Even a Blind Hog Gets an Acorn Once in a While (Smallmouth in this Case)

[Pinetar]

Shantytrey- way to man-up and apologize KUDOS

[lokidog]

Again I was only joking.  I have never released a fish in my life that I could keep.  I will use better judgement in the future with joking comments, I apologize completely.  Nice catch and enjoy the eats.

That's what this is for.....                                  

  (see?)   

I only release when they are small, or the state makes me.  Or it's a planter trout.....  I like to EAT fish.   

Shantytrey- way to man-up and apologize KUDOS

Nothing to apologize for, he was joking around....  AND, AWESOME FISH!!

[MuleDeerCrazy]

The girls love any kind of fish, figure it's better for them than fastfood.  Anyway, you should have seen the little one when I told her, her first one was too small and threw it back... holy crap, she never let up on me til she finally got a keeper!  I now know none of her fish are to be made fun of, or thrown back!  I guess I've lost my focus somewhere along the way?  I'm bummed out when I get a little fish or buck and my young daughters are totally stoked to get anything.  Nothing like a kid to give you a reality check... always appreciate the little things in life I tell them...

Shanty - I did let a little buck walk last year if that counts, but you're gonna have to throw the daughters fish back... I still can't sit down!

[bassquatch]

YUMMY!!! I ate smallmouth for the first time this year, changed my life! I was one of the guys thet would have busted your balls for keeping a few, now I am all for releasing a few to the grease! 

Besides, as mentioned, they typically take over a body of water by outfeeding everything else! Lake Goodwin is starting to tip that way, fewer and fewer largemouth! Everytime I go there now I keep a limit of smallies if I do well.

Nice work! 

[KopperBuck]

YUMMY!!! I ate smallmouth for the first time this year, changed my life! I was one of the guys thet would have busted your balls for keeping a few, now I am all for releasing a few to the grease! 

Besides, as mentioned, they typically take over a body of water by outfeeding everything else! Lake Goodwin is starting to tip that way, fewer and fewer largemouth! Everytime I go there now I keep a limit of smallies if I do well.

Nice work! 

They don't typically take over a body of water. Any fish can take over a body of water, but the right factors have to be in place. There are a lot of bodies of water where SM should be harvested, same as bullheads, carp, pike, lake trout, walleye, rainbows, pike minnow.....

If it's legal by all means go for it. I'm almost 100% catch and release on bass, especially females, but I'm not going to jump down your throat. And they do eat pretty well, we keep smallies from the river every year for a fish fry.