true conservationist question for big lake

[speckdaddy]

ok guys, i just want a question asked:alot of guides claim ta be all about conservation,if this is so,then why do they let their clients keep their limit of fish also?if these guides are truly worried about the trout population, shouldnt they not worry about 15 more fish for their clients ta take home?just wonderin

[Ray]

They need to give that limit to me. I ain't eaten a trout in a month.

I agree. If the Snapper captains can't catch a limit, the Speck captains shouldn't either.

[BossHog]

Cause all the guides know there is absolutley nothing wrong with the trout population.

[Gerald]

Also, if the "Captains" are worried about the Trout population........

Why on Big Lake..... do you always see the "Captains" catching most of the fish in the boat.

If the Guides would put their rods down: 1) the boats would come in with 1/2 of a limit or 2) it would take all day to stratch out a limit.

[BossHog]

Most guides are not worried about the trout population cause your not gonna hurt the population with a rod and reel. But MOST of them do let MOST of the big trout go 7+lbers. Guides hardly ever fish for big trout anyway 95% of the customers just want to catch a limit of keepers. Its nearly impossible to put them on trophy trout cause its a whole different type of fishing that most customers dont have anywhere close to the skills to try.

[catch.and.fillet]

When I hire a guide anywhere, not only Big Lake, I always tell them whether we're fishing for meat or for a trophy. If it's trophy fishing, they don't fish but "guide" to make sure I have the experience. That's been the case at least 10 times from Cabo (where we trophy fished 1 day and I tagged and released a 425# Blue Marlin) to Montana. On Big Lake, I've always meat fished and we all caught our limit. When the guide got his limit, he spent more time "guiding" than catching. That's been my experience...

[cmdrost]

not all guides do this fwiw....and yes MOST do try to encourage you to release the bigger fish if its not gonna go on the wall. They know they can get you your meat from the schoolies.

And I wouldn't say guides don't worry about the population! Have a long talk with one sometime thats been doing it for over 10 years. They might surprise you. They are out there the most, hence they can feel the "health" of the estuary.

[Ray]

If you look at some of their pictures from websites, they do keep trophies.

["W"]

I see this two way..........#1 I could look at two outfits that have been on the lake 20+ years........Both could shut the doors and just hunt and make it the rest of there life with out guiding on the lake.........Both run 4-5 boats and both fish 4 counting guide per boat!...... If they think our trout are in trouble Im sure they would cut some of there boats out and not book as many trips!!!

[cmdrost]

"I see this two way..........#1"

So whats #2?

[SULPHITE]

maybe he meant "two way street"??

["W"]

"I see this two way..........#1"

So whats #2?


yall always trying to get me fired up.........

If and I mean if ........ A 20+ year guide saw hurt he would add slots to his limits......EXP....14-22inch and throw rest back unless you mount......

Most release big trout.......Does it work I still dont know.....

Out of all the trout I have tagged......Most I get back are smaller fish......

I have tagged atleast 15 0r 20 over 20inchs and only had one recaught....tagged at 23inch and caught at 24inch.......

I guess time will tell.....

[BossHog]

not all guides do this fwiw....and yes MOST do try to encourage you to release the bigger fish if its not gonna go on the wall. They know they can get you your meat from the schoolies.

And I wouldn't say guides don't worry about the population! Have a long talk with one sometime thats been doing it for over 10 years. They might surprise you. They are out there the most, hence they can feel the "health" of the estuary.
I guided fulltime for almost 10 years and Ive worked with and know almost every guide on the lake some that have been doing it 20-30 years. We all know that you have bad years and you have good years, it just all runs in cycles. Yes being on the lake everyday you know whats going on and pretty much know how its gonna be the next year. I have NEVER heard anybody talk about a problem with the population (as far as conservation) except for big trout.

["W"]

I guided fulltime for almost 10 years and Ive worked with and know almost every guide on the lake some that have been doing it 20-30 years. We all know that you have bad years and you have good years, it just all runs in cycles. Yes being on the lake everyday you know whats going on and pretty much know how its gonna be the next year. I have NEVER heard anybody talk about a problem with the population (as far as conservation) except for big trout.


Same here.......I have been fishing the lake all my life......Even before the waders started wading we caught big trout....and those went into the ice chest..... I could make some sick with pics coming off the lake in the 80's and 90's....... Only thing I can say is that Redfish have done well.....there is more reds now than in the 80's I belive.......

[LaAngler]

[/COLOR]there is more reds now than in the 80's I belive.......

back in the net days you couldnt just go out and murder the redfish like you can now. not even close to now

[/COLOR]I could make some sick with pics coming off the lake in the 80's and 90's.......

We had a trip in 1999 where we kept probably 30 fish over 5 pounds, probably half a dozen of them were 27-28 inches, caught em right near heberts

wish i had pictures, only a memory now

[cmdrost]

"back in the net days you couldnt just go out and murder the redfish like you can now. not even close to now"
____________

Same for trout! Before the net ban....5 pounders were rare and considered a trophy.

[Jordan]

my hard head population is not phased by this conservation bullcrap !!

[QUACKHEAD]

my hard head population is not phased by this conservation bullcrap !!


my hard head population is not phased by this CONVERSATION bullcrap !!

FIXED IT FOR YA JORDAN.

[Jordan]

whatever

[LaAngler]

my hard head population is not phased by this conservation bullcrap !!


why do you insist on taking a crap on every thread?

[speckdaddy]

why do you insist on taking a crap on every thread?
lmao!!!!! can ya say post whore??????? lmao:eek:

[huntin fool]

lmao!!!!! can ya say post whore??????? lmao:eek:


Reminds me of another little person i know....darn post whores these days.

[speckdaddy]

Reminds me of another little person i know....darn post whores these days.
watcha talkin bout willis??????? lmao:spineyes:

[LaAngler]

lmao!!!!! can ya say post whore??????? lmao:eek:


lol, just giving him a hard time

[Gottogo49]

Before the weirs, there were plenty of redfish and plenty of shrimp. Opening day of shrimp season was a circus, boats everywhere. We didn't even bother with slimy, wormy trout in those days. Times have changed.

[jchief]

I guded on the lake for a few years and depending on the CUSTOMER if I fished or not or kept another limit. Some CUSTOMERS were there for a meat haul, but the majority of them were not. Many of them were newbies to fishing and had trouble catching fish. It really dedpended on the CUSTOMER. The vast majority of the guides did and still do encourage thier customers to turn loose anything over 4 lbs.

I keep capitalizing CUSTOMER becuse that who paid for the fishing trip. Those in business know the mantra "The customer is always right."

I can tell you that the majority of the guides that were in the business when I was guiding definately where worried about the sustainability of the fishery. Whether you agree with the 15 trout limit or not, the guides were the main ones pushing this change on Big Lake.

Gottago hit the nail on the head. When I was growing up, I can remeber Dad throwing back all the trout because they were nasty and we went in search of redfish. I made spending money on the lake through shrimping and it was a circus out there. Now, there is only a handful of shrimpers on the lake.

If we like the weirs or not, they have changed the fishery forever. We used to catch limits of trout behind the weirs on the deep water reefs back there and the guides were lined up doing it.

I hope my grand kids are still able to catch fish here when they get my age, but man has to learn that Mother Nature will do what she wills and we can't stop it, only delay it.

[Ray]

Before the weirs, there were plenty of redfish and plenty of shrimp. Opening day of shrimp season was a circus, boats everywhere. We didn't even bother with slimy, wormy trout in those days. Times have changed.

I remember those days. The Texas shrimpers would hit Big Lake cause we opened our season before Texas did. We had a 20 ft. flat with a 90 Merc.
We hit the areas around the mouth of the bayous and I can remember catching a lot of grass in the nets. I haven't seen grass in Big Lake in years
either.
I also remember the lake being deeper, the old jetties sticking up a lot higher and Jr.'s cut was just wide enough for one butterfly barge.

["W"]

I guded on the lake for a few years and depending on the CUSTOMER if I fished or not or kept another limit. Some CUSTOMERS were there for a meat haul, but the majority of them were not. Many of them were newbies to fishing and had trouble catching fish. It really dedpended on the CUSTOMER. The vast majority of the guides did and still do encourage thier customers to turn loose anything over 4 lbs.

I keep capitalizing CUSTOMER becuse that who paid for the fishing trip. Those in business know the mantra "The customer is always right."

I can tell you that the majority of the guides that were in the business when I was guiding definately where worried about the sustainability of the fishery. Whether you agree with the 15 trout limit or not, the guides were the main ones pushing this change on Big Lake.

Gottago hit the nail on the head. When I was growing up, I can remeber Dad throwing back all the trout because they were nasty and we went in search of redfish. I made spending money on the lake through shrimping and it was a circus out there. Now, there is only a handful of shrimpers on the lake.

If we like the weirs or not, they have changed the fishery forever. We used to catch limits of trout behind the weirs on the deep water reefs back there and the guides were lined up doing it.

I hope my grand kids are still able to catch fish here when they get my age, but man has to learn that Mother Nature will do what she wills and we can't stop it, only delay it.


:amen: