When I would go fishing with my Dad on our own Lake X, if we caught a bass, on the stringer it went. Now this was 20 yrs ago, before there was a big catch and release mentality. I can honestly say no fish that my Dad caught was wasted. Everything was eaten. He never kept more that his limit.

These fisherman that want to keep a few bass to eat aren't the problem. The problem ones are the people who keep MORE than their limit, or keep undersized fish. They are passing on their bad behaviors onto their kids and others. I personally called the DEP hotline 3 times this year. Twice at Mansfield for guys keeping bass in the slot limit, and once for a guy filling his bucket up with schoolie stripers on the river.

I think that changing the bass limit is a good idea. Would it be so bad to make all lakes bass slot limit? You could keep 2 bass between 12"and 16" to eat, all other fish would be released. Are there other states that have tried this on all the lakes?