Bass fishing minimum size proposals.

[Grandadron]

Can any one tell me how the new size limit is going to help when at present I can buy bass from a fishmonger in a nearby town which are around the 25cm mark. I am all in favour of conservation, and although very partial to Bass on my dinner plate I only keep the odd one and ensure it is over the size limit.
However these new proposals will mean that nearly all fish caught in these parts will be undersize. When anglers see undersize fish on the slab of their fishmonger they will wonder why they should put their catch back.

[Charter Skipper]

The WFSA are recomending an 18 " limit for Rod and line,which is around 45 cm i think.

[alzpalz]

Hi Grandadron i was in a fishmonges on tuesday and thay had a lot of under size Bass for sale so i went in and asked him wot was going on he told me thay were farmed fish and that was y he could sell them is this rite?

[Portland Pirate]

IF you go to most of the supermarkets the Bass that you will find there are farmed unless it says otherwise.
As is typical with farmed fish it is fairly tasteless compared to there wild relatives. This is due to them eating the same diet, and not developing firm flesh because they don't have to sit in fast tides.
The bulk of fish feed is made from Sandeels and as most of us are aware there is strong evidence to suggest that the lack of Sandeels is directly linked to the lack of Cod and Whiting.

[Grandadron]

Thanks for that info, at least now I wont feel so bad when releasing a 44cm bass. However I think that these fish should by identified if farmed.

[Charter Skipper]

Farmed fish are great,except they are fed on high fat food pellets and pound for pound are nowhere near as healthy for you to eat or good for you as fresh fish,they contain a much higher level of fat and the flesh does not seem to be as dense.On the upside i supose it takes a tiny bit of pressure off wild fish stocks.

[james]

I'm a commercial fisherman aswell as a passionate pleasure angler and i wholeheartedly support what charter skipper has said. The majority of us obey the mls and treasure the ocean and whats inside it, its just a shame that a small minority take the p*** out of it I believe that eveybody should support local fishmongers farmers greengrocers etc.

[Omahayank]

Almost All water here has length limits on sport/game fish. Some states even have 'slot' limits with it. EG. You can keep 4 walleye. Over 15" but under 18", and 1 over 24"
(just an example, don't know if length and breed are accurate for any state)
The theory is that 'slot' fish are the prime breeders, not too young or too old.

[Grandadron]

Many thanks for that, I appreciate the need for conservation and rigidly practice it, I was lobbying Ministers at Whitehall in the late 80s early 90s on Bass conservation when only the Bass Angling Sportfishing Society(of which Iwas a member) were doing anything about it. Prior to the nursery areas being set up, I wrote many letters to the MAFF Minister who I think was John Gummer, as did many other caring anglers. One of the points I raised was the possibility of farming bass, His reply was that the Bass is a very slow maturing fish and so it would not be commercially viable. It has been pointed out to me via this post that bass are indeed farmed. that is all I wanted to know. If I have upset anyone I would like to say I was not taking the p*** out of anything, the issue is too important.