Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating - Your thoughts on releasing large stripers

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- - Your thoughts on releasing large stripers (http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripertalk/showthread.php?t=66164)

Quote:

Originally Posted by redlite (Post 794917)

Oh brother, here we go again......
To each their own....
Oustide the tournament, I let 80% of the fish I catch go (most because they're too small).....I only keep em if people(family and freinds) have asked me specifically for fish, and it is not too bad of a job to get them back to the truck.
Here is a break down on my numbers so far for this year---
So far this year I have weighed in 7 fish for the Striper cup, all but 3 were in the commercial season, so they would have been taken anyway. I have kept 8 fish for the table so far. I sold I believe it was only like 20 fish this year, so I have removed about 28 fish from the biomass since the begining of April. That isn't even a bad DAY for a boat during the comm season.I keep the big ones cause they are more yield per fish. I got a 50, and I sold it. If I ever get another, you can bet yo arse its comin home and onto my wall. Do I keep the bigs ones to feed my "ego" or some other hidden human nature? I don't think so. I don't know, but I get a greater stisfaction riding along the canal after slammin fish with empty baskets and people thinking I didn't catch anything than havin 2 fish jammed into my baskets witha flat tire.

As far as tournaments and promoting killing of fish and all that crap, a quick count of the Striper Cup thus far which is the largest and longest running tournament, with approx 5000 people fishing over 5 months, from NJ to Maine, this is the count so far:
60#-6
50#-27
40#-35
30#- 233
Total 301 fish

A vast majority of those fish were commercial fish that would have been kept anyway. So please stop crying that tournaments are so wrong, and bad, and killing ALL the fish......Horse pucky.

Like I say, to each their own, but don't frown upon others that are operating within the guidelines.

Like you, I've never figured out the logic of why the OTW is a "bad" tournament, but the MV Derby is a "good" one.

And IMO the dumbest thing that the MV Derby does is award daily "mystery prizes" by the luck of the draw among all the fish weighed in that day. Guys keep 34" bass (assuming that's still the minimum weighable length) that they know won't make the daily prize board just to have a shot at the mystery prize :doh:

Daily prizes, too. How many guys keep a 25 pound fish that they know won't land them on the Grand leader board for a shot at a lousy $20 check and a pin?

But it has tradition on its side, so guys support it while railing against the Striper Cup.

Quote:

Originally Posted by redlite (Post 794917)

Read my post again, I don't see anything where I cried that any tournaments are so wrong,and bad and killing ALL the fish... , so maybe someone else in the thread did :huh: I made a decision about if I catch a cow based on my own observations and what little i know about Bob Pond.
I don't frown upon others. I am trying to find out how we can get the word out that the bass may not be in such great sustainable numbers as the people in charge like to tell us so. That way others can make an informed decision as to whether or not they'd like to keep 2 fish or release them instead. I am not the one preaching here, I am asking others what their thoughts are. I am not blind, I see the population changing year in and year out. I'd hate to see stripers end up like cod.

I have no problem with the striper cup or the derby and do not bash them or put down one over the other. No need to defend the Cup tourney here with leader board stats. I don't have and never had a problem with commercial catching and selling of bass either.
Obviously Charters and serious shore fishermen have a much better chance at consistently catching cow bass, maybe if more people think about what happens when all those fish are removed they'd think about releasing them to be caught more than once like in that quote.
I have no problem with keeping fish for food either, I have eaten plenty of tasty fish from the sea.

"but I get a greater stisfaction riding along the canal after slammin fish with empty baskets and people thinking I didn't catch anything than havin 2 fish jammed into my baskets witha flat tire."

Me too Mike:uhuh:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sea Flat (Post 794900)

I agree - One fish is fine to keep, but to me I think the size should be raised a little bit too. Unfortunately, by the time anyone decides to change the regulations it may be a bit late. Let's hope not

One of the hardest things I have ever done while fishing was throwing back two consecutive personal best fish last season.Thank you :btu:
I got one good picture and feel great that I was able to do it. My suggestion to anyone that has their doubts as to whether or not they can throw it back is to buy a camera, something simple and keep it in a water tight bag in your plug bag. I always knew that if I caught a large fish that I would struggle with letting her go so I got the camera and I was able to pull it off.

good idea
but sometimes I swear the camera jinxes me :hidin:

I let them go so I can feel morally superior and compensate for being short (and ugly).

I keep as many as will feed Jenn and myself through the Winter, maybe one meal a week through the Winter. If I caught a 40 it would probably be the only fish kept that Season. Maybe the last time that I went surfcasting that Season as well. I don't like catching and releasing, it's too much like playing with the fish, putting them at risk needlessly. They aren't toys. I release shorts , but in the persuit of keepers. Just me, I guess.

I usually release my keepers assuming I think they'll make it. Once in a while I'll keep one to eat, especially if we are having a family BBQ or something like that. When I keep a healthy bass I try and make it under 35" and almost always let the larger ones go. Often I have friends on the boat that want to keep their limit and I have to convince them to let the larger ones go. I've found if I refuse to fillet it for the green horns they will often let it go since they have no idea what to do...

I'll never be morally superior....I'm tall and I'm good looking (so says my dog)....so in the box they go! Oh yea...I also release all shorts. :uhuh:

Throw the big ones back. Only keep what will be eaten that evening or next day. Never throw back a fish that is going to die.

Quote:

Originally Posted by numbskull (Post 794991)

I let them go so I can feel morally superior and compensate for being short (and ugly).

nummie...... dont ever forget it.......the thrill is in the SELL , not the release......imo the rec guys take way more than they should.....lots of glory pigs.....look at me i,m great....let the big ones go . do it for your kids.......

Dave, you should keep them all. Any fish you catch is going to die from humiliation anyways.

Quote:

Originally Posted by numbskull (Post 794991)

I let them go so I can feel morally superior and compensate for being short (and ugly).

its also alot easier to lie about how big they were if you let them go.

i pretty much fall in line with what backbeach and redlite posted.

if you really want to do what is best for the bass, just stay home. your essentially making their lives miserable for your own enjoyment every time you catch one.

The short version is every legal group really should be taking less fish and every illegal group should be paraded before a judge.

Let a seasons' best go last night. It hasn't been an earth shattering season (but it has been fun).

Numby, not everyone can be hung like Bullwinkle, some people need to give Rocky a run for the money too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Backbeach Jake (Post 795004)

I agree with you Jake, it's not just you. Fish are not toys and that's something to think about.

Getting out in the surf, catching a few fish and taking one home to eat is OK in my book. Trying to catch dozens and dozens knowing that there is always some C&R mortality leaves me scratching my head.

Ed

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clogston29 (Post 795082)

your essentially making their lives miserable for your own enjoyment every time you catch one.

Good thing they dont have emotions...:uhuh:

ah, for me, stripers taste like muddy cardboard.

i haven't kept one in a while.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nightfighter (Post 794822)

Still don't get why a big fish is such a more significant breeder than a mid 30 inch fish that has its longer life ahead of it to breed.... Human females produce a finite number of eggs in their lifecycle, and then no more. (learned this from ten years of infertility when I was married)Why would this not be true with fish?

Someone answered already, but I'll elaborate. First, fish - and many other animals - are not like humans. They go on reproducing until they die. Fish just drop eggs in the water, so there's no need to spend years raising young. Just as importantly, the fish that reach the biggest size are 1. female, and 2. the oldest. Taking number one first, in population biology its females that are important.

When biologists to the math of reproduction, they literally don't count males. One male can fertilize multiple female's eggs, but each egg is needed to produce a new fish, so females are the important ones in reproduction. When you want to cull a population, like deer, you should really be shooting only does, not bucks.

The second issue is also really important in its own way. The biggest/oldest fish are the ones who have survived all of life's challenges. They are the most resistant to disease and infection, they survived their juvenile years of predation by larger fish, they've proved they can migrate up and down the coast, they can succeed getting food, etc. All of this proves that they have good genes. It's those genes you want in the next generations.

Think of it this way - if you owned an NFL team, would you want to stock your team with players from the college draft, or pick them from Pop Warner teams and wait for them? Some of the best Pop Warner players might become great pros, but most will never even play college ball. But players who have lasted the longest in organized ball and proved themselves in all levels of competition are the best bet. It's like that in life generally. And that's why I'm in favor of taking an occasional mid-sized keeper and leaving the big cows in the water.