Summer fishing
I’m a throughly addicted Smallmouth bass fisherman. Couldn’t give a hoot about the large mouth cousins, but the smallie has to be the best fighting freshwater species. Winni has never disappointed me in 5 summers until this year. I though the smallies were way off this summer. The water temp rocketed from 49 to 60 degrees in like 10 days. Then I saw areas of amazing nests (I wont say where!) where you could catch a fish with every cast. But I find no sport in that and fish sparingly during the spawn.
But here is the thing....I saw multiple guides simply hammering those same areas with one group after another. I went back a few days later (well before the spawn should have occurred around the full moon in June) and most nests were empty.
Has there been any interest in closing the season for a few days? And mandate barbless hooks for all bass. If the spawn is decimated every year, we will be sunk in a few years.
Anyone else think that F&G should limit bass fishing during the spawn? I know it is catch and release but these smallies will swallow quickly during spawn. And many people persist in trying to extract the hook and kill the fish. minus 20,000 eggs!
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