Actually i feel we need better management regardless of comm or
recreational and that taking of fish illegally small big or indifferent is bad. I release 99.9% of what i catch too.
Personally i have no regrets in how i fish other than not enough in time and quality. Im stuck in intermediate.
It does bother me when people keep a fish they aren't supposed to when it is illegal regardless of size. Jealousy or wishing to catch doesn't even enter my mind.i have plenty of opportunity to keep 2/day but dont because that is waste AND idont subscribe to 2/day.
Now the real shame is that we argue at length rearranging the proverbial deck chairs while other issues occur like bycatch, poaching and myco rage on. Not too mention the forage.
Every fish taken from the biomass has an impact regardless of who and how. Taking a fish illegally by rec or comm only invites more taking of illegal fish.
That greed is not limited to any one usergroup.
Quote:
Originally Posted by numbskull
Hence, my post. What is worse for the striped bass population, a dead schoolie or a dead 40lb fish? Does it matter to the striped bass population (and those of us who hope to catch big fish in the future) whether the fish was killed legally or illegally?
Getting upset about someone breaking the law is all well and fine, but all of us kill fish (including C&R), and it is quite likely that recreational fishermen who legally kill big fish do more harm to the fishery than those who illegally kill little fish.
If it bothers you that someone is killing a short bass because you can't legally do it and wish you could (therefore it feels unfair).......all well and fine. But if it bothers you because you feel that the guy killing small fish is harming the resource, yet you feel comfortable killing and keeping large fish (particularly two at a time), then just maybe you are hiding behind the law rather than examining the impact of your actions on others.
Just sayin', not preachin'. When a law itself is bad, following it does not necessarily make everything right. The more big fish that are allowed to swim, the better for all of us.........regardless of what the law permits.
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Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device