# Black Bass ...



## Momma's Worry (Aug 3, 2009)

why is the limit on black bass so stingy ???...I know most cringe at the though of actually eating one


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## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

good question---I have eaten a bunch in my life for sure--but I prefer the small ones.. 12 or so inches. But most limits are at least 14 inches now and I havent eaten one in decades I guess. 



Prob has something to do with the advent of BASS and tournaments--and managing the population of the fishery... Hence size and slot limits and catch and release etc.... kind of evolved to where folks dont eat them too much. I've lived on Livingston 10 yrs and havent eaten one yet.


Limit on Rayburn and T-Bend was 15 in 60's and 70's and I believe BASS started out at 10 .




I do find the spotted or Kentucky bass pretty tasty if they are small.. Some lakes in OK have no size or number limits on spots I think.. McGhee Cr comes to mind-not sure if it's still true.


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## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

Limit on Rayburn was 15 in 60's and 70's and BASS had a 10 fish limit in the early days as I remember


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## bryan28 (Aug 22, 2013)

It is strange because I remember hearing discussions about fewer trophy sized fish because of catch and release. C&R had been so engrained into peoples heads that they refused to take any home. With more fish competing for a limited amount of food, fish aren't growing as big. IIRC, they were encouraging people to keep fish on Lake Fork and other trophy lakes but fisherman were contnuing to C&R. Seems they'd relax limits if they wanted people to keep some fish.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

When I was old enough to go with dad in the boat largemouth were the targeted fish, if on a rare occasions that they were not biting we would look for crappie that would hit a spinner, or go hang around the areas where sand bass schooled on top if we were desperate for a pull on the line.
We used Arbogasters, Sonics, Sprite spoons, Zara spooks, and we used the huge 40hp sea king outboard to idle us off points or we would drift cover on banks to cast at them.
The limit was 15 with a six inch minimum, later raised to 12". They were delicious and we would catch 20 a piece or more on an average day of fishing.
Then Nick Creme marketed the plastic worm, it changed everything. Bigger bass were targeted more outside of top water lure fishing which was mostly daybreak and dusk.
When B.A.S.S. came along within five years time the daily catch on LMB dropped, and lake traffic picked up. Soon LMB were a real challenge on any older lake as they were pressured hard.
The giant lakes, Sam Rayburn(1965), Toledo bend(1964) and later Livingston(1969) would be red hot LMB fishing for the first 5 to 7 years and then sharply decline. Some would plateau at a good LMB fisheries, some would have drawdowns and drought that bring feast and famine to the fishery. Some like Livingston just didn't suit themselves to be what most consider to be good LMB fishing.
But all along those LMB got more pressure and harder to catch.

B.A.S.S. had invented a huge industry around the IDENTITY of being a LMB fisherman. Bass boats, apparel, tackle, magazines, key chains. The IDENTITY of being a LMB fisherman was marketed with super slick industrial psychology methods to create a very real need to be identified as a BASS man, and the campaign was wildly successful.
LMB were doing their part to survive, but creel studies soon showed they needed help.
Money talks, and this huge industry re-targeted it's powerful machine to make C&R an integral part of being a BASS angler. It has been successful too, and younger fishermen who grow up in the BASS culture think they are inedible, lol!


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## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

shadslinger said:


> When I was old enough to go with dad in the boat largemouth were the targeted fish, if on a rare occasions that they were not biting we would look for crappie that would hit a spinner, or go hang around the areas where sand bass schooled on top if we were desperate for a pull on the line.
> We used Arbogasters, Sonics, Sprite spoons, Zara spooks, and we used the huge 40hp sea king outboard to idle us off points or we would drift cover on banks to cast at them.
> The limit was 15 with a six inch minimum, later raised to 12". They were delicious and we would catch 20 a piece or more on an average day of fishing.
> Then Nick Creme marketed the plastic worm, it changed everything. Bigger bass were targeted more outside of top water lure fishing which was mostly daybreak and dusk.
> ...


yeah---what he said.:smile:


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## habanerojooz (Dec 4, 2006)

shadslinger said:


> When I was old enough to go with dad in the boat largemouth were the targeted fish, if on a rare occasions that they were not biting we would look for crappie that would hit a spinner, or go hang around the areas where sand bass schooled on top if we were desperate for a pull on the line.
> We used Arbogasters, Sonics, Sprite spoons, Zara spooks, and we used the huge 40hp sea king outboard to idle us off points or we would drift cover on banks to cast at them.
> The limit was 15 with a six inch minimum, later raised to 12". They were delicious and we would catch 20 a piece or more on an average day of fishing.
> Then Nick Creme marketed the plastic worm, it changed everything. Bigger bass were targeted more outside of top water lure fishing which was mostly daybreak and dusk.
> ...


I have many similar stories from the 60â€™s and 70â€™s. I could go on and on about the lures and the tackle of those times. Dad had bass boats growing up and we lived 15-20 minutes from two lakes. Black bass, crappies, and white bass were our targets. Minnows for crappies, lures for bass. At an early age, I learned about the seasonal spawning patterns and fish migrations around the lake at different times of the year. I thought it was cool that huge schools of white bass would show up in the same areas every year like clockwork. Crappie were the cream of the crop when it came to table fare but black bass were always the prime fish to catch and the ones that most people targeted. C&R was not talked about much in those days. There were length and bag limits, but people always kept every fish they caught that was within those limits in those days. Thatâ€™s what todayâ€™s old timers grew up with.

B.A.S.S. tourneys put the black bass in the spotlight. Also, the fishing show hosts of those times targeted primarily black bass...Jerry McGinnis, Virgil Ward, Bill Dance, Roland Martin. It was rare to see a crappie show and white bass were never shown. The focus on black bass shifted to quality and hunting for trophy sized black bass became a big deal. Who remembers the Big â€˜Oâ€™ crank bait? Catch and release became a way to conserve the resource and promote trophy hunting. The focus turned to producing new trophy lakes with more restrictive slot limits and primarily C&R. Over time, newer generations of fishermen came along and theyâ€™ve grown up rarely keeping BBs. Some even perpetuate a myth that BB taste bad and theyâ€™ve never eaten one. The reality is BB taste very good. All bass species are delicious, both freshwater bass and sea bass.

Repeating some of what Shadslinger and others said here about the younger generation and the taste myth. I think it is hilarious. 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Its a cultural thing that has been ingrained over the years. It has been very successful at protecting and expanding the numbers of large LMB in public places. Other species could benefit from some of that same culture. 

I raise LMB in ponds and have for many years. The "culture" in my ponds is exactly opposite that of the general public...i.e. I remove and eat every LMB caught under about 14 to 15 inches. Every bass above that is released, no exceptions. 

I can honestly say, without hesitation, these small bass are the best tasting freshwater fish available even including the wonderful crappie. They keep us supplied in great tasting fish all year. The small fish have to be removed in order to have large fish and perhaps the most common failure of ponds owners in raising really large trophy bass is the failure to remove the small ones.


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## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

Ground chuck was $5.19 a pound at Brookshires the other day! I May start eating bass again I catch off my dock!:smile:


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## Momma's Worry (Aug 3, 2009)

wwind3 said:


> Ground chuck was $5.19 a pound at Brookshires the other day! I May start eating bass again I catch off my dock!:smile:


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## Momma's Worry (Aug 3, 2009)

Momma's Worry said:


>


I f any one wants some 9/12 for $6.00lb(cost) come by my shop ...i just bought a 85lb bag from a wholesaler which is way to much ....about half of that is enough for me .....


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Dang, those look gooood!


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## Momma's Worry (Aug 3, 2009)

Meadowlark said:


> Dang, those look gooood!


....

They are and we have a lot of ways to cook them .....:fish:


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## gigem87 (May 19, 2006)

habanerojooz said:


> I have many similar stories from the 60â€™s and 70â€™s. I could go on and on about the lures and the tackle of those times. Dad had bass boats growing up and we lived 15-20 minutes from two lakes. Black bass, crappies, and white bass were our targets. Minnows for crappies, lures for bass. At an early age, I learned about the seasonal spawning patterns and fish migrations around the lake at different times of the year. I thought it was cool that huge schools of white bass would show up in the same areas every year like clockwork. Crappie were the cream of the crop when it came to table fare but black bass were always the prime fish to catch and the ones that most people targeted. C&R was not talked about much in those days. There were length and bag limits, but people always kept every fish they caught that was within those limits in those days. Thatâ€™s what todayâ€™s old timers grew up with.
> 
> B.A.S.S. tourneys put the black bass in the spotlight. Also, the fishing show hosts of those times targeted primarily black bass...Jerry McGinnis, Virgil Ward, Bill Dance, Roland Martin. It was rare to see a crappie show and white bass were never shown. The focus on black bass shifted to quality and hunting for trophy sized black bass became a big deal. Who remembers the Big â€˜Oâ€™ crank bait? Catch and release became a way to conserve the resource and promote trophy hunting. The focus turned to producing new trophy lakes with more restrictive slot limits and primarily C&R. Over time, newer generations of fishermen came along and theyâ€™ve grown up rarely keeping BBs. Some even perpetuate a myth that BB taste bad and theyâ€™ve never eaten one. The reality is BB taste very good. All bass species are delicious, both freshwater bass and sea bass.
> 
> ...





Momma's Worry said:


> ....
> 
> They are and we have a lot of ways to cook them .....:fish:







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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

shadslinger said:


> When I was old enough to go with dad in the boat largemouth were the targeted fish, if on a rare occasions that they were not biting we would look for crappie that would hit a spinner, or go hang around the areas where sand bass schooled on top if we were desperate for a pull on the line.
> We used Arbogasters, Sonics, Sprite spoons, Zara spooks, and we used the huge 40hp sea king outboard to idle us off points or we would drift cover on banks to cast at them.
> The limit was 15 with a six inch minimum, later raised to 12". They were delicious and we would catch 20 a piece or more on an average day of fishing.
> Then Nick Creme marketed the plastic worm, it changed everything. Bigger bass were targeted more outside of top water lure fishing which was mostly daybreak and dusk.
> ...


I remember the creme worm back when I was a kid. Came in a package on a piece of cardboard with a clear wrapper. Had red beads and a really small spinner blade with 2 hooks. People laughed at me but I caught a lot of bass out of ponds and small lakes back in 66 or 67 , some where around that time. If you had one one them new fangled tackle boxes with plastic trays you could not leave it in there without a wrapper. It would eat thru the trays.


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## PBC (Dec 12, 2018)

Yep bass taste fine....I still eat them. Now where they spend most of their time cover wise can affect their taste. I do release most that I catch though, but every once in a while keep only what I will eat.

I think the over harvesting of bass back in the day contributed greatly to the limits now placed on them. As I read through all the comments I don't think anyone attributed that as a reason. But the reality is that back in the day the "old timers" would keep as much as possible. When you do that you deplete a natural resource. 

But that was accepted back then and it was just the way it was. You can't blame the past all you can do is either learn from it or not.


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## charlie23 (Jan 11, 2005)

which taste better, black or white bass?


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## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

charlie23 said:


> which taste better, black or white bass?


Black]-------no contest.......


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Yep fishing pressure has everything to do with it, the sudden popularity of the sport not only made them harder to catch, but lowered their numbers until better catch and release systems(live wells)where improved and the entire industry got behind the program to protect their $. And they did a good job.
Anybody here fish lake Nacogdoches when it opened?
Unreal LMB fishing for about two weeks!


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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

As most of you know I grew up in SE Louisiana just below New Orleans.
Truly fishing capital of the world. Fished salt mostly for specs and reds. Boxes of em!
Came to the great state of Texas as fast as I could 16 years ago.
We fished brackish water marsh bass. They were all little footballs and you could catch 40 to 50 in a morning if you wanted. They grew fat on shrimp etc. Fantastic eating.
Here in Texas I think the limit length is 14" with Conroe being 16". They eat shad. They don't let me keep the 12" ones - I throw them all back. They also don't eat very well. Not as bad as hybrids.


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## Momma's Worry (Aug 3, 2009)

charlie23 said:


> which taste better, black or white bass?


BLack .....


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

Black, all day every day. We caught them and ate them. No plastic worms. Topwater. Maybe a spinner bait occasionally. 
I grew up fishing Sheldon, San Jacinto River below the dam, and Luce's Bayou. I can remember dad getting a Shakespeare Wonder Troll. Before that it was a Indian? paddle. A 14X36 Ouchita boat and a junk trailer. Biggest motor was a 9.9 Evinrude. He bought one new boat. Someone ran a stop sign and totaled it.
Go to Rayburn or Toledo Bend? Why? That took gas money.


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## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

I keep and eat every legal size one I catch. They are just another sunfish, as are crappie or any other of what we call perch around here. All the same family and all eat real good. 

WHite bass are true bass and while they do eat good a black bass is quite a bit better in my book.


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