<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dirtmonkey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'm going to chime in here for a minute about our experience up here at Columbus. There once was a 13-16" slot on, and then they upped it to 16-18" slot for a few years until they took it off... did it help? some, but not like it should have. The reason size/ length limits and slots are put on a certain body of water is for anything under or over the slot needs to be removed. On minimum length limits, the fish above the limit must be selectively harvested. But, here is where it doesn't work. Normally in tournaments and such, ALL fish are relaesed, including ones that need to be havested to promote a certain year class. Back to Columbus.. the slots didn't work and then you had an overabundance of 12" fish and then they stocked fingerlings 2 years in a row.. that's a big reason you catch so many 8-12" fish now. And the bigger fish are there, they just don't compete for food with the smaller fish, they have adapted their feeding habits, since there is also an overabundance of baitfish.. believe me, the bigger fish are there, and I've seen the shocking results and reports from the past 4 years or so to prove it.. add in the factors of habitat change from all the hyacinth takeover and eradication efforts, and the arrival of some "new" aquatic grasses in the past few years, and what you have is a different fishery from what you have fished in the past.. We just have to adapt to it... my.02</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well said Nick

It is almost impossible to totally eliminate all the detrimental factors on any particular body of water.