Did you ever "highgrade"?
 

I did, but I always kept my fish on a nice long leader, out in the current, so it could be released basicly unharmed. All the fish I ever released while "highgrading", swam away with smiles on their faces. I never had a highgraded fish go belly up on me.

Nope, never did, never had to.
I figure that if I'm fishing for a trophy, why kep a smaller fish, and if I'm fishing for food, the first legal size fishes will be enough.

Just because they swam away doesn't always mean they lived.

They lived. If I had any doubt about the survival of any "keeper" sized fish I intended to let go, I wouldn't put it on a stringer, I'd either keep it and call it a day, or revive it and let it go.

Goose is right...
Every fish species had a release mortality, even if they seem unharmed.. putting a rope I assume through their gills on a stringer is definetly not a good way to keep them unharmed... thats like me sticking a rope from your mouth through your nose and letting you try to breath...
Eat what you keep, release the rest... if you get one bigger, take a picture... but you'll never find me with more than one fish on ice, never two, cause you never know when your last cast results in a monster; and what are you gonna do with the third one...

nope. and I've released plenty of 40" "first fish of the nite" only to catch shorts or be skunked for the rest of the nite. I love to gamble:D

Yeah---it's so harmless to fish that it's been outlawed :rollem:

striprman,

If you put that stringer in the fish's mouth, across the gills and out through the gill plate, that fish is gonna be in bad shape by the time you release it.

If you're gonna do it :hs: , the fish is better off if you shove the stringer through/around its jaw.

Striprman, do these fish you "release" send you a postcard to let you know all is well?:smash: Come on man, play by the rules.:rude:

I thought it was illegal to do that. I usually keep one fish the rest are placed back gently I can't belive you made a post like this, the fish that you release must be so stressed they probally only last a short while after LINK:confused: :af:
I probally should keep my mouth shut, BUT?

Highgrading "IS" illegal. There is one in every crowd ML. People should be better educated before they hit the water.:read:

I don't highgrade anymore. I did when it was legal.
I'm happy just to catch one, of any size and I let most go.
I like fishing for fun.

kind of like posting for fun ?

:laughs: :laughs:

Whats wrong with fun?

Did you ever highgrade when it was legal?

I thought it was more like trolling:p

I've caught some big fish trolling.

maybe be fun for you but there are others that have to read through this drivel.........

never have highgraded. If anything I lowgrade. I keep a 30" ish and let the rest go. It isn't a trophy hunt for me. It is the enjoyment of being there.

That's my fun :)

Nope. Never did.

Anyone know when the last time "highgrading" was legal?:confused: I am guessing it was before the moratorium took affect in the 80's. At that time, I don't think you would have had to "highgrade" because I may be wrong, but at that time you could keep all you could catch! Does anyone know?

I think striperman likes to instigate us to reply...
and no, even when legal I never high-graded...
Illegal and immoral are different.. it's legal to take two fish a day, but if you dont eat or give away to eat both of them, then thats immoral...

Hmmmm.....this is a bit ironic.......:rolleyes: I smell something fishy....;)

And BTW, hi-grading was made illegal in Mass at the start of the 2002 season....

Steve, I can pretty much guarantee "highgrading" was illegal a long time before 2002. I am currently looking into it.

Since the moratorium. It's never been legal!!!!!!!!!!!:smash:

Would "highgrading" my wife be acceptable?:laughs: Now that, I'd like!:hidin: :rotf2:

striprman, I'm amazed you would even start a thread like this.:doh: Are you just trying to push buttons?

Bigbo,
Take my old lady and call me back, I'm ready to swap her for some 2 speed reels...

striprman ... Do you fish??? if so, where do you fish, how do fish, what do you fish for and how??? ... open up pal, you've gotten alot of info from this board, but not much from you but questions .... After your 40yrs of fishing, how about some -
Here's how I fish posts .... you've gotten your fair share of knowledge, now it's time to pass some of yours on. BUT DON'T LIST SPOTS.. if you've got any.

Thanks

:) 1st: high grading became illegal about 2000-2001. It was completely legal before then.
The main reason that it became illegal was in tournaments people would hold onto big fish hopeing to get a larger one and if not they would weigh that fish in.

2nd: Those of us that fish from "rocky" shore lines, first ya hook the fish, then ya play it till it is stressed, trying to find a place to land the striper amongest the rocks, while the surf is banging the crap out of it against the rocks and once you drag it or gaff it,[ya I know you gaffed it under the lip] up over the rocks and it turned out not to be a keeper, you thru it back but didn't see it float so it must of lived .:fishslap: :yak6: :yak6: That's worst then up grading. I should get my hidden camera out and fellow a few "pre Ma Donnas' " around.

3rd: I use to up grade. Was completely legal then. Now it is not.
And now I don't do it!!!!:cheers: :cheers:
And only once did I have a problem when up grading. My leader was just a little to long and the prop put a good gash in that 44" fish. It was still salvageable and I fillet it for a person.
And I don't eat them !!! they are full of "P C Bs" :yak5:

Don't think I've even used that term.

Last year I kept a good size fish in a deep pool water for about 1/2 hr. Orginally I had intentions of keeping it but as time passed I decided to let it go. Because the tide had just receided and it was early in the spring the water was cold and the fish had plenty of life still in him. Mind you this was not rain water or dead water.

Strprman, how do you keep a fish "out in the current"? some places you can't keep yout bait out in the current.

Just get a really long piece of crab line.

Looks like everyone believes highgrading is a bad idea.
I didn't think about it much before it became illegal, except when I was fishing in a crowd and someone had a dead one on a stringer and would release it if they got a bigger one.
I always obey the law when it comes to fishing.
I usually only get 1 fish when I go anyway (but it's usually a pretty good one).

Okay, it was 2001, not 2002.....see the last paragraph:

Massachusetts Regulation changes for 2001
The Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Commission meeting took action on a number of issues at their December 7, 2000 meeting. These actions will become effective on December 21.

(1) Striped bass changes for 2001.

(A) Elimination of the requirement that all authorized striped bass dealers affix tags to each striped bass at first purchase. DMF evaluated the dealer tagging program after one year and determined that the administrative burden on the agency to implement a comprehensive dealer tag program does not outweigh enforcement and compliance benefits. DMF will continue to provide assistance to Massachusetts dealers that intend to ship bass out-of-state. Also, we will continue to require that bass shipped to Massachusetts during the December-March period be tagged to indicate point of origin.

(B) Minimum size lowered for recreational fishermen from 30 inches to 28 inches. DMF recommended this change given that there are limited conservation benefits associated with maintaining a 30-inch minimum, updated assessment data indicate fishery performance is within FMP guidelines and there is favorable support from some large Massachusetts sporting organizations. This size limit is expected to remain in place for two years (through 2002), or until Amendment 6 to the striped Bass FMP is completed.

(C) Final regulations prohibiting striped bass "high-grading" approved in September were filed. "High-grading" where smaller legal-sized fish previously captured and retained are then discarded in favor of another larger legal-sized fish. Recreational fishermen may not retain a legal-sized striped bass and release said fish in favor of another larger legal-sized striped bass captured subsequently. Any legal-sized fish not immediately released into the water and held by stringer, live-well or another means shall be considered intent to high-grade.