Went up to Mantua yesterday. I was looking for the bass but when we got up there the water was 50 degrees and we did not expect to get any. My daughter and I tied on some spinners and decided to get some trout instead. We were in a small bass boat just trolling slow around the edge of the lake. We got two bows each around two pounds in about thirty min and then it slowed down at noon. We decided to go get some lunches we brought out of the truck and just trolled back accross the middle of the lake where we picked up some nice three pound bows on raps (perch colored). We decided to stay in deeper water when we came back out and it turned out hotter than the edge. We picked up several more bows and then my 17 year old daughter pulled a hat trick and nailed a 3 pound large mouth. What a fluke on a spinner in 50 degree water. Stay vigilant and you can catch anything!!!
Nice. I landed a 2 1/2 pound largemouth Saturday eve. I’ll have the post up in a minute.
Nice report, It would be nice too if you would let the bass go so they can spawn to help our waters keep the bass in them the DWR does not plant them any more like they do trout…
It should be okay to keep a bass I plan to eat without the guilt trip. I release hundreds a year and it’s been months since I’ve had one. Not to mention it was my daughters fish and her first bass. Thank you for the reminder though! I really don’t want to sound rude but if it means that much to you write up something nice and post it!
No shizzz BR! There are plenty-o-bass in Mantua and it wasn’t like they had a stringer full of them either. We GET you are pro C&R by your signature but you should know that isn’t the best management strategy 100% of the time.
Nice fish LWN, glad you got some action and glad your daughter likes to go fish’n with the old man and show you up none the less!
thanks for the report and welcome to BFT
congrats on the fish and dont mind simple minded individuals that on critique people
Ps I think its worse seeing so called bass masters ripping fish off of there beds… Bed fishing equals no skills..
Ps stay off of the beds Bass rods you have killed how many bass babys because you choose to catch the females when there spawning or ripping off the male guarding the site.
People can pick apart your BS if we wanted too but its not good manners to sit and point fingers,
I don’t get where people get off whining and complaining about fisherman keeping a legal fish. But you Bassrods take it a step further and tell him what to do. Like what you say matters. It doesn’t.
I fish mantua every year and keep a legal limit of bass for the pan every time I can. Good on you for keeping him.
Mantua is so full of cover and weeds that fisherman will have a hard time ever hurting the bass population in there.
Absolutely nice catch, good largie for this area… deleted the best part is your daughter had a blast and will want to go again…
On the subject of “CPR”
I e-mailed the DWR a few years ago and the rep. that e-mailed back related to me (from results around the country and other parts of the world) that total catch and release has been shown to actually hurt bass and other fish populations.
They recomend to simply following the rules in your state which have been carefully considered and laid down for the benefit of the various fish populations.
The last thing he wrote to me was, " don’t be afraid to keep a few fish."
No need for guilt, just follow the rules.
Thanks for the support everyone! I post to BFT to help inform people and increase everyone’s chance at catching. For years this has been the greatest tool for me in learning to fish Utah. Only this last ice season have I started to give back and leave my experiences here for those looking for info.I thank all of you for the help and support over the years. You too Bassrods! I have taken great knowledge from you as well and I’m sorry if I sounded rude.
There are a number of waters in the area that could use a little thinning on the bass. Mantua is one of them. However, I do prefer seeing the smaller fish go as it takes a long time for bass to grow up here. But, considering that it’s her first and all, I don’t think this one time is going to hurt.
All that matters to me is that people follow the rules and abide the law.
Time after time after time these bass people get on here and complain about it. I’m not saying they don’t have a right to voice their opinion - I’m just saying your opinion means nothing. Telling me that I’m hurting a fishery or a species and giving myself and others grief for following the law is taking it a step too far. It’s not like you are a fishery biologist bassrods - you are just a fisherman like the rest of us - the difference is that you won’t see me telling you what to do with the fish you catch. I have the decency to let others do as they wish. Maybe you should learn to do the same.
The law is the law. Lets get over this already - just do what you want and stop worrying about what others are doing.
Well, looks like you already have a guilt trip… If you read what I wrote I only ask, I did not say you had too…
Small lakes like that one can get fished out or so low numbers and small of fish that it takes all the fun out of fishing it…I read nothing wrong in trying to teach others how to keep our lakes in good fishing shape, if the DWR would plant bass back in the lakes when they are low on bass like they do trout I would like to keep one to eat as well, but small lakes just can’t take much harvesting like Powell or the Gorge can…
Like many you type with out reading or knowing what you are doing…
First to fish bedded bass does not hurt them unless you keep the bass and kill them…
There have been many studies on if it hurts or not most say it does not hurt, now small mouth bass the males will guard the bed till they hatch and about the second or third day will swim away for 3 to 5 hours then come back and eat all the fry it can find…And yes there is studies on this as well…
well hot damn, we gots ourselves a bona fide biologist in our presence. There is a study on THAT!
" It would be nice too if you would let the bass go so they can spawn to help our waters keep the bass in them the DWR does not plant them any more like they do trout…
This is misleading. You are suggesting anglers can make it so there are no more bass in Mantua. There will always be bass in Mantua even if they don’t stock them.
Besides this guy just kept one bass - and you go off on how he should let it go to keep a bass population in there - like one fish makes any difference at all. You should stop being so selfish about these fish and the lakes they are in, they are not just here for your sole enjoyment and entertainment -** they are for everyone**. (to eat and use as well)
I’ve followed these forums for a few years now at least and over the years I’ve seen a consistent pattern. You seem to think you know everything. Every time someone keeps a bass it is the same story. You try and give them a guilt trip and act like its the end of the world.
Everyone knows your opinion by now can’t you just get over the fact that people like to keep and eat bass?
I’m sorry to drag this out I’m just sticking up for all of you who keep bass. Good for all of you. Don’t let bassrods guilt you into throwing them back if you wish to keep them.
Nice report, It would be nice too if you would let the bass go so they can spawn to help our waters keep the bass in them the DWR does not plant them any more like they do trout…
It would also be nice to be able to take home some fish from a legal catch and not fear someone criticising them for doing it.
This gets very old!
I personally keep bass every year. I try to be selective on the bass I keep though. Small bass ( below 12 inches) make great fillets and are numerous in our lakes. Now on a small lake like mantua, the bass population good get beat up pretty good by heavy harvest. I usually fish it a couple times each year, and have noticed that a lot of fish I catch have been caught before. That means that C&R is working. If the person before me hadn’t released the fish. I wouldn’t have been able to catch it.
Now in this guys specific situation he only caught one bass. It’s hard to be selective when only one bass makes it to the boat. But on days when the fishing is hot and your bringing them in like crazy. Be selective on the fish you keep. From what I understand keeping small bass really helps bass populations and average size. Small bass are very numberous and eat about anything they can get at. Taking some of these fish leaves more grub for the others. So the average size should increase. I’m no biologist, just repeating some stuff I’ve read.
Lets talk bass. I did not want to get this started but since it is here we go.2009 we took tons of bass from the gorge and planted them in cottonwood res. Utah is stocking bass where needed and in several new res. If Utah is not stocking them it is not needed. If it becomes an issue they will intervene as always and do something about it. All said and done the laws are designed to protect our waters not hurt them and I’m in the law by a lot. 6 bass 1 over 12’'. I only had one. By the way the biggest threat to bass is bass. They eat each other!!!
Im a C&R guy never really harvest fish unless I have too or Im at powell But I DO NOT get up on the soap box and bust someones chops on there right to keep fish…
BFT is not a place to preach BECAUSE your preaching to the choir…