal length was and how many other short fish end up the same way.

 

[Guest]

I know that I saw something today that eerked me beyond all belief. I believe in keeping only what you can use, within the limit of the law, and returning the rest for others. While at the River Park, I saw a stringer of either stripers or white bass, just sitting in the water. A few were dead and a few were still alive. I don't know if they belonged to the fellow that was fishing alongside the turbines, or if another angler had left them there. In my opinion, that's a waste.

Education is great, but the problem is what DH said, having people that still refuse to stay within the boundaries. I know that when I was in HS, I had to beat some common sense into my best friends and their family. We would go fishing at Lake Weiss, and they would keep everything................crappie under 10", catfish that were only 5-6" long, bluegills, bass, etc. After I got into their catch and threw the illegal fish back, and had a huge arguement over it, they finally understood, although I had explained it to them before we went.

 

[MrWiskers]

beetlespin - 10/28/2007 3:49 PM

If you don't want to catch little ssspppaaaatttss just don't fish where they are at.

Little fish need lovin' too. Give me 50+ 10-12" spots over one 3lber any day.

 

[Guest]

Hey MB, I have re-read his post several times, and he DOES refer to Nick and Chick for a test slot limit....emoScratch

 

[Carl Guffey]

Bomber, thanks for the good words....In truth I am the Conservation Director for the Tennessee Bass Federation a position that I dearly love to hate. I spend my vacation time in seminars learning from some of the best minds in the world about bass population dynamics, when I could be enjoying the bounty of the Tennessee River system. I am a tournament fishermen, I fish BASS opens, Qualifying in 2003 for my pro card. I fish the Tennessee Bass Federation and was the Eastern division champion in 2005 and State Champion in 2006, representing Tennessee in the 2006 Skeeter Weekend warrior championship on Guntersville. I have a different prespective then most fisheries personel, I not only read about bass, but I can catch them.......My posted thoughts about slots have fulfilled their intended purpose. Anglers have come together in one forum and shared information, posting all sides from the proposed idea.

It all boils down to one thing: ANGLER EDUCATION

 

[2jigs]

 

 

[MadBomber]

Wormhook - 10/28/2007 6:17 PM Hey MB, I have re-read his post several times, and he DOES refer to Nick and Chick for a test slot limit....emoScratch

</p>

You're right WH, I shot from the lip on that one.  Carl did refer to a slot limit on Chick & Nick lakes as a means to improve the overall quality (avg. size) of the bass population.  What I wanted to get across is that there has been no suggestion made to the Commission to get a slot limit imposed on Chickamauga or Nickajack. </p>

I was trying to get the focus back on what really has been accomplished.  We have been thrown a bone by the Commission and we need to take maximum advantage of that.  We need to show the TWRA and the Commission that a bass fisherman <u>will</u> keep a spot if it will help the fishery.  So, for the next couple of years, we need to harvest as many spots as legally possible from the Dam down to South Chickamauga Creek.  We need to focus on that area because that's where the followup studies will be done.  Taking a 5 spot limit from Moccassin Bend will not affect that data.</p>

I will be asking for data to be collected farther down the river if that's what it takes to get the limit change extended.  I would like to see a 15 spot limit applied to the entire Tennessee River just for consistancy and enforcement sake.</p>

Here's a side observation.  At the very first Commission meeting I attended and proposed changing the limit on spots, Anders Myhr, Chief Biologist for our Region told me that one of his objections was that he did not want to set a precedent that might spread to Center Hill.  He said that Center Hill had a large population of big spots.  <font color="#ff0000">When did Center Hill become a prime spot lake?</font>  I asked Fat Albert, who used to fish Center Hill years ago, if he used to catch a lot of spots over there and he said he did not recall ever catching a spot during his many trips to Center Hill.  Dr. Bettoli headed a study of tournament caught bass on Center Hill and 65% of those were spots.  On CH, you can weigh in 5 smallmouth.  Of 2561 fish weighed in, only 10% (261) of those fish were smallmouth!!!</p>

Now, how about Dale Hollow?  I bought a videotape demonstrating the float & fly method for catching smallmouth.  The only fish he caught on the tape I watched were spots!  RSimms recently fished Dale Hollow, I think.  I will look up that report and see what he said. <font color="#3366ff">(addendum) I went back and looked at previous reports and cannot find any evidence that Dale Hollow has an issue with spots.</font></p>

Beetlespin may be right when he says you can't fight Mother Nature.  But, one thing is for sure.  You can't fight with your hands tied behind your back!! </p>