OUTDOOR CORNER: FOLLOWING SLOT LIMITS ALLOWS FOR A HEALTHY FISH POPULATION

Did you ever try to convince a bass angler to keep a bass to eat? Many of them would rather eat dirt than a bass. Most bass anglers release all bass they catch, regardless of size. The philosophy is that if you release bass they should grow larger. Catch-and-release is a practice that is now embedded in the hearts and minds of most bass anglers.

Let's say you're fishing with your best buddy and you catch a bunch of small bass, 9- to 12-inches long. Do you keep them, or turn them loose? You should put them back so they will grow larger, right? Who knows, one of them may be the next lunker you catch, or maybe the next state record.

In reality, this may not be the case.

It all depends on things like bass reproduction, growth, and the amount of prey (bass food). Bass reproduction is good in most ponds and lakes, but poor or inconsistent in others. Some lakes have more prey, typically gizzard shad or sunfish, than others. If there are low numbers of bass, then catch and release is usually good for the population.

However, if there is an abundance of bass in the lake, catch and release may actually hurt. You see, if there are too many bass for the amount of prey in the lake, the bass probably don't get enough to eat. When this occurs, bass grow slowly and may become stunted. But, if some are harvested, the rest of the bass have more to eat and should grow faster. The small bass you were catching may not be young bass, but old, slow-growing bass. If these fish are released, they compound the problem.

How in the world do you know whether a small bass is young and growing well or old and stunted? On public lakes, just knowing the length limit can tell you a lot. Slot limits protect fish within a length range (12 to 15 inches for example). Harvest is allowed below and above the range or slot.

Slot limits are used when plenty of small bass are produced. In these situations, harvesting small bass is good for the population -- take out a few and the rest will grow faster. Minimum length limits protect all fish less than a certain length (12, 15, or 18 inches for example). Minimum length limits are used when small bass need protecting because they are not abundant.

The number of small bass that should be removed each year from lakes with slot limits can vary. Let's take a look at a few public lakes around here with slot limits. Boutin Lake (17 acres), located in Trail of Tears State Park, contains an abundance of small, slow-growing bass. Anglers should harvest every bass they catch less than 12 inches up to the daily creel limit.

Tywappity Lake (37 acres), located just south of Chaffee, supports a fair bass population. Harvesting some small bass would help the rest grow faster. Lake Girardeau, a 162-acre lake in western Cape Girardeau County, is somewhat different and unusual. Bass are numerous, but grow especially well because there is abundant prey. In fact, each spring a few 8 to 10 pound bass are caught. It wouldn't hurt to harvest a few small bass, but there is no need to harvest lots of small bass.

What about a lake without a bass length limit, such as Wappapello Lake? Since its impoundment in 1941, there has been no length limit at this 8,400-acre Corps of Engineers' reservoir. Bass reproduction is good, resulting in lots of young bass, but growth is usually slow because shad reproduction has been inconsistent. Just as with the smaller lakes, harvesting some of the smaller bass should help the remainder grow faster.

Catch and release does work for large bass (>15 inches) in nearly all lakes. Large bass usually do not have trouble finding food because of their size. If you release the large bass, they will have a chance to grow even larger.

In summary, if a lake has a slot length limit, don't be afraid to take home a few small bass for supper. However, if the lake has a minimum length limit, honor that regulation and release all bass less than the minimum length.

Every lake is different and so is every bass population; that's why there are different regulations and why catch and release can be either good or bad.

Mark Boone is a fisheries management biologist with Missouri Department of Conservation.