President Bush and Baby Largemouth Bass

[esoxlee]

Anyone catch that segment of "Fishing With Roland Martin" where they're fishing on President Bush's private pond. The president hooks up a little baby large mouth probably not more than 1/2 a pound. He reels it in and unhooks it. I'm expecting him to toss it back into the water, but instead, he drops it to the boat floor so his dog can maul it to death. The next thing you know, Bush turns to Roland, smiles and says his dog loves the little ones. Guess he doesn't care about the sportsman vote.

 

[walleyehed]

Re: President Bush and Baby Largemouth Bass

No kiddin'?????

 

[esoxlee]

Re: President Bush and Baby Largemouth Bass

Originally posted by walleyehed:<br /> No kiddin'?????

Seriously!! He justified his actions by saying that removing the smaller bass was healthy for the lake (something along that line). I guess he can do whatever he wants because he owns the pond but I always thought that if you kill something for sport, he should eat it.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: President Bush and Baby Largemouth Bass

I say, "So what" There used to be a cat that lived on one of the points that I fished on a regular basis, and he was allways there hanging out when I would fish there. When I would catch a small bass, I would throw it up to the cat and he would grab it and run up the dock to the house.<br /><br />Many years later, I was at the local marina and overheard a man and his wife telling about how they had a cat that would catch bass and bring them to the house. They lived right were I was doing this. I never said a word and just smiled.<br /><br />Should GW have done this on national TV, Probably not, But I dont see it as a big deal. Im sure everyone else will though.

 

[jtexas]

Re: President Bush and Baby Largemouth Bass

He might be right. Bass will grow to the size which their habitat will support them, and harvesting smaller fish leaves more resource for the remaining ones to reach their full genetic potential.<br /><br />A number of lakes in Texas have "slot limits" where bass under 14" and over 18 or 21 are legal. Texas Parks & Wildlife will assist owners of private ponds & lakes in developing a plan for their fishery.<br /><br />Still I'm surprised that the President would allow himself to be filmed doing that. A 12 to 14" bass is big enough to be filleted and tastes great. IMHO

 

[walleyehed]

Re: President Bush and Baby Largemouth Bass

Those bass should be culled and moved to other areas, not fed to the dog!!!!<br />I gotta say I'm alittle pi$$ed to hear he done this while on TV....BUT, the cat LD was feeding would've been loaded with #4's, not fish. <br />Man, I had high-hopes for GW on the issues of wildlife....maybe I was wrong..????

 

[esoxlee]

Re: President Bush and Baby Largemouth Bass

Originally posted by walleyehed:<br /> Those bass should be culled and moved to other areas, not fed to the dog!!!!...<br />

Bush's dog didn't eat it. It mauled it until the bass stopped moving.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: President Bush and Baby Largemouth Bass

Bush's dog didn't eat it. It mauled it until it stopped moving.

Wow. Did it kill the dog or did the dog just get tired and stop moving?

 

[jtexas]

Re: President Bush and Baby Largemouth Bass

Originally posted by Dhadley:<br />

Bush's dog didn't eat it. It mauled it until it stopped moving.

Wow. Did it kill the dog or did the dog just get tired and stop moving?

...must...stop...laughing... <br />...trying...to...breathe... cut it out!

 

[NathanY]

Re: President Bush and Baby Largemouth Bass

Originally posted by walleyehed:<br /> Those bass should be culled and moved to other areas, not fed to the dog!!!!<br />I gotta say I'm alittle pi$$ed to hear he done this while on TV....BUT, the cat LD was feeding would've been loaded with #4's, not fish. <br />Man, I had high-hopes for GW on the issues of wildlife....maybe I was wrong..????

Hey Kenny, shoot me an email.

 

[gonfishn]

Re: President Bush and Baby Largemouth Bass

Hmmmmmm..Lets see an Iboat member with a musky name and takn about bassn... Welcome aboard...<br />I take it you fish for the gator..There are a few of us here that indulge in the hunt for the warrior..<br />Now throw a Musky on the bank and that will raise my short hairs up some on my part.

 

[neumanns]

Re: President Bush and Baby Largemouth Bass

It's a no win situation, Had he threw the fish back and the dog drowned while retriving it they would have cried crulity to the dog! What's a guy to do

 

[walleyehed]

Re: President Bush and Baby Largemouth Bass

Throw GW back????????

 

[Barlow]

Re: President Bush and Baby Largemouth Bass

its a fish guys .. on his property that he probably paid for .. that no one else here will ever fish, swim in, see or otherwise..<br /><br />no big freakin' deal to me.. coulda been a dem. Pres. and I'd say the same thing.<br /><br />his fish <br />his dog<br />his show<br /><br />betchya Rolland was laughing his arse off.

 

[johnson-liner]

Re: President Bush and Baby Largemouth Bass

Oh jeez.....if it'll make you feel warm and fuzzy, I'm sure the fish became part of the food chain one way or another. He probably fed it to the barn cats like I do with sunfish caught up at my folks pond.<br /><br />His ranch + his pond + his bass = he can do whatever he wants with em. <br /><br />I agree that it probably wasn't a great PR move to do that on TV, but do PETA people watch Rolland?

 

[KRS]

Re: President Bush and Baby Largemouth Bass

Since when is keeping a fish a crime towards humanity?

 

[walleyehed]

Re: President Bush and Baby Largemouth Bass

So...You guys are saying it's OK to set that kind of example???? I don't care who's pond, or what fish...How about the people that were watching??? do you think they all came to the same conclusion you did???<br />I guess I thought some of you were a bit more "Ethical" being outdoorsmen.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: President Bush and Baby Largemouth Bass

Originally posted by walleyehed:<br /> I guess I thought some of you were a bit more "Ethical" being outdoorsmen.

What he does on his own pond on his own time is "HIS" business, but what he does on prime time TV is quite another story. He screwed up!!! The fact that they didnt cut that out tells me something about Roland Martin.

 

[Barlow]

Re: President Bush and Baby Largemouth Bass

well .. politicians and ethics don't mix .. especially politics and fishing.<br /><br />never followed an ethical example by a president and/or a fishing show. <br /><br />I see your point Kenny, I do but, its TV and of course its the way it is .. gotta filter the junk with everything else. <br /><br />I grew up watching some of my family members bounce nice perch off the deck of the boat while 'walleye fishing' .. "damn bait thieves". I've never done it tho.. my personal ethics.<br /><br />If it was effecting publicly managed waters .. I'd probably think differently but, seeing as its his own place .. who am I to say what he does with it even tho I might disagree with an action or two.<br /><br />I'd rather spend my time trying to regulate the 'ethics' of tribal walleye spearing (in waters that we pay to have managed) while they gripe about 'their tribal heritage' and 'treaty rights'.. <br /><br />ok then-<br />- no light racks and head lamps.. you get a wooden torch!<br />- no metal spears.. wood only!<br />- no 20' aluminum flat bottom boats and power motors.. you get to make a wooden canoe using TRADITIONAL had tools supplies and fasteners.. paddles too.. and rope.<br />- no modern clothing while doing it.. deer skins and fur pelts, hand trapped, hand cured and hand made<br /><br />Oh.. and no eye glasses.. didn't have them either.<br /><br />(pardon the rant)

 

[jtexas]

Re: President Bush and Baby Largemouth Bass

I hear ya, kenny, but the President didn't maul the bass, the dog did. Dogs are pack animals and, doing things like fishing together and sharing the catch is a bonding thing, it's good for the dog. I always share a cheeseburger with mine whenever he goes fishing with me, 'cause he's not that interested in the fish. You wouldn't complain if your cat mauled a spider, would you?<br /><br />Now, length limits apply to private lakes just like public ones, so unless his lake is on some kind of slot program, he never shouldn't of let the camera catch him doing that!