As long as you fish within the laws you should feel free to take whatever you want. The laws are designed to protect the population.

IMO recreational anglers should have a slot limit or the limit should be increased to 36 etc

When anyone makes a statment like this what are they basing it on? Has someone done a study to indicate the population is declining and further restrictions are required? Even if such a study did exist does it also imply that the reason for this declining fish population is over fishing by recreational anglers?

Anyone who is a catch and release only angler who fishes with bait is a hypocrite IMO. Circle hooks have changed things a lot but any deep hooked fish or a fish bleeding from the gills is going to die.

With all of that said I keep only what I can eat without freezing it. This means if I go fishing late Sunday night and think I won't be able to eat it until the following weekend and I might have to freeze it I let it go. Does this mean I look down on the guy fishing on the rock next to me who takes home 2 fish over the legal limit regardless of what the size is? No. Even someone who fishes all year and fills the freezer doesn't bother me as long as they respect the fish and don't waste.

All recreational fisherman want a healthy fish population regardless of their stance on catch and release and think most would abide by and support any rules or decisions made based on real studies and evidence.

I have no problem killing a legal fish as long as there is a definite use for it meaning someone consuming it. I killed a couple larger fish this year after requests were made by non fishing friends who enjoy the taste of bass something which I do not.

That said I have had several fish in the 30 pound range that I could have killed or entered in the catch and release for the Striper Cup and a pin but unless they push the upper end of forty or more (sigh... one can only hope here on the Cape) they won't end up on a scale.

Unless you love to eat bass or sell commercially in season, keeping them to show off and take pics of is not my bag. Besides when you don't eat them or have someone on line ready to pick it up for them to consume they are a pain in the ass to try and unload.

But that's me, it's personal choice. I have caught and released thousands of them, usually sending them on thier way with a sincere thank you. That's my favorite way to get rid of a bass I caught.

I'm with Steve (Flap) on this subject. Eaten bass once this year. Will keep a fish ONLY if I know it will be on a grill by the next evening. I pay back property owners who give me access by delivering fillets to their house. I can knock off two to four properties with a 30# fish. (I am way behind on that score, as I have 28 properties I can access.) My family enjoys it and the neighbors have become spoiled over the years, and almost expect it a couple times a season..... But if it isn't destined to be eaten immediately, it swims free.

I do believe there should be a slot in Mass. even though a 37# fish I ate recently was as good as any 28" fish I've tasted.

I get sick of em by late May, but have a list of friends who love fresh fish, so I keep my share.
Gutted and iced immediately makes for a :drool: meal.
Yesterday a 28" eeker swallowed the lure and was bleeding like mad. It will be grilled up tomorrow.

I'd love to see a slot rule 2 fish -
one between 24 - 28" and one over 36"

As long as its legal I'm all for a guy doing whatever he wants with his catch. Its his fish so it's his call.

To each their own as long as it's all legal like.....

Ice

Anyone here catch anything over 60lbs lately? Sizes like that are dissapearing.
Soon our sons/daughter might be asking the same questions about 50 and 40lb'ers...

Not Lately....:rolleyes:

...sometimes I wonder if catch & release isn't a kind of training procedure/ survival of the fittest type gauntlet for the fish to run, with the fish that survive a few C&R experiences becoming increasingly difficult to catch...and sometimes I think the popularity/ prevalence of catch and release is in and of itself a commentary on the status of the fishery - if the fishery was in great shape, would be as gung ho about catch and release? I don't think so.

That random speculating aside, I think the institution of a slot rule would make sense, my .02.

i C&R all the fish i catch since i dont like to eat fish. I do eat fish and chips if the tartar sauce is good =)

I catch and release 95% of what I catch and I have put back dozens of keepers this year. If it's a new personal best, I'm keeping it and I don't feel bad about doing it.

I will say that I forced myself to learn the art of the circle hook as I had gut hooked a few bass the past few years some that were under sized. I can't feel good about putting a 24" bass back in the ocean with a hook stuck in it's throat. I'm doing way better only gut hooked one fish this year and it was a keeper that I ate the next day.

Okay, People I am going to change the Question

What do you think about all these new kill fish contests?

My take on them is we don't need them and it does nothing to help our fisheries, it seems that everyone is doing there part to only take what they need or want which is fine as long as it is with in the law.
But 5 years ago there was only 1 or maybe 2 long contests that lasts most of the season now it seems like there are to many.

I keep fish to eat and dont feel bad about it. I definately dont agree will keeping a fish just for show. I feel better eating one fish caught with rod and reel than I do eating one fish caught in a commercial net with 10 pounds of "bycatch" behind the scenes....

This question seems to come up every so often....I have said it before and will say it again...

If you are a fisherman-even a catch and release fisherman you have absolutetly NO RIGHT to say killing fish is bad. If you catching and releasing you are killing fish....you just dont know how many die or when they die. For those that are TRULY worried about never killing a fish you had better put the rod and reel down and take up knitting. Catch and release doesnt make you exempt from fish mortality.

This thread really wasn't supposed to be about what people keep for the personal consumption, or catch and release. this thread was supposed to be about all the "KILL TOURNAMENTS " that are going on most of our striper season.

Just when we think we have the answers, you change the question.

I only fish in Maine. U can keep 1 over 40" or 1 20"-26" per day. I released at least 50 this summer , kept 1. Best size is right around 25" for filleting for 3-4 people. Baked with bread crumbs or pan fried with butter and white wine. Sounds like most people on this board are VERY into C and R.

1 reason I (stress I) won't kill.

Personal Glory...

I am a fan of tournaments, but I'm not a fan of making the fish assume room temperature to win. Club tournaments of a short duration that involve only bragging rights work well (length + girth, forgoing weight) however long time spans and cash/cash equivalent prizes require 'proof'. Proof means a carcass.

The tournaments are all operating within the letter and the spirit of the law. And I would think if there were no formal tournaments, guys would get together and make their own informal pools. If you hate the idea of killing fish, then I agree with what Jenn said above, you have to either put down your rod and reel, or else take all of the hooks off of your plugs and practice Zen and the Art of Fishing.

the best eating bass is in the 8 lb. range. either filleted or bakes stuffed. i do not enjoy the taste of the larger, so back they go. i will say that if i ever get a 50+. i do believe that i would keep it. make fish chouder and enjoy the picts in my old age.

Bob - I usually remain silent on this topic having been in the minority on prior discussions. I am against tournaments and any reason to mass kill bass. It bothers me to see so many large dead fish. I do feel anyone has the right as long as the fish is legal but I believe that people who may have released a fish, will kill, it if its a posibble contender.

Eric M above, I think thats an ignorant comment. I am not a hunter, fishing does not intentionally kill, I and many other go through great lenghts to release fish alive. I will keep my trophy fish when I get them, but will release 99%, its my choice.

The one point I want to make. It was not hunting that made the Bufallo almost extinct, it was over-hunting and expoliting the resource. So to me, tournaments are a bad use of a limited resource, stripers.