Now that you mention that: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/galler...igatorGar.html a short bit on the Alligator gar will find you this:


"Conservation

The alligator gar is rare, endangered, and has even been extirpated from many of the outer areas of its range. Studies in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana have shown that the alligator gar is very susceptible to overfishing. It has been classified as rare in Missouri, threatened in Illinois, and endangered in Arkansas, Kentucky, and is soon to be in Tennessee." And my bet is there are other species of Gar that are in the same boat. Whoops!

As for Carp there are any number of fine folks that practice catch and release on Carp as it was Lee Wulff, who Charles Kerault once said, "was to fishing what Einstein was to Physics," that said, "a game fish as too valuable and too precious to be caught only once."

As far as large Bluegills go down south, they do fare a bit better than the Redears but "science" definately shows that large Red Ears are susceptable to overfishing.

As for the rest: You said, " the idea that big fish spawn big fish. ," I must have missed where that was said, so could you be a bit more specific??? I do know that Big male Bluegills generate a lot of research and some of that seems at odds with what you said above. Here, what do you think? http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/bluegill.html Sure sounds to me that sound fishery management might be concerned about keeping those big boys around for awhile??