Upset

[BentRod]

I can sympathize FM, but I'm sure that kid was seeing stars. I used to want to keep everything I caught as a kid. Even more so if it was a trophy . Hopefully he'll learn better after growing up, but what he did wasn't illegal, so just keep living by example. I've seen more than one decent sized bass come away from that lake on someone's stringer. Makes me frown, but, once again, people have rights as long as they're following the rules. There will be other hogs in that lake, I'm sure.
TL

PS. I'm less upset by hearing this than I was by watching two kids throw two full stringers of trout into the trash can at Pine Lake last year. That was just plain disrespectful, wasteful, and ignorant . Like posted before, I hope the kid's family at least ate it.

[BassinBomber]

a bass that size takes a long time and i dought that there are alot in the lake. and that bass if it was a female could have passed on its jeans to hundreds of fish. a picture is just as good anyway because big bass are from what i hear not very good to eat.

Definately a female,..males usually don't get much bigger than 4lbs max,..since it was a child that kept it,..how critical can we really be,..?

BB

[fishingmachine]

Smoke 12
This lake isnt a big lake and many hawgs are not in the lake
In fact there are very few so for someone to take what could possibly be the biggest bass out of that lake and out of the gene pool is outta the question in my opinion

[lemagoat]

You gotta remember one thing FM, alot of people claim they have a 7 or 8 lb bass and it's only 4.5 or 5 lbs I cant count how many times I have disappointed many anglers with my scale, who know's maybe it was 8lbs but i'm willing to say the odds are it was a nice 5lber but then again I wasnt there. it has happened to me twice just this year where the person said they had a 7lber and wanted me to take the pic since they were fishing alone and I took one look and said gee let's weigh that thing! knowing darn well it was no more then 4lbs. jmo, and I feel the same as you about those bigs guys, hey I released an 8.3 this year.

[iPodrodder]

lemagoat, I can vouch for FM on this one. The homeowner has caught it more than once, and weighed it numerous times and his last weighing was upwards of 8. The fish could even have been high 8's or 9 by the time the boy caught it.

[MaxExp82]

I can only imagine being 12 and catching a fish that big, it would go home, hell for that fact I would probably keep it today. Catch and Release has its place but keeping ONE fish does not hurt the population of that lake, there are probably many more as big if not bigger. The people that take a limit of 5 bass hurt the lake more than that one fish. Just my 2 cents.

I disagree, taking 5 smaller bass for 5 strait days isn't nearly as bad as taking One Monster bass with good genes.

[ckim85]

its a bummer, seeing as how I skunked at Beaver just a few weeks ago but I gotta say, it doesn't upset me that much. If anything the kid probably had a heck of a time catching and taking it home to his family and bragging to his friends about it. to me thats what fishings about, having fun. Sure he could've taken a picture of it and show that around but something about physically having that 8 lber in your hands, I can't blame a 12 year old for that. Most likely he'll grow and mature and learn to really respect the fish he catches and practice catch and release...but honestly, he's 12 years old. Not speaking for everyone but I would think MOST 12 years would keep it.

[fishingmachine]

Ckim i understand your poitn but the fact is there arent many big fish in the lake and all the big fish need to be released in order to preserve those bass in the lake

[iPodrodder]

Dude, I would have done the same thing when I was 12. It's ignorance, not a conscious decision to undermine the fishery.

[A9]

Beaver Lake is a joke of a fishery anyways....Most people there don't have a darn clue about conservation, let alone keeping the place cleaner than they found it....Its smack in the middle of thousands of people and you can't expect every fisherman to be as like minded about our resources as we are.

Ckim i understand your poitn but the fact is there arent many big fish in the lake and all the big fish need to be released in order to preserve those bass in the lake

95% of the people that fish that lake would have kept it....It's a put and take lake, and most of the fisherman are looking to bring home anything they catch....

It's a bummer, considering how much of a dink lake Beaver is anyways, but you have to expect that sort of stuff at Beaver Lake....Go look at that lake after its planted in April or November...It's disgusting, people waiting/chasing the stocking trucks around and showing up in masses to rape that lake of all the freshly planted fish.

Catch and Release has its place but keeping ONE fish does not hurt the population of that lake, there are probably many more as big if not bigger. The people that take a limit of 5 bass hurt the lake more than that one fish. Just my 2 cents.

Keeping a big female like that out of a 100 acre lake has a decent impact on the lake. Keeping 5 dink bass doesn't do a thing, but removing one of the few egg barges with those genes is a definite loss to the lake. You are right, there are probably a few other bigguns in there, but not many in such a small lake like Beaver.

Just on more reason to get active and voice your opinion to the WDFW to get them to change limits...

[tnj8222]

not only egg barges but they are also smart enough to protect the eggs. The survival rate of a 7+ bass eggs is much higher than a smaller bass. Its up to everybody to protect the big fish. Do your part and educate the younger group of bass fisherman, also tell them about this site so we can tell them as well! Lol

[flippinfool]

You gotta remember one thing FM, alot of people claim they have a 7 or 8 lb bass and it's only 4.5 or 5 lbs I cant count how many times I have disappointed many anglers with my scale, who know's maybe it was 8lbs but i'm willing to say the odds are it was a nice 5lber but then again I wasnt there. it has happened to me twice just this year where the person said they had a 7lber and wanted me to take the pic since they were fishing alone and I took one look and said gee let's weigh that thing! knowing darn well it was no more then 4lbs. jmo, and I feel the same as you about those bigs guys, hey I released an 8.3 this year.

i knew someone would mention this thanks lemagoat that fish was a 4 that grew with the story!:colors: FM IT HAPPENED AND IT IS WHAT IT IS ALL YOU CAN DO IS CONTROL TODAY GO CATCH A FISH!:compress:

[Anglinarcher]

WOW, that is about all I should say.

I'll bet each and every one of you "kill the kid for taking the bass" guys would have done the exact same thing as the kid did when you were his age.

I'll go so far as to call you all hypocrites. Probably 2/3 of you would still have taken it TODAY, but not bragged about it on WL.

IF the bass was 12 pounds, then it was likely near the end of it's life anyway. Bass at that age are not egg barges anymore. I just love the amateur biologist that think they know so much just because they are part of the BASS FISHING RELIGION/CULT. Cut the kid some slack!

Here is what I see - a lot of jealousy because it was not you that caught the fish. Skill will get you more big fish on any given day, but the biggest fish is almost always luck. Get over it!

Now, for the record, I support C&R, but there is a reason the state has the rules they way they do. If you don't like the rules, do what the Muskie guys did and lobby to have them changed. In the mean time, teach, don't crucify!

Geezs, I think I go out and catch some BIG BASS for dinner tonight.

[YellowBear]

I often hear that we should leave Big Bass in the lake because of there gene's, but if the Bass has been there long enough to get Big, it's genes are allready in the lake.
A 8lb largemouth in Washington is on its way out.
IMHO a kid taking one Big Bass is not near as bad as fishing beds.

[smoke14]

WOW, that is about all I should say.

I'll bet each and every one of you "kill the kid for taking the bass" guys would have done the exact same thing as the kid did when you were his age.

I'll go so far as to call you all hypocrites. Probably 2/3 of you would still have taken it TODAY, but not bragged about it on WL.

IF the bass was 12 pounds, then it was likely near the end of it's life anyway. Bass at that age are not egg barges anymore. I just love the amateur biologist that think they know so much just because they are part of the BASS FISHING RELIGION/CULT. Cut the kid some slack!

Here is what I see - a lot of jealousy because it was not you that caught the fish. Skill will get you more big fish on any given day, but the biggest fish is almost always luck. Get over it!

Now, for the record, I support C&R, but there is a reason the state has the rules they way they do. If you don't like the rules, do what the Muskie guys did and lobby to have them changed. In the mean time, teach, don't crucify!

Geezs, I think I go out and catch some BIG BASS for dinner tonight.

My thoughts exactly , the state biologist that help establish size limits do so in a manner that is the best for the fish not the fisherman.

[quickfish12]

I do condone catch and release but please understand this kid is fishing and not breaking any laws. To catch that fish is something that he will remember his entire life and it may lead to a long fishing life. If someone gets interested in bass fishing and takes it serious will eventually hear the arguments of CnR and will probably do it more often. Just remember to educate people and not treat them like they are horrible if they keep a legal fish. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

[Drumdog]

Ok...now we've heard from just about all of our Backyard Fisheries Biologists on this matter.

The kid caught a big fish and took it home. Good for him!
I'm sure there are a few more and maybe several of those in the lake and no one can dispute that opinion without poisoning the lake and measuring every dead fish. Just because you haven't caught one, that doesn't mean there aren't more.

I do support C&R but let's not get so upset and trash this kid over 1 fish.

JMHO

[A9]

My thoughts exactly , the state biologist that help establish size limits do so in a manner that is the best for the fish not the fisherman.

Because our salmon runs are in great shape right???? WDFW has done a fantastic job there right????

[loucipher]

Its ok, I believe some or many here help this fishery live on. As they continue to not catch the bigger fish, they indirectly allow the fishery to thrive!

[fishingmachine]

im glad to get so many different opinions
Thanks guys for all the input