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Originally Posted by Clogston29
So a 60 lb fish produces about 5 times as many eggs as a 12 lb fish according to your numbers. I would argue that keeping the large fish would have less impact on the fishery than keeping the 12 lb fish because the 12 lb fish has a much higher reproductive potential since it will live much longer and therefore reproduce much more often, producing more eggs each time based purely on those numbers. Now the genetic impact of removing large fish is another issue all together and one I don't know enough to comment on.
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That is only if you ignore the reproductive impact of all of the extra offspring from the bigger fish. Add in the chance of a 12lb fish making it to 50+lbs. It doesn't even come close.
I think the question I am really asking is, if the science supports releasing big fish, would people support a change in laws (and I am not saying it definately does, especially when stress mortality on big fish is factored). Obviously there are lots of people who really feel the need to keep a big fish.
I know it would be the same way down south if the slot on drum went away. You would have hundreds of 30-50+lb fish in the coolers on good days in the spring at cape point.( Edit note: I don't mean that statement in any way other than they live with the regs now, but if they changed alot of people would keep em)