bed fishing for smallies - it "does" hurt the fishery

http://www.outdoorcanada.ca/Fishing-for-nesting-bass

Ok all you bed anglers, take a look at this article.  Yes, legal, but, unethical and it "does" hurt the resource.

Mishandling small mouth bass can also be very detrimental to the population. You cannot hold a small mouth by it’s lower jaw and just let it hinge. You stand a good chance of breaking it’s jaw, which will lead to the fish not being able to feed properly. 

The best way to hold them is under the belly. The second best way is to hold them gently in the mouth and under the belly to fully support them.

There were pictures posted on here the other day, where two fish were being held the wrong, and the one guy was holding his fish correctly. These people were fishing with a guide too.

Well, the spring is here and those guys in Big Rangers are scrapping bottom to bed fish in Door County.  They just don't understand that this is unethical and bad for the environment.  I am up there more than most and love the weekdays when most are working, wind, which keeps most from bed fishing and later June when most fish are done guarding beds. 

The fact is that more fish and better size come from NOT bed fishing.  Yesterday a friend in DC had his best day ever, both numbers and size in about 7 feet of water, watching the "wannabe" bass guys in the big bass boats fishing shallow trying for bedding fish.

I realized over 20 years ago that catch a bass off a bed just wasn't fun.  Many times more exciting to have that hit when you don't know it's coming.

Is bed fishing hurting Door County Smallies?  Maybe, maybe not?  But, it's still unethical and I do believe hurts the fishery.

If you catch and immediately release it's not as big of an impact, this is why Michigan has a catch and release season for bass during the spawning time, as does Wisc in some parts of the state.

It's the meat hunters that are doing the damage by keeping fish they catch from the beds.

While these studies do indeed present one aspect of black bass recruitment, they don't mention the other facts such the overall population of bass, primarily smallmouth bass in lakes across the country.  Bass are very much able to withstand angling pressure as evidenced by their continued expansion and population increases nationwide.  Another little known or talked about condition is that 30% or more of guarding males, esp. Smallmouth bass die later in the year of spawning from nest guarding activities and the natural stress of these activities.

Climate change has allowed smallmouth to expand their range by warming waters in their former range.  Being a member of the Centracid family, they are prolific spawners and fecund (carry many fertile eggs). They can quickly and easily make up for poor year classes due to water temperature fluctuations, angling pressure, water levels, predation, etc.  There is truth to this study but it is only one component of a complex issue of bass population dynamics and if there were population crashes due to angling during spawning season, state DNR agencies would limit or not allow fishing during this time as part of their management regulations.  This is not the case as these populations are increasing in all states so the point of fishing during the spawn is somewhat mute IMHO.  Let's all get off the soapbox about limiting fishing opportunities during any time of the year and have a good time enjoying the great outdoors instead of bashing others.

I would like to see restrictions put on some of the larger, more visible spawning areas like they have for walleye in DePere. Keep the tournaments as well as the meat hunters off the beds.

I have to agree with Vegas, Chequamegon Bay is a minimum of 22" in order to keep one fish. I have caught many 19"-20" & 21" but no 22"'s. That must be the magical size up there. You're never going to stop people from bed fishing, especially if they are fishing a tournament.

I'd like Sturgeon Bay/Door County to get to a trophy sized limit.  Fish them if you want, but put the size limit at 23 inches or so.

I'd also like to see some tournaments eliminated, but they bring in too much money to the area to do that.

BM12 youre correct. Even this late in June many smallies have not spawned yet. Some years Ive seen smallies not spawning until July. Looks like this could be one of those years too.

If you want to stop bed fishing you can at least get the discussion going by writing, and the submitting a citizen resolution at the next conservation congress spring hearing. 

Think about how you would want the law authored, and make it specific, and single topic. There are a lot of resources to do this on the DNR website, and you probably have 5 delegates in your county that can give you advice.

I prefer to fish them right after they're off the beds when they're in 5-10 feet of water up in Door County.  Once they're deep (greater than 20 feet) I have no idea how to fish for them.  I mostly fish worms and spinners, so those don't work that well once the fish go deep.  Until the DNR makes it illegal to fish beds (which will probably never happen) everyone has the right to fish those fish on the beds, and I'm perfectly fine with it.

I fish bluegills on the beds once or twice a year.  To me it's fun, and especially when I have the kids with.  But I no longer keep the fish when they are on their beds, with the exception of a few fish that may swallow the hook - those are as good as dead anyway.  Personally I don't think the fish taste as good when they're spawning (bluegills at least, not sure about a walleye or bass).  I think they hormones do something to the taste of the fish because they don't seem to taste as good when they're in that shallow water.

I appreciate some of the comments.  I too just came back from Door County and probably spend more time than most up there.  I get very sick of watching expensive bass boats in a foot or so of water bed fishing.  My opinion is that it's boring, unethical and does hurt the resource.

Thankfully, many agree with this philosophy and put the "fish" higher on the priority list than some.

Personally, for me, I just don't find it as fun to sight fish for bass on beds vs. casting to a spot and hoping a fish will bite. I don't know. Bed fishing isn't my thing. That's just me. 

here we go again