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Post by trent on Sept 10, 2009 19:26:04 GMT -5
I'm assuming some of you get Chad's/Wildcat Creek Outfitters' emails from their listserve.
I just read through the latest from today and there is a section on getting a movement started to increase size and bag limits on the Tippy similar to the Sugar.
Have others of you seen it? Thoughts?
If anyone doesn't get the emails, I would be happy to double check with Chad and see if he is okay with me doing a cut and paste.
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Post by reelteacher on Sept 10, 2009 19:37:03 GMT -5
I am all for special regulations. Catch and Release would be ideal, but anything is better than what is enforced right now. This should have happened a long time ago. Special regulations can only make the fishing better, if they are enforced dilligently.
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Post by barryl on Sept 10, 2009 21:27:50 GMT -5
I have gone as far as to promote a Smallmouth stamp. We the sportsmen and women of Indiana really don't have a quote "Native Species". The smallmouth is as close as we get. This is our true sport fish, and rightfully so. No other non-introduced fish offers the fight or challenge that the smallmouth bass does. It deserves our reverence and protection, after all it is far from the best consumptive fish available. If we can not change the mind set of Indiana fisherman we can at least finance it's future.  Indiana would be a great place if it weren't for the Hoosiers......I should know I've lived here all my life.............barryl |
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Post by krebsie on Sept 11, 2009 21:02:48 GMT -5
This is way over due for our state. Any info you can post on this sight would be greatly appreciated. This is a cause taylor made for TFF!!! Trent post away and lets see what we can do to help!
Krebsie
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Post by barryl on Sept 11, 2009 22:40:10 GMT -5
YES YES YES!!!!! Krebsie I support this all the way. NOW how do we start a plan of action?... anyone,, anyone ....Buler?
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Post by trent on Sept 12, 2009 10:19:05 GMT -5
With Chad's permission, here is the excerpt from his message:
"I think it is time to start another Smallmouth special regulation drum beat. I have fished the Tippecanoe River since I was 16. My dad and I would float it on many Saturdays in each season. Even though Sugar Creek was 10 minutes away it was nice to get away to fish some place else. I learned a lot about the Tippy and have always loved it and feel a similar affection to it as I do Sugar Creek. It is also the river, historically, that sees a lot of Smallmouth consumption annually. My evidence has always been antidotal but seeing stringers of fish in the 80’s and 90’s always made me wonder how great the Tippy could be if given the chance. I know the catch and release philosophy has benefited the Tippy and other Indiana rivers. The problem is that I still see fish killed too often on the Tippy. Yea I know the fishing is good so why am I concerned. Well the difference in Sugar Creek and the Tippy is volume. Sugar has a ceiling and can only produce so many trophy siz e fish. The Tippy has a much higher ceiling and has the potential to rate with such rivers at the St. Croix and Menominee Rivers . The Tippy is a huge river with a giant food supply and the Smallmouth need a chance to get to their full potential as does fishing for them.
I saw 4 young college age guys last night above the 18 bridge spin fishing and every one of them had a fish basket. I talked to two of them and one said he had a couple of Smallmouth in the basket. They also told me it is not the first time they had been there. I gave them a warning about legal size but could do nothing about the fish they had in the basket. Now let me say if their fish were legal they were within their rights to posses a legal limit so brow beating them and treating them poorly would have been wrong. They have done nothing wrong under the law; they just need a little education like we all did.
With the help of people like Rick Cochrum and the willingness of the DNR, we have turned the tide in our favor. Our wish to see our fisheries managed for quality has been granted in more than one situation. It is now time we tackle the river with the greatest potential of all. Sugar Creek is wonderful and is the states best river Smallmouth fishery but the Tippy is potentially on another level. If you are interested in helping us in getting something going for the Tippy and introduce special regulation, whatever they may be, email us back and give us your name phone number address and comments. We will then collect names and add them to a list meant to work on special regulations for the Tippecanoe River . Mind you we are not biologists and we are not going to ask for things we do not understand. We are just proposing that the state manage the Tippecanoe River for quality fishing and the best way to do that is going to be for the biologist to decide. Email us at info@wildcatcreekoutfitters.com or at chad@wildcatcreekoutfitters.com put in your email comments as well it would be much appreciated."
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