Longtime Carson River fisherman urges fellow anglers to catch and release smallmouth bass
Submitted by Carson Now Reader on Sun, 07/11/2021 - 3:15pm
Having been here for 57 years, I've seen the Carson River become a very nice smallmouth bass fishery. But in the last few years we've seen a drastic increase in people using the river including fisherman. This has resulted in dire consequences for a fragile fishery concerning the smallmouth bass.
Holes that used to contain 10 to 15 fish in the 2 to 3 pound range now only have one or two that size because of people harvesting them to eat.
The section of the river holding 90 percent of these fish has seen a population decrease of well over 50 percent in just the last two years. Many people just moving here think it to be a vast unlimited fishery and its anything but that.
It takes 10 years for a small mouth to get to 18 inches and 3-plus pounds in the river. They are slow growing fish and only a short section contain the main populations so its imperative that catch and release tactics be used to ensure survival of this fishery.
The river is well known for its mercury contamination and the warm water species like the bass and green sunfish all get parasites in their meat and internal organs so they really aren't good for table fare.
Think of it this way — that 2 pound fish you just released today will someday be a 3 pound fish you can catch again. So try to preserve this small fragile fishery for years to come for your own enjoyment and that of everyone else who enjoys angling for these special fish. The planter trout are the ones you want to take home to eat.
