The Biggest Fish You Ever Threw Back???

[BigFish]

How big was the biggest striper you ever caught and released????? The biggest I ever threw back was probably only about 25 pounds.........but I have thrown back lots of them!

[bart]

25, wish i could say i caught more of em.

[afterhours]

back in the early '90s i was chunking off hog island and caught a monster striper that bottomed out a chatilion 50 lb scale. i was exclusive catch and release. no camera on board( since then i always have one). my fishing bud pleaded with me to keep it, my boat, my fish, my rules, away she swam! he told me i might regret it, after all these years i'm having second thoughts. i have'nt come close to that fish scince.

[Slipknot]

35

[tlapinski]

BF, shouldn't this thread be named, "Ever throw back a big fish?"

my biggest was low to mid 50". picked her up to my shoulder, tail was on the sand, and i let her go. it wasn't until the adrenaline of the blitz i was in the middle of ended that i realized just how big that fish was. released a few 5 others that bottomed out the old 30# boga that tide. a few 30# - mid 40# have gone back into the water on other nights. i have always had a hard time killing the big girls.

[Slingah]

multiple 35-40 lb fish one nite a few years ago in particular
some low 30#s since

[JohnR]

Thirty-seven and change. It was early in the tide and figured bigger gals would be by. Lost my 50 2 nights later

[Got Stripers]

55 lbs, year after I nailed my 52, saw no sense in killing her and slipped her back into the water in Hingham harbor. The mouth on the guy I was fishing with dropped to my deck and the boat I asked to help weigh her applauded the move. I neither needed the meat or another fish on my wall.

[Mike P]

I don't carry a scale. I know I've released quite a few in the 35-40 lb range at MV, using the rod as a quick measuring stick and eyeballing the girth. That was back when bass weren't in the Derby, naturally

[cheferson]

25-28 lbs

[CAL]

an estimated 25#er

GS, 55# in Hingham harbor? Nice job

[BasicPatrick]

I have relaesed many in the 30's from the boat....25 from Shore

Bye the way...Even though I advocate Catch and release of all sizes of fish...there are facts that are just true

1...just because a fish swims away does not mean it will survive no matter what it looks or acts like...many swim seemingly in good shape settle in a slow water spot and expire waiting to build up energy

2...more than 9 out of 10 fish over 40 lbs released will die...a very sad but true fact

[scoobe]

Originally posted by BasicPatrick


2...more than 9 out of 10 fish over 40 lbs released will die...a very sad but true fact

Where did you pull that from? If that has any basis at all, it may come from the fact that generally larger fish must be played closer to complete exhaustion to land. A schoolie you can pull out of the water while still green and lip em easily. No can do with a big fish. But 'over 9 out of 10' does seem a bit exessive.

[ThrowingTimber]

36-37 lbs but I know where she'll be come November

[fishaholic18]

Several fish in the 30# range. I think 34# is the biggest I've released.

[afterhours]

2...more than 9 out of 10 fish over 40 lbs released will die...a very sad but true fact [/B][/QUOTE]



dito: where did you pull that from?

was it a legit study or was it heresay ?

i find that very hard to believe, maybe the ALS could shed
more light, anyone here with affilations?

[jsullivan]

42.9...... I would rather keep 2 small guys for the table and have NO problem killin' em.. I love striper and love to cook it for compay. knowing that I put some food on the table for friends is verry rewarding for me. EVEN MORE AFTER HUNTING SEASON

[179]

37-lbs......last season, should have kept it as this was my biggest of last season

[Steve K]

About 30#s

[KJLane]

40 lbs. I'm impressed by you who have thrown back 50's. I don't think I could do that....

[MakoMike]

Originally posted by BasicPatrick


2...more than 9 out of 10 fish over 40 lbs released will die...a very sad but true fact [/B]

I don't know if that's true of not, but I do know that mortality of released fish goes way up if you weight them with a boga type grip on the lip. Hanging them crushes their internal organs. That's why a lot of the C&R carp & muskie guys carry a sling to weigh fish that are going to be released.

[BigMike]

24 lbs...

[Notaro]

makomike, i thought that grip-lipping them will hinder their ability to eat?

[RIROCKHOUND]

Mid 20's, if I'm off the boat, I'm usually low enough to the water (13' Whaler) that they dont leave the water if I'm going to release em... marked 40" on my gunnel so I can lay em along side for a rough estimate.... makes me feel better about releasing them....
Bryan

[S-Journey]

Don't know the weight, I never weight em on the boat if I'm going to release them. I've released tons of 40" - 48" fish over the years, so most likely around 40 pounds.

I'll tell you one thing though. If 9 out of 10 of all the fish I ever let go died I would be absolutely pissed off. I hope those numbers are way off, or unfortunitly I'm going to start killing a lot more fish. Yes it will go back into the food chain, but I would much rather see a nice striper eaten by my friends or family than a bottom dwelling scavenger, or a Dogfish!

[chris L]

many fish in the 30# area . I love the looks on people faces when I throw them back in .

[MountainBreeze]

was my biggest yet...

40", just over 20# (from the yak.)

[t.orlando]

Don't know weights but many in the 40-43in. range only keep 1 when I am hungry

[Young Salt]

28#er, then i caught a 30#er a half-hour later later.

[blackeye]

No weights, but one summer on the vineyard in 94 or 95 was very good to me-we were throwin back 41-42 inch fish cause we knew there were bigger fish around-I came home with a severe case of bass forearm-my dad was insane with jealousy