so, who all pratices catch & release?

[Randy Stinchcomb]

the "Rockfish" Tropy season starts tomorrow in Md waters, I have to work but may go on Sunday. even if I do, I'd proby release all I catch. so my question is how many on here really pratice Catch & Relase?

I do about 99% of the time, I don't eat that much of the local fish for fear of all the toxins in fish today and just because I like to catch fish over and over again and don't feel the need to keep and kill all. I like to save some for the next person up stream of me so he or she can enjoy the sport of fishing.

Im not trying to sound like some leftist Tree-Hugger but after reading so many reports of how our fish stocks World wide are in decline, do to over fishing and I just feel a need to comply somehow in my own little world, how about you?

I say We start showing a little restraint and not filling our coolers to capacity, no matter what your state regs say. take more pictures and lets let 'em live for the next fight

[igormothra]

You know I agree with that. However I will usually keep what I am allowed, mostly because I am poor and it is a great way to fill my freezer. I never waste and I share with everyone, who doesn't appreciate fresh fish?

[ffemtreed]

I release most fish. The only time I really keep them is if they look like they won't survive if I release it.

I am going to keep my next legal striper though, I never tried it and everyone raves at how good they are so I am going to give it a whirl! If anyone wants to give me a tutorial on how to prepare the fish please step-up to home plate!

[Charkbait]

You'll be hard pressed to find more of a C&R nut. I try to keep less then 4-5 fish per year and anything over 40" goes back unless its like this weekend and I'm hunting for a fish for a dinner party to feed 8, even then 'll be likely to throw back over 43"-44".

We all need to do it, espcially the bigguns.

I've been working on an article and wanted to get it done in time for the trophy season but with grad school papers I couldn't justify spending hours on a fishing paper.

The title is "Culture Shift" and the premise is that we need to shift from a culture of stacking fish like wood and taking all the regs allow to a culture that practices and applauds C&R. It's going to be my generation that saves the fish if they are to be saved. The old culture of filling the box will still be there but will disappear with the fishermen that practice it. I even contend that you shouldn't take fish for other people unless they really need it, that's how we got in trouble anyway...taking so much you have to give it away.

I don't think that AI or any surf rats do much damage outside of keeping some real cows on occasion, the real problem is in the boats off MA, NC, VA, and MD in the bay. I have a lot of research done but a lot more to do. I want to make it bullettproof.

We need to get rid of the entitlement attitude that is so prevalent on the east coast with everyone competing for "their share". Just one quick example there is a commercial season for stripers in MA where recs buy a very cheap license and can fish for and sell up to 30 stripers per day, they use electric reels and wire line to boat as many as possible. There is virtually no limit on the # of licenses available to people get them for wifes and kids so they can take more fish, completely f-d up system. They take over one million pounds in a flash. The regs aren't going to fix it, we are.

I'm spouting off the cuff so excuse me if the data isn't exact, it will be made known shortly though!

[ocsnapper]

Originally Posted by ffemtreed

I release most fish. The only time I really keep them is if they look like they won't survive if I release it.

I am going to keep my next legal striper though, I never tried it and everyone raves at how good they are so I am going to give it a whirl! If anyone wants to give me a tutorial on how to prepare the fish please step-up to home plate!

Give a look here http://www.atlanticanglers.com/forum/cookin-them-up/ you will find some nice dishes.

[Dave]

I catch and release 100% of the time, mainly due to the fact that I am highly allergic to sea food but even if I wasnt the fact is there will never be large fish 100 years from now if we keep wiping them out at the rate we are today, and the overall consequences are fatal to all life.

[Randy Stinchcomb]

Thanks for your input guys and Ben, I didn't know you were work on such a project, if you need any input from me, just lmk bro'

as some of you know, I spent 5 years in the US Coast Guard doing Maritime Law Enforcement, of which 2 years were spent patrolling the Mid-Atlantic and I saw alot of waste, esp by foreign fishing fleets. I have plenty of horror stories of how they(foreign flag vessels) conducted there business in OUR waters and the bureaucratic red tape encountered by us because of our government.

as Ben stated, it's up to US to police this matter and use some common sense and restraint when catching fish. also if you see someone exciding there limit or taking undersize fish, Please call the Coast Guard, DNR or your local Police.

[Charkbait]

Just to clarify, I know you guys keep a lot of what you catch, I'm not talking about 10 stripers. I'm talking 1000's of 50 inchers at CBBT this winter when they stacked in, I read the reports and talked to several who took one every day out just to give them away.

I'll shut up until I get it in the Sun, hopefully up and down the coast as well.

[FISHBONE]

Myself Catch Release and tag here,, very rarly ill keep fish just depends on what species I catch,, Tuna sorry its coming home lol Cobia size pending, anything else usly get a tag a kiss and back in the water. Just have to be a very good fish for me to bring home otherwise.

[Charkbait]

All this being said all the C&R in the world doesn't do too much good if Omega keeps raping the ocean and bay of the food. It's a huge issue to tackle and I think we'll get it right soon.

[trowpa]

Originally Posted by Charkbait

All this being said all the C&R in the world doesn't do too much good if Omega keeps raping the ocean and bay of the food. It's a huge issue to tackle and I think we'll get it right soon.

Exactly - even if we (recreational anglers) go 100% C&R, its a drop in the bucket if you don't get a handle on the commercial ships....

btw -
freshwater, I am 100% C&R. It is waaaay too easy for a few reckless fishermand to destroy freshwater populations.

Saltwater - I do keep a few fish to eat - probably less than a dozen a year combined species. Stripers? ha! I've only caught 2 so far - kept them both and WOW were they tasty! However, if I were ever lucky enough to catch them regularly, I'd probably start releasing them once I have a couple in the freezer.

[ffemtreed]

So does anyone pinch the barbs off their circle hooks when they plan to C/R?

i have been contemplating doing this, but not sure how it would affect my fishing.

[Coop]

Spring and Fall...I have let my fair share of stripers and other fish go but I will keep a few a season along with a couple blues and blacks and I do give some fish to family and freinds on occasion. I love fish but will never keep more than what I or others can eat.

Winter...If I am lucky enough to catch a couple keepers during the winter, I will keep one or two to tide me over through the winter.

Summer...love to eat kings, sorry none are released and some are used for shark bait, and will keep one sandbar a summer.

It sounds like I do not practice c&r but I release more than I keep and will let all LARGE stripers go, unless it's been a while since I had fish. I just love eating fish and refuse to go to the market and buy fish when I can go fish to try to score some dinner...and it's a fun trying!

[esoxangler]

I release everything in freshwater. I am going to release pretty much everything in saltwater also. I have kept a few fish in the past. I agree with Ben, what us surf guys do really is a drop in the bucket. Those guys hammering them out in boats every day.....and there is no possible way they can eat all that fish.

I know freshwater guys who are C&R all the time. Until they get to the ocean and go out on a tuna boat. Then they come back to the dock with a limit of tuna. You cannot possibly eat all that tuna. And in my view if you have to give most of it away then you have kept too much.


These same guys get upset when someone keeps a nice fish in freshwater. Why is it many freshwater fishermen think it is ok to plunder the saltwater stocks?



I have other reasons not to keep fish though. Hauling your beach cart back over the dune with all your gear, cooler, ice, is hard enough. Throw in a 20 pound striper and you lose the taste for fish!

[Randy Stinchcomb]

Some very good points guys keep 'em comming

I am a member of a Florida Fishing forum, (who shall remain name-less)

They have a problem wth some of the charter boat Captians and Mates in the Keys, where they'll go and catch there limits of Tuna, Red Snapper, Yellow Tail and the like and when they get to the dock the Captians and Mates then dictate how much of the catch the charter group gets and cuts some of the meat out for themselves
I told them maybe they too should practice more C&R and that would solve some of that problem