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Old 05-22-2015, 05:24 PM   #6
numbskull
Oblivious // Grunt, Grunt Master
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Interesting there is no mention what percentage of the recreational catch and what percentage of the recreational harvest (as opposed to estimated release mortality) is accounted for by those 787 charter boats. They do have that information available.

My sense is that a large proportion of the Recreational catch and keep harvest, particularly of large breeder bass, is the work of the charter industry, which I consider a quasi-commercial fishery. The majority of recreational mortality otherwise is catch and release related. I do not think that very many recreational non-charter anglers consistently catch and keep large bass (not that they are altruistic, just that they don't consistently stay on large fish). Even allowing for the carnage that is the canal most of those guys are only getting a few big fish each year.
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