Not what was planed for this am but I'll take it

[raisinrat]

Well went out fishing this morning, I was going after some steellies with my fly rod when I ran into some very nice smallies. Heres some pics. I took these my self so some of them are a little off but all of the fish that I caught where over 1.5 lb the biggest went alittle over three pounds. It was 17inch with a girth of 14inch.

[bosshawg]

nice -  but shame,shame.....not in season yet!

[djkimmel]

Let's give the benefit of the doubt that they were in a steelhead hole. It happens. I've caught smallies in February in the Grand River while wading below the Webber dam for steelhead and walleye.

Now if I'm really popping one bass right after the other, I'll move on (as hard as that is to do) because if a CO is watching, he will say that I should have known to move on since I catching multiple bass. I'd probaby get more benefit of the doubt as a wader than if I was in my bass boat walleye fishing.

More examples of why I'm trying to change the regs (if our bass can handle it).

[raisinrat]

I did keep moving just every spot had them in there. Not much I could do about it.lol

[djkimmel]

And that is going to happen in many places. We all know the steelhead run is really going right now. I've heard from several people who have just been whacking them.

Just remember to let the bass go quickly. Beyond that, not a lot you can do when they are biting in the same places on lures that will also catch other legal gamefish.

It's like the people who say if you are fishing tubes, you must be bass fishing. Well, yeah, I'm a bass angler so I own a lot of tubes, and because I own a lot of tubes, I like to get my enjoyment and use out of them - maximize my investment in them.

I also catch pike, musky, walleye, perch, crappie, steelhead, catfish, sheephead, dogfish, carp, gar, white bass, suckers and goby on them too. Always going to be an issue when one gamefish is open while another is closed in the same waters. Just give the benefit of the doubt and do what you think is right, please.

[bosshawg]

i can understand that they (smallies) just happened to stick the hook and were not intentionally what was being fished for. hopingly all fished were released. just that last picture grabbed by attention as being not a good thing to do. especially now before C&R has officially not started.

[raisinrat]

That fish never once moved when I placed it there. It then got unhooked and put back in the water and swam off right away. I just thought it would make for a good quick pic it took all of 10 seconds to do and it was let go. I never keep bass even if they are in season. I thought you guys would have like to see those pics, so I put them up. I didn't want to make any of you think that I was trying to promote targeting a fish out of season because I myself have a problem with that. With the warm weather we are having many of fish that you don't see to much of in this time of the year are starting to move out of there wintering holes right, and any large current break is holding them along with what I was going after.

[djkimmel]

I've heard some law enforcement mention they are uncomfortable with people in the spring who take any more time with a fish out of season than to unhook it and toss it. I liked the pictures, it's just a touchie subject right now.

Listen guys and gals, less than 2 weeks to go and we can all get some things out of systems. I think we'll all feel happier and right with the world again. This is a season for adjusting to many new things. Let's take it easy on each other for a bit please. Thanks.