A few points
 

Cow Hunter is under the gun here because he makes his living off of a public resource, one that he appears to have little respect for. That and the fact that he enjoys showing off his kills.

Not everyone kills fish for their clubs or tournaments. Every year I fish multiple tourneys with my club, but I have absolutely NO intention of weighing in a big bass. If I were to catch a fish over 20lbs. it would go back. I don't kill. Period. Case in point- I had 2 new PBs over 42" in 1/2 hour last month. I spent upwards of 15 minutes reviving and releasing each one, rather than tossing them in the rocks and gunning for more.

As for the Striper Cup, I have posted my views here before, and suffice it to say, I find their insistance on running a kill only tournament to be irresponsible and self serving. In fact, I no longer subscribe to that periodical due to their stance on this issue.

Thanks much G.
 

Keep in mind guys that bass can live to be 30 years, which underscores the importance of the largest breeders in the population.

Fish over 40" should be off limits to everyone. If you catch one bigger, get her measurements and have a fiberglass replica made.

Striper Cup is not a kill only tournament. Just sayin'.

Tell me more Larry.

They have a catch and release program in place for people who enter fish in the tourney? Do some research.....check their website for details. Furthermore in their defense they have made numerous changes in their tournament to promote catch and release and to keep the mortality rate for the tournament low. Keep in mind many of the fish that do get entered would more than likely have been kept by their catcher regardless of the tournament.

My mistake they are for pounder pins only on the C and R.

They really do care.
 

• CATCH & RELEASE -Fish caught and released by registered participants can be entered for pounder pins only. Catch-and-release affidavits will be available at weigh stations and provided online as a downloadable PDF. Fish should be weighed on a handheld scale or measured for length and girth and converted to pounds using the formula (Girth x Girth x Length / 800). Catch-and-release fish are not eligible for prizes, club points, or trophies. Catch-and-release fish do not count against your one fish per week limit and can be submitted for fish caught outside of a participant’s registered division.

You can get a pin for practicing C&R.:banano:

You asked and many would like a pin to mark a personal accomplishment.....might not mean that much to you Woody but it does to others.....and if they can do that and release the fish whats wrong with that??

winning team is stiil dead fish, sold for profit. let's have it be C&R. Who's winning then?

:deadhorse::deadhorse::deadhorse:

Woody - You seem to be a big advocate of C&R from your post. You admit to catching fish. Is it fair for me to say anyone who uses plugs is irresponsible because the treble hooks RIP THE FACES OFF of these beautiful fish we all seem to respect. Even a single hook can gut hook a fish RIPPING ITS STOMACH OUT OF ITS MOUTH. Can I go further to say that if someone cares so much about the fish why not give up fishing for them and devote more time to preservation of the species.

It took 15 minutes to revive each fish??? You played that fish too long and are using too light of tackle - are you irresponsible. Sending off a poor, tired fish like that can be worse than what Kenny is doing as that fish might not make it, and it probably died anyway. Your fish could have ended up dying as you over stressed that fish - it never will contribute to the gene pool. So at least Ken fed his someone with his fish.

With "PBs" of 42", it sounds like you're keeping track of numbers too? Thats competitive as well.

Also - you own fishing gear. Think of all those nasty epoxies, chemicals and other stuff that goes into the products you buy. Have you ever used a bathroom with a septic tank near the ocean. Thanks for contributing to nitrification of our beloved esturaries, slowly sufficating the baitfish that support these striped bass.

Have you ever thought about it from that perspective???

And what do you do for work??? Can you honestly say you've never hurt a resource to put money in your pocket?

Kenny is an accomplished angler that catches large fish.......there is no denying that
keep in mind that he is also a charter captain........so did you guys ever think that every time he is posting large that are caught....they may be the clients choice to kill the fish..he could be just putting them on the fish.....the same way corsetti did it

everyone has their own opinions....don't get me wrong....but what he is doing is legal

in my eyes....with what you guys are saying he is posing or bragging....he is also marketing him and his charter business very well......therefore more clients.....theefore making more money doing something he loves to do


smart man kenny :)

he also gets on TV fishing shows that help promote his business


I'm pretty sure, the more we fish, the more we learn
and some of us change our decisions about things like tournaments and catch and release, and some of us don't appear to try too hard to sway others to their opinions since it a personal choice while others we be outspoken about it.

I like what Bob Pond had to say, something like a striped bass is too important of a fish to be caught only once.

But I also respect others choices to keep cows either for money of fame or food or whatever reason as long as it's legal. I know if I paid big money for a charter and I got a 50 and wanted to keep it, I certainly would.

5 years from now, I don't think as many guys will be giving pats on the back to the cow killers. We are on a downward trend and until everyone wakes up, it's only going to get worse
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It's on...
 

I'll address both your posts in this one.

In decades of fishing I have never ripped the face off a bass. If my plug hooks them badly I cut off the hook rather than pull it. And on the very rare occasions that I have fished eels I have used circle hooks.

As for my gear being too light... I fish a Lami 1201M with a ZB 25 and 50lb. Braid. My drag is set at 12lbs.. I fought those fish for no more than 5 minutes each. The fish were stressed by the warm water, so I took as much time as they needed to swim off strongly.

And no, I haven't raped a resource to put food on the table or green in my pocket. I'm a teacher.

As for that other crap. LOL.
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Ditto
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How can anybody fish for decades and have a PB of 42"?
I hope you teach better than you learn.
Teachers must do well to fish with ZB's.
Larry tried to explain it was not a kill only tournament and provided information stating such at your request.You seemed unimpressed by his efforts, yet still admit you fish tournaments with your club.Are these tournaments strictly C&R?If not,how does your conscience justify participation?How do you justify fishing eels when they are in a state of decline?
Keep in mind I am not criticizing any angler who is conservation minded unless they are hypocrites.I will also add that picking a scab on the internet will never accomplish anything besides a well worn debate.This passion you have for bass would serve them better at a regional level.Thank You.

You were just crying about conservation of the species, then you're saying the other stuff I pointed out is crap. You even "LOL" it. You bust on Kenny, but you're attitude is far worse as you think you aren't negatively impacting anything.

I don't care what you do for work - the stuff you us to conduct class and live on a day to day basis is slowly killing the environment too. Paper, printers, electronics, inks, dyes - its all contributing to the problem. I'm sure you're living in a modern style home, everything you furnish it with. Its all just a very small percentage, that all adds up in the end. Pat yourself on the back, you're a steward to the environment over here, while the manufacturing of the fishing gear you use is creating a nasty byproduct somehwere else. And whereever that is ( you don't care by the attitude of your post), it may be discharged into a water body. This won't hurt anything though, its 3,000 miles away across the ocean. We'll never see the effects of it over here.

You'll read this and laugh, thinking i'm crazy, but put it in perspective man. Just by you getting geared up to go fishing you're contributing to the problem as well. Yeah its a small percentage so you don't see a problem with that, and god forbid you stop fishing. You're the harmless catch and release guy. Seems like that is the same attitude you've come to hate.

So, I have no respect for a public resource like striped bass because I kill a percentage every year as do MOST recreational and Commercial Anglers... People like you will never understand the fishery and thank God for that! All you know is what you read about and not what you have learned from experience. You dont need to say anymore, you fish tourneys but you dont have any intention of weighing a striped bass, (Makes Sense). Congrats on your decades of fishing to finally catch 2 42"ers (Personal Best).. You are decades away from a 30+lb fish unless they put a full moratorium in effect for the next 20 years! You dont like the striper Cup, Dont fish it, plain and simple and let those that fish it enjoy the tourney, (Im sure your view would be different if you had a shot)... You will never understand anyway. Glad your so educated on toxins in fish... Do you even know how they get the readings they do???? They take the ENTIRE fish and grind it up and test the samples... Im sure that you know where all these "Toxins" will be... Ill give you a hint, the least amount will be in the white fillet meat! Think They are grossly overstated? I know the type you are, more concerned about what everybody else is doing than what you yourself are because you know whats best for everyone. Dont judge others unless you want to be judged too... You are behind the curb a few decades...

Tight Lines Mr 12LB Drag... (Im sure it will be tight!)

I think you are wrong, and just like your error about large striped bass not breeding I suspect the above is just more self-deluded rationalization. Actually it is likely worse, because it encourages people not to believe the multi-state guidelines against eating excessive contaminated striped bass.

As I understand it (and I am no expert) those guidelines are based on the average toxin levels in the FLESH of a number of fish. Keep in mind that some fish are many times above the average level. Furthermore, the average is likely (I have no proof) skewed by measuring small fish, since toxins accumulate over the life of fish and tend to be higher in larger fish. Perhaps you meant they grind up an entire FILLET...and maybe that is true....but the assumption that all the toxins are in the dark meat is careless and misleadingly dangerous unless you have an actual reference to support this assumption. If you do, please share it.

If you have children or your wife is pregnant, don't feed them striped bass.
If you like to eat it and are not pregant then feel free to enjoy 1-2 meals a month.
Takes a long time to eat a 40 lb bass at that rate. Maybe it is smarter to let it go to breed and make lots of smaller fish that are safer to eat?

You guys who judge others really are a hoot! You try to espouse your beliefs on others and believe they should do as you do because you yourself think your way is the right way!! Well as far as I am concerned I only judge those who do not act within the bounds of the law!!! As long as other folks do that I have no problem with them no matter what I believe to be "Right" as I personally believe! If someone wants to take a fish or 2 fish a day......I may not agree with 2 fish a day but its the law!! If they choose to take a large (What some of you refer to as "breeders".........and eventually are not many of them breeders?) then that also is their choice under the law! So step down off your friggin' high horses and pulpits people and let others be!!! Everytime someone posts a pic of a nice fish they chose to keep some ass-hole has something negative to say about it!!! If you don't have something good to say then close your pie hole!!! Cowhunter is right....people need to pay more attention to what "THEY" do and less attention to what other folks are doing!! Police yourself, practice catch and release if thats what you choose if it works for you........stop bashing others if they choose to keep a fish as long as they do it within the law then shut your pie hole and move on!!! Geeeeeeeeezzzzzzzz!:wall:

I didn't say anything is wrong with it Larry. I just don't see how the SC can be considered a C&R contest if the C&R entries are not elilgible for prizes. Pins are nice, but they aren't really contest prizes. If one wants a shot at the goodies they have no choice but to kill fish.

Couldn't they do a prize raffle for the C&R folks? If you submit an entry for a C&R then your name goes into a raffle for a decent prize. I think more folks would release if they could still have a shot at the truck or boat. No?

Sorry if I disrespected you, as one of those guys implies, by not giving a gushy thank you for the info.. I appreciate it.

[QUOTE=WoodyCT;809483]
Couldn't they do a prize raffle for the C&R folks? If you submit an entry for a C&R then your name goes into a raffle for a decent prize. I think more folks would release if they could still have a shot at the truck or boat. No?
QUOTE]

Everyone who signs up and shows up at striperfest has a shot at a boat whether or not they even weigh a fish in.

Not a hardcore angler SD. I've been fising my whole life, but not as a psycho. Just an enthusiast. About 3 years ago I got into surf casting for bass. Sorry if my PB doesn't match someone else's, but it's still my best, and I'm not ashamed of that. Oh, it was a 45" fish I took that same morning as the 42" you guys have glommed onto. And the tourneys I have fished are just club tourneys like the MS challenge. I do it to support a good cause, and for the social aspects of it, not to kill fish and be a cool guy. And as I said, it is on rare, very rare, occasions that I fish eels. Why? Because I dont' fish to catch, I fish for the satisfaction of being out there in the surf. Catching is a bonus.

As for my profession and the reel I fish, that's silly. I work hard and do extra to buy the things I enjoy.

I could sure use a good spot burn thread about now......

No disrespect John at all.......I also think that is a great idea you have and if you contact OTW and present it to them I bet they will agree! Its worth a shot and if it helps save more fish I am for that!:)

Who is going to vote for Sarah in '12?

Enjoy fishing Woody,it is a great way to recreate outdoors. It is obvious you do it on your own terms and enjoy as well as respect the resource.That is as much your right as it is Kenny's to do it on his terms.The bashing gets tedious to some just as Kenny posting corpses of cows does.Although some folks may think too much is never enough when it comes to self-promotion as Jim Sylvester points out,but I can't help but think threads like these would be detrimental to a business. Ken has won numerous ASA tournaments not to mention being featured on television and publications for all to see his prowess in catching large.There should be enough information to fill plenty of web space or promotional fliers.The insatiable void is his ego.

You guys are right. I get carried away on my high horse at times.

I should leave the guys alone who obey the law, even if they may not be acting as responsibly as I would like.


At least we got some good news about the commercial quota NOT being raised!
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Hopefully something we all can agree on is trying to stop illegal striped bass fishing in the EEZ Zone.,

Ken posted last winter of boats running into the EEZ zone down south with impunity--no enforcement by the Coast Guard or anyone else. Illegal is Illegal. Continued fishing by hundreds of boats in the winter in the EEZ will do much more to beat down stocks than taking a rare 50.

By the way- Woody is the nicest guy you could ever meet, is a beloved member of our Club and whatever he says is based on his love for striped bass and his fairly recent getting into surfcasting. Rob

Guys relax, lets save the finger pointing till aaaaafter the moratorium.

WOODY FOR PRESIDENT

:hee:

LI was on fire yesterday

Ok you pillow biting pickle smootcher :hihi:
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There was a 51 lber caught under the GW bridge the other day in the Hudson river. :)

absolutely killing the tog around R32 south of the pigs. obviously not this week!

I think Mr. Cowhunter does some of his best fishing right here on this site. He obviously has the correct bait. Come on spring.

that was the name of the photographer "Israel Leal" of the AP. It is redlite sister for sure :devil2:

On a side note :biglaugh: I would like to add that I didn't get in on this thread to bash the picture posters for killing large, although I did get involved in the side discussion because it is interesting and important to me.

That said, in my opinion if someone makes these posts to get people worked up, more power to em.

If guys get worked up in response, than they should get a break too. Especially since they are concerned with their favorite activity maybe getting destroyed.

One might say that the detractors should start there own thread, but if the reaction is part of why cowhunter is doing it, then what better forum is there? (I am not sure if that is why he made this post... just repeating what I read here)

As far as it's legal so don't comment... I call bs on that (I can make analogies, but they isn't necessary ). Ok... just one... it is legal to marry your cousin in WV at age 13... doesn't make it right :yak5:

Thats not an assumption... That is directly from a marine biologist... Maybe you can share with us how YOU think they take these samples?? Let me guess, they catch the fish, (on a plug with barbless hooks), cut a small sample,(where it doesnt hurt the fish), patch her up, and spend 15-20 min reviving the happy fish to let her go in the wild so somebody else can catch and release it!??? I never did say that 50+" NEVER Spawn...

:yak5::yak5::yak5::yak5: my eyes:eek:

Wow you seem to know so much about me?? Funny you dont preach that crap to your buddies that kill 50's because they keep killing, and they fish tourney's as do You, and they write articles, and they have done tv shows, and so on... If you caught a 50 you would be the FIRST one snapping pictures and running to the scales with it, how proud were you of the 40.25 you weighed in for the cup last year???You had a boat this year... 50's should have been jumping all in it!!! Had a bad season I take it? Expenses high? Dont even know ur backyard...Not easy when the fish arent stacked and you have to put some EFFORT in it... Your buddies catch a 50 and we all hear about it within hours so stop kidding yourself. Ive seen how you attacked other fishermen / surfcasters on here in the past, its what you do. Thanks for the lesson in business. I guess Business is really bad for me, all I get is meathunters and cowkillers calling, where are the C&R guys? Im so damn tired of filleting. Should of never sold the small boat! Enjoy the winter behind the computer! I need to find a bigger cooler damn it!