Is there a link to this program? I'd like to learn more about it.

It is true Rob. Now why they would even do that in Moses Lake I have no idea. I have never heard of Salmon traveling through that lake.

If the f-ing idiots would think about adding some sort of shad to the populations, there wouldn't be a predator problem. In fact, trout are predators, I catch them on crankbaits like bass. Look at the lakes in Minnesota. They have Pike, walleye, muskie, perch, trout, catfish bass and shad. They have salmon in their rivers too. Why do their fisheries work fine?

Maybe if some people weren't allowed to descimate salmon with nets, the salmon population would be fine. If the bass had plentiful forage to eat, they wouldn't eat poor salmon smelt. Oh and the salmon would have more food too....hmmmmm

Plus I am sure that bass anglers add more to the economy than trout fisherman. Heck I just spent 70+ dollars on tackle for the third time this month. When do trout anglers spend that much in a year? Oh and we spend thousands on gas, we pay insurance, launch fees, oh and now they want to tax our tournaments. And the funny thing.....we release our catches. OMG...unheard of in the trout community.

I know my voice and opinion doesn't reflect the general opinion of the Western Bass Club....bla bla bla, but I know if that crap was true Phil, I would be pissed. I know they did this in Sprague Lake several years ago......BS

Maybe this should be a new topic but you mention angkers not getting in trouble for keeping bass beyond the allowed limit or size.

I recently met a state fisheries employee who was doing creel checks at a launch. Very nice person who mentioned good areas to fish for quality bass. I asked if this person fished and how they knew of these locations.

Then the bombshell dropped! I was told about our Fisheries Department "Predator Removal Program". I have never heard of such program so I asked for more information. Apparently, this project is targeting what they identified as invasive species.

Walleye, Bass and Pike Minnow. This particular lake is Moses Lake. I guess Our Fisheries Department is electro-shocking and killing these targeted species for removal. We make every attempt to preserve and protect this resource through catch and release and habitat enhancement and now I discover this information.

Just my opinion, but I was offended that Our Fisheries Department would target quality trophy size bass and walleye in Moses Lake or any other body of water.
I could be wrong in what I understood but I don't think so.

Has anyone else heard anything about this and what other information is available.

A few things come into play. They are only allowed 1 over 17" like Rob said and since they are are on beds they have to be caught in sporting way. Just like tournaments so if they are snagging them it's a big fine as well. We as bass fishermen need to reminded meat fishermen of the slot limit and that they can only retain one over 17" each day. I've yelled at my fare share of meat fishermen about keeping a limit a bass within the slot limit. It's funny how much trouble someone gets into for keeping too many trout, but I never see them or hear of them busting anglers for eligally retaining too many oversized bass or keeping bass in the slot limit.

Unfortunately, I don't think it's illegal to keep fish caught off beds, only to keep more than 1 over 17 inches right?

Bad to see those kind of fish taken from the lake, wrong time of the year to keep fish you poachers.  I was fishing a lake recently and I heard all sorts of commotion a ways down the lake.  They were saying stuff like, " oh that's a huge bass, look at that fish."  They came trolling over to me acting dumb asking if I knew what kind of fish they caught.  It was a nice 5-6 lb LM.  I asked them if they caught it off a spawning bed and they said they hadn't started bedding yet but close.  Regardless they were towing the fish back to the launch and I heard them say, " we need to get this fish back for our pond "      
C&R

I took a pic of all the phone numbers, hope I don't need to use them.

I received a phone call this evening from a concerned resident who lives on Chambers Lake in the Lacey/Olympia area. He was looking to get one of the local bass anglers out there to stop a boat with three people in it who where catching spawning bass and keeping every bass they where catching. His concern was a local angler could get out there faster then a law enforcement officier.      It is our duty to report poachers. Here is just a small portion from the WDFW web site.