Confession time:

I went to an early season spot near a power plant. Caught a few fish, one of which was keeper-sized.

I asked the locals if the fish were safe to eat ... they all said yes, so I kept it, filleted it and even prepared a couple of gift fish bags for friends.

But I had my suspicions about whether the fish was safe to eat. So, I checked the state Web site for info and the water, and it turns out that stripers are not safe to eat from that site.

I ended up killing a perfectly good fish for nothing. I'm pissed at the locals and pissed at myself. I hate waste, and I hate senseless BS that goes against conservation.

It's got me thinking that I should just stick to catch and release.

Then again, I've been reading Daignault again lately, and back in the day he seemed to kill just about every striper that crossed his path (Things were different back then, right? That's the usual excuse for not thinking ahead). Maybe I shouldn't feel so bad. I don't know. Speaking of thinking ahead, I should've checked with the state first before I brought home a fish that was better left in the water.

my freind there has to be all was food for the dagignaults

chuckwood,
welcome to the site.
unless you are a regular in disguise to give the confession :hidin:

nothing really to be feeling bad about. you did what you thought was right and like me, trust too much.

on the brighter side, at least you had the brains to investigate it yourself. I probably would have eaten it not knowing. Unless the spot was REALLY bad.

welcome.

Not to worry. As long as you are not pregnant, of child bearing age, or under 12, striped bass are perfectly safe in MA even if CT says otherwise.

"Saltwater Fish
Saltwater fish are safe to eat except for two types of fish: bluefish (longer than 25 inches), and striped
bass. These two types of saltwater fish should not be eaten by pregnant women, by women who plan to
become pregnant within a year, or by children under six. Everyone else should eat no more than six
meals a year of striped bass and large bluefish. "

or Maine

"SAFE EATING GUIDELINES


Striped Bass and Bluefish: Eat no more than 2 meals per month."

or NH

"Is it safe to eat saltwater fish?

Consumption Guidelines for Ocean Fish and Shellfish

Fish can be an important part of a healthy diet, but some ocean fish and shellfish contain varying levels of pollutants like mercury, PCBs and dioxins and may pose a potential health risk. Because of this, the N.H. Department of Environmental Services recommends the following guidelines for eating saltwater fish:

Bluefish and Striped Bass: You can safely eat two 8-ounce meals per month."

Bon Appetit

Have we really reached the point that guys should feel guilty about a couple of filets for the grill?? I let most of my fish go cause it makes me feel good but there were days when a stringer of trout, panfish or something was the goal.

I have a good pal who is out of work with an injury and whose family loves bass to blues. This summer they are gonna get a bit more. With food prices going up so quickly we could all be keeping more fish before long.

Sorry to hear that Stripers were loaded with heavy metals. I guess I always just assumed they moved around enough to avoid to much river time.