In all honesty...how do you feel?

[Jenn]

Here is a question I have for you all....I had a debate one evening with a friend over "catch and release", I do keep a few fish (bass, bluefish,flounder,etc.) every season for my dinner and he is trying to tell me how wrong that is. I do se part of his point however, my argument was that ....would it be better if I ate all kinds of commercial caught fish that had caused a lot of other sea life to be wasted in order to make it to my plate? Or to keep a few for myself that I caught and that did not have the damaging effects of the commercial fisherman???

Just curious on how others feel on the subject.....and yes I know I am probably setting myself up for the "you shouldn't eat any fish" comments....or something of that manner.....

[Patrick]

Keep what you will eat. Try to be exact though. If you know you can't eat a 30lb bass, don't take one. settle on a smaller one. As long as you will eat it and you aren't breaking the law <shrug> do what you want. I keep a rope on my surf bag for Fluke. I like them because they taste well, easy to fillet, and just big enough for one.

Patrick

[BobThomas]

Jenn,

Amazing what questions one will think of at 230 on a Saturday morning I would have to say no matter what answer you provide, it will be "Wrong" in someone else's mind. If you want to keep a fish, keep a fish. If you want to keep every keeper you catch (and can live with yourself afterwards) then do so. I only keep what I am going to eat...and that is not much. Come to think of it.....I didn't keep a single fish this year. Oh well!

Fish is part of my diet (it is good for you!). If you eat fish twice a week, it doesn't matter if you keep a couple of fish when your fishing or buying it at the store.

Jenn, I hope your friend is consistent with his argument.....meaning he better not eat any fish at all or his argument has no credibility!

If you are talking about an endangered species.....that's a different story!

[JohnR]

Hey Fishin'-Rookie, aint you getting married or something ??? ??

Jenn, keep what you are going to eat, be reasonable with yourself and with what you take. Granted, its probably a personal bias but I feel that a bass that I caught fresh an hour or two before is one of the best tasting delicacies that one can put on a grill or beer batter for the oven ( coming late winter - recipe section ). If you as an angler keep some of the fish you catch for eating, there is nothing wrong with that, provided that you have kept a fish that adheres to the current "regulations" imposed by the all knowing FM people...

I respect people that are 100% C&R but more because they choose to do so, not because it should be the only choice. I kept two fish all season and I'm sure they had spawned more than once but I released a bunch of keeper fish as I did not feel the need to put evey single last fish on the table. Thats just me.

Here is something that will tweak alot of people, IF and that is a BIG IF the fishery could be managed properly year after year, I'm not even against commercial fishing for bass as long as it is managed in a responsible manner. It makes me pretty sick that a commercial fisherman in Mass can keep 40 fisher per day, that's obscene. A commercial fisherman in Rhody can keep two to three fish by rod and reel during one month in the spring and one in late summer. Certainly a little more reasonable than 40 per day in Mass. Gee, maybe if you take out the available LARGE revenues of commercial striped bass fishing it would be easier to manage. (What am I thinking??) Maybe some day there will be some sort of commercial fishing which has a greatly reduced pressure on the fish. But maybe there really is a tooth fairy too. My dilema is that these fish are not being managed properly but I would not be against commercial fishing if they were properly managed. I hope that all made some sense...

[Canalratt1]

I usually keep a few fish to eat but never kept a striper this year. I kept some sea bass,cod,haddock,cusk,hake,trout,salmon, and some perch as I love to eat fish. I also hunt and have some venison in the freezer that my buddy harvested. I see nothing wrong with keeping some for the table as long as they are legal size and not wasted. This is a renewable resource that if you like fresh fish and game I feel its not "wrong" to use.

[Slipknot]

You'll get no arguement from me. Everyone has a right to their own opinion . You shouldn't feel bad if you don't agree with him. He sounds like a vegetarian Jenn. Your point is certainly valid. Also if the fish is gut hooked bleeding and will die anyway , there's nothing wrong with keeping it for your food rather than the crabs or seagulls, as long as it is legal size. Fish are there for us to eat aren't they? also fun to catch.

[Clammer]

JENN, keep what you caneat or use, by that I mean if their is someone that can really use the benefit of your fishing ability, MYSELF,Idont eat fish because I dont like it. sooooo I dont keep Stripers,but my wife and daughter both like flounder so when I CHOOSE TO CATCH THEM I have no problem bringing home to them. also if I take someone with me to enjoy a time fishing and also catch supper I do it/// I worked on a bay dragger for just a week when the captain was short, I was amazed on how many fish I shoveled back both dead and alive in a day , more then we will ever catch// I use to keep a little bowl of little necks in the refrigator pretty constant. I noticed after awhile that they stayed there a little longer each time, so then Idecided that if I saw them still there in a few days I would take them and put them back into the while they still had enough strength to recover, now I only bring them home 6/7 times a year//// they are gone in a day//
All im trying to say is, use dont abuse// Thanks

[Jenn]

I heard a lot of reference to "only keep what you can eat" and "only if legal size" etc. Just to make sure you all realize....yes I am talking completely legal fish.......which oddly enough takes care of the other! Meaning that I rarely catch many legal keepers to begin with.....so I surely am not taking more than I could eat!! HEEHEE (how does THAT sound for balance huh?!! )

Thanks for the input...it made me feel a little better about my personal decisions!

..........oh,by the way Bob.....about the 2:30 in the morning thing.....just because YOU have the "spy-cam" doesn't mean you have to let EVERYONE know I have nothing better to do in the wee hours!!!!!!! ;D

[BobThomas]

Oh man, Jenn.....forgot all about the "Spy Cam!" Gonna have to break that out. Lessee...oh my.........

[chris L]

Jenn
Im a catch and release fisher by choice . I have kept fish which I ate . In my opinion you catch a keeper of any variety and you have every right to keep them . please eat what you catch . Your friend has their opinion and it differs from you . Oh well ! I remmeber the GOOD BOOK talks about catching fish and and breaking bread for a meal so how bad is it to catch and eat a meal . Its good you can have a differant opinion than someone else . I dont condem any one for eating fish as long as they dont wear it . If you eat what you catch then your not helping the commercial guys rape the stocks of fish . SO YOU ARE RIGHT . Its not us recreational guys its the commercials that have no regard . Ask your friend if he/she buys fish in a market or restaurant then if the answer is yes politely explain who is desimatting the fish stocks . If cows are bad and fish are bad just cause we dont HEAR the veggies cry does that mean they dont . SAVE THE BROCCOLI . Just my .02

[Jenn]

Bob! How could you forget the spycam??? Thats it...no more spycam for you! :* IF I can find it it is coming down.....if not....I am just going to have to find a new place to live! HA!HA!

Chris, just so you know....every year I plant a garden.......when the potatoes are ready....i dig it ALL up!!!!! I throw all other veggies back and keep only the potatoes! I mean really....what good are peppers anyway???!? This way they can all die and become compost for next years potatoes!! ;P

[chris L]

grrrrrrrrrrrrrr