Keeping Bass?

[Therapist]

You are not going to hurt the SMB population by keeping a limit of 8-10 inch fish, infact you will be helping it.  Our SMB populations are stunted in many waters, Lake Powell, Rockport, Echo, etc. so keeping those smaller ones will not hurt the population.  It is keeping the 2-3 lb fish that hurts the recruitment.  Jordanelle is a case in point.  It was producing 5-6lb SMB in it's early years,  but people would keep all those large females and the size of the average fish is small now.  Remember, those large fish have the genetics to produce big fish,  so if you take em out of the system, you are left with genetics that produce smaller fish.

Got any reliable articles to back up your conclusions?

No articles, but 50+ years of experience, lots of conversations with Wayne Gustevason and Ryno with the DWR.  The basics of fisheries management include genetics, statistics, and plain ol experience.  Question??  Why do we never see an increase in size of the WB in Utah lake??  With the numbers of fish kept each year, you would think that there would be an increase in size !!  Now with the reduction of the carp population, should be more to eat, better habitat, hence an increase in size.  Nope,  because those fish have had poor genetics inbred to the point that 12-13 inches is the max.  Get some new genes from the midwest where they grow to 2-3 lbs, then you might get and increase in the size.  Although they use WB from Utah lake to produce Wipers,  the growth comes from the Striper genes and the hybrid vigor of the hybridization process!  Most hybrids have that, look at Tiger Trout, Tiger Muskies, etc.