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Smallmouth Bob's Heideke outing 04/29/05..pics

4K views 24 replies 15 participants last post by  Mark Komo  
#1 ·
Smallmouth Bob's Heideke outing 04/29/05..pics

Rats, had to work on Friday. Luckily Smallmouth Bob (neighbor) stopped by with his catch on his way home from Heideke. Said feeshin' was good. I am sure SMB will provide the details. Also got an Eye. And get this, did NOT go to the other side.

These two fish look nice and plump. And will be released into a local fishing hole!

Image
 
#4 ·
Uh Oh let the internet fisticuffs begin. All parties must go to a neutral corner at the end of each round.
 
#7 ·
:eek: Your kidding me.. :)3


Just messing with ya...

Hey their your buddies fish do with them what he will... As long as he is not stocking them in a lake with a planned stocking program.. I have no problem with it.. I only take gills and LM when stocking a provate pond, but the structural in my ponds are better equiped for LM..


Anywho...

NICE FEESSH
 
#8 ·
smallmouth Bob's heidecke outing 04/29/05

nice catches but..... your telling me you took those two egged up smallies!!! that is horrible!!!! taking a few fish here and there but ones with eggs!! check this out i was out there and someone asked how the smallmouth fishing was, i said good there are alot in this lake. he then said yes but you cant keep any yet right? i said im not sure. he then said its illegal to take any smallmouth bass between 04/01-5/15. i dont know if that is only lake michigan or ALL lakes but i do know that they do it to protect the spawning bass from people like you!! SHAME ON YOU!!!!!! what you did is for one morally wrong(to pretty much take fish off its bed) and two probably illegal!!!! so i wouldnt brag about the sm you catch and keep right now!! :)3 :)3
 
#9 ·
Easy joeybass :)6
I suggest you start watching how you post or you'll find yourself gone.

In my opinion, going off on someone on a forum without having any facts is moraly wrong!

Second, the fact is that there is nothing in the regulations that prevent him from removing the fish.

Some of you posts in the past have had to be removed so take this as a public warning.
 
#11 ·
Yep, it wasnt me, but thoughts are appreciated. I really dont mind the transplanting, especially in some of these urban waterways that get so heavily wacked. All thats left sometimes is just dink bluegills. And to get the state to rectify is like pulling teeth. So, a little help sometimes isnt that bad is it? Plus its not like the cooling lakes are hurtin. They have tons of fish.

Save the weepy eye and rhetoric for that stringer of 14 inch smallmouth, basking in the hot august sun in Wilmington.
 
#12 ·
Yep, it wasnt me, but thoughts are appreciated. I really dont mind the transplanting, especially in some of these urban waterways that get so heavily wacked. All thats left sometimes is just dink bluegills. And to get the state to rectify is like pulling teeth. So, a little help sometimes isnt that bad is it? Plus its not like the cooling lakes are hurtin. They have tons of fish.

Save the weepy eye and rhetoric for that stringer of 14 inch smallmouth, basking in the hot august sun in Wilmington.
 
#13 ·
smallmouth bob's heidecke outing 04/29/05

ed heres the facts. these two fish were released into a local fishing hole. i didnt say anything more then i think its morally wrong and maybe illegal.. i know its illegal to keep any smallie from the tributaries between 04/01-06/15. i know that heidecke is not a tributary but the purpose and reasoning is the same right, to protect the spawning sm and keep improving sm fishing in illinois. all i said is shame on him, so if that means kicking me out then so be it, but kick out all the others that think its wrong too then!!! it is wrong thats the bottom line, its morally wrong... i didnt call him any names or persicute him i just gave my opinion of how i thought he or anyone who does that this time of year is wrong.. its just an opinion...
 
#14 ·
Hey, I'am certain this pond has all the structural elements of Heidecke.
Rip rap shallow shoreline, gravel bottom, deep water nearby and the perfect forage (shad, crayfish). Perfect for smallie recruitment. Maybe this pond could also be closed Wed-Sun and open only Mon-Tues. Maybe our HOT ROD GOV could read about this and cut the funds for restocking and we could just do it ourselves. I have fished Heidecke for 10 years and have had many a good day. I'd like that to continue. I also believe transporting game fish from one body of water to another is illegal. I've been a visitor to this site for 2 years and can't recall a thread about transporting fish. Joeybass you are right on. Catch and Release them where you catch them.
 
#15 ·
I have to add to what I posted about there being nothing in the regs about it being illegal for him to remove the fish.

It isn't illegal for him to remove the fish BUT it IS illegal for him to transport them to another public body of water.

joeybass, I'm not disallowing posting of opinions, but in this forum watch the tone with which you do it.

Grunt624, well, we at least got you to finally register :wink:
 
#16 ·
smallmouth bob's heidecke outing with pics..

again im not saying people shouldnt help a local pond or hole here and there, and im probably sure that the hole is equipped for sm which is all ok except during the spawning season. im saying its wrong to take a fish off the bed it has made and throw it into a new environment. whose to say those fish will spawn out correctly anyways. if someone has some facts to show they do then show me the article. if not well then its even more wrong. either way i think its wrong and i will let it go now. :)3
 
#18 ·
smallmouth bob's heidecke outing with pics..

ed like i said im not trying to make enemies just letting a fellow fisherman know that what he did in my opinion was wrong and as you pointed out illegal also. in hopes of others thinking twice before they do the same. its not about me fishing at heidecke all the time its about the fish... so im sorry if i made anyone mad but i was a little upset myself and i didnt go after anyone personally i just want to make sure others dont do the same its not fair to the fish!!! :)2
 
#20 ·
I don't agree with transporting....

my two cents for what they are worth..... these fish are where they are at for a reason. I fish are meant to be in a body of water then they will be there. I have a private farm pond and it was professionally stocked, they took inventory of how many of what types of fish belong there. Obviously these fish belong in Heidecke, now was the water temp the same? is the forage base the same, you are putting these fish under stress at a time that they are building up to spawn, which is stressful enough one the fish. Joeybass is right, if you are going to transport fish to another body of water, make sure all these things are going. I know alot of people that want these big fish in their ponds, or streams near their house... my suggestion is hire or buy fish from a hatchery and have them put the correct ratios in them. Putting whatever fish in your home fishing area is just taking fish from other people - fish have millions of eggs right?? the fish are where they are at for a reason and they have adapted to the water they are in and to take a fish this close to spawn isn't ethical which is what this site is about right??????
 
#21 ·
Boy does it pain me to say this.............but here goes. I agree with joeybass. He just says things the wrong way. Those fish should have been released where they were caught.

Like another poster said, go and PAY a fishery or stocking expert to analyze and verify that you local body of water can support the livestock you are placing in it. If it can't, then you have wasted fish and are no better than the 3 bucketeers! You're just a cheapo without the bucket.

And Ed, I pick up what you are saying. He is doing nothing "illegal" since he is not introducing the fish into a "public" body of water. Legalities aside, I still think it is wrong.

Bob
 
#22 ·
My two cents too...

I have a moral issue with it as well. But, like Joeybass it is just my opinion. It sounds like this was a perfectly legal transaction, so I guess who are we to judge?

One thing that was just touched upon is that all waters and their species is a very delicate balance. I don't know if you know this but if there aren't currently Smallies in your pond then there's probably a very good reason why. First off if any of you have tried to keep a Smallie in a fish tank you know that they are extremely aggressive. And they will kill off all the other fish. And as mentioned, the forage base, temps, habitat, etc., is a SCIENCE that is best left to the PROFESSIONALS.

I do have a moral issue with people stocking their private waters with public fish. If you're going to do it, why not fish somewhere where the harvest of an 8-10" fish is legal and harvest these instead of the big, fat breeders that are not as abundant?

Since Heidecke's size limit is 16" (I believe) this should probably not be a candidate to catch and release (into other waters). These eggs will most definitely go to waste.

While we're on the subject, I don't believe 100% catch and release is necessarily a good thing in all waters. It depends on each and every body of water. This is why size limits and possession limits are set and regulated. Case in point would be Heidecke. A few years back they bumped the 18" one fish size limit down to 16" and 3 fish (I believe). I remember MANY people - including people on this website screaming that the DNR doesn't have a clue and the fishery will tank. Well, guess what? Take a look at those pics and the shocking surveys. The DNR dropped down to the 16" size so that some fish could be harvested in the 16"-17" range. Therefore leaving more forage and room for the 18+ inchers. And in effect increasing the numbers of bigger fish.

I've said this time and time again, selective harvest is the key. Keep the eater-sizes to EAT. And release most of the big ones to fight another day. Keeping an occasional trophy is not going to harm most fisheries. I don't think keeping these two Smallies is going to harm Heidecke. BUT if folks continue to do this on a regular basis then it could indeed harm the fishery.

Just my two cents...