Your thoughts on releasing large stripers

[Slipknot]

I was wondering what are everyone's thoughts about releasing large striped bass. It seems these days the bass are getting more and more pressure from all angles and those who regulate them are always 3 or 4 steps behind since they are only interested in maximum yield. Between bycatch discards, comm. catch, rec. catch, myco disease, pollution,SEALS and other predation, I am pretty sure that 2 fish a day limit is not the right thing to do at this time.
I think it's pretty hard to ask those new to the sport to think about releasing their personal best fish, but if they do I think eventually one day they will realize they made the right choice to do their part by being part of the solution instead of being part of the problem.
I personally have never caught a 50 pounder and if I ever do, I have made a decision to try and let it go if it's possible and think the fish will survive, I won't weigh it but if I had time and ability would try to measure it. I have kept 2- 40 pounders and let one go. I've kept 1- 30 pounder and let many 30's go. I joined the On the Water tourney first year they had it and had a 30 first week of it but thought I'd get more so didn't kill it, well I didn't get another 30 until the day after the contest ended. I see so many large bass killed for this contest that I bet would normally be released that I made the decision to not enter a contest again, even if just catch and release.
I think letting them go is more important especially these days. I hope stripers are still around for future generations. Bob Pond did a lot to inform others, I wonder if there are other ways to inform fishermen of the importance of conservation other than the internet.

So what do you think about releasing your catch?

[iamskippy]

i agree about the tourneys slip, however if you are killing for eating then i agree with it. im a catch and release man myself, however i have given some fish ( not stripers ) like Blues and such away to people to eat.

[tysdad115]

I pondered this the other day. Especially with a PB, I really think I kept it more for a personal pride/ego thing. I limit myself to keep one only, and thats not every time. I only keep one when I am out of fish at home because my family eats it. I explained this to my son, he had a nice 32" fish and I let it go, his first keeper so to say. He knows your allowed two fish, I explained he will understand when he's out with his boy still catching, and just because you can doesn't mean you should.

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by Slipknot

I was wondering what are everyone's thoughts about releasing large striped bass. It seems these days the bass are getting more and more pressure from all angles and those who regulate them are always 3 or 4 steps behind since they are only interested in maximum yield. Between bycatch discards, comm. catch, rec. catch, myco disease, pollution,SEALS and other predation, I am pretty sure that 2 fish a day limit is not the right thing to do at this time.
I think it's pretty hard to ask those new to the sport to think about releasing their personal best fish, but if they do I think eventually one day they will realize they made the right choice to do their part by being part of the solution instead of being part of the problem.
I personally have never caught a 50 pounder and if I ever do, I have made a decision to try and let it go if it's possible and think the fish will survive, I won't weigh it but if I had time and ability would try to measure it. I have kept 2- 40 pounders and let one go. I've kept 1- 30 pounder and let many 30's go. I joined the On the Water tourney first year they had it and had a 30 first week of it but thought I'd get more so didn't kill it, well I didn't get another 30 until the day after the contest ended. I see so many large bass killed for this contest that I bet would normally be released that I made the decision to not enter a contest again, even if just catch and release.
I think letting them go is more important especially these days. I hope stripers are still around for future generations. Bob Pond did a lot to inform others, I wonder if there are other ways to inform fishermen of the importance of conservation other than the internet.

So what do you think about releasing your catch?

I agree with what you said 100%. I wonder if I ever pull a monster into the boat if I will be able to practice what I preach. It would be great to show it off - kids, friends, neighbors, but then what? cut it up and eat it? I'd be happy with a pic and a release.

[iamskippy]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

I agree with what you said 100%. I wonder if I ever pull a monster into the boat if I will be able to practice what I preach. It would be great to show it off - kids, friends, neighbors, but then what? cut it up and eat it? I'd be happy with a pic and a release.

I am guilty from a long time ago of mounting my 50# striper, that was before i learned you can take all the messurement and have a replica made

[JamesJet]

I have to agree that 2 is one to many. Overall I like a slot based system as I would think your avergage 24-26 inch fish is perfect for the table for a few people. I caught a PB about a month ago, not sure on wieght but guess ~ 35lbs (Andy can verify it was a good fish) and I released it. In fact I took the time to revive it as it was certainly out of breath so to speak.
That decision was based on a few factors- I know they produce a lot more eggs as they get bigger, I just felt like the canal gods shined on me so I felt obligated to throw it back, and finally that much striper meat would probably have to go to the freezer given no relatives were coming over and it really is just my wife and I who eat it. I just had a striper last night from a 30inch fish caught Sunday, so I am not against harvesting fish, I just the general population should be more selective. The next time you decide to harvest a fish, think back to whether or not anything besides the rack went in the trash. If you end up throwing away freezer burned fish every year, think twice about keeping one every time out.

[nightfighter]

I keep a couple for the table and sprinkle the infield once for friends and neighbors, but don't load the freezer as I like it fresh for table fare. So if I keep one in a 150 caught, I am good with that. But if I get a pig between tonight and Sunday, it is coming to the scale. It would be only the second fish I have killed for a tournament, ever. And I am good with that too.


Still don't get why a big fish is such a more significant breeder than a mid 30 inch fish that has its longer life ahead of it to breed.... Human females produce a finite number of eggs in their lifecycle, and then no more. (learned this from ten years of infertility when I was married)Why would this not be true with fish?

[zimmy]

I can honestly say I will never keep a bass of more than 15 lbs for the purpose of eating or as a trophy unless that fish cannot or does not survive. I just have absolutely no interest in removing fish of that size from the stock intentionally. I know other people do like to keep bigger fish for a variety of reasons, it is just not something I have any desire to do.

[Back Beach]

I used to keep a lot of big ones. Some to sell, some to brag about, and some to eat or gift out.

I release practically everything I catch now regardless of size, particularly because none of the aforementioned reasons to keep one appeal to me anymore...i.e.(sale, ego, eat, gifts) Plus, I like to see them swim away after a good battle.

I do keep a couple for the striper cup if they're big enough. Admittedly, its becoming less attractive for me to do so simply because the fish is being killed(primarily) for a tournament, then consumed by someone other than me so as not to "waste" the fish when I would have released the fish otherwise.

Its quite easy to find people willing to take a dead fish off your hands, particularly a nice fresh striper. I feel a lot of people take fish with this in mind and kill a fish that might have been released otherwise knowing they have a "convenient and respectable" way to dispose of the fish after it hits the scale. I'm certainly guilty of this type of behavior, but the tide is shifting.

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by nightfighter

Still don't get why a big fish is such a more significant breeder than a mid 30 inch fish that has its longer life ahead of it to breed.... Human females produce a finite number of eggs in their lifecycle, and then no more. (learned this from ten years of infertility when I was married)Why would this not be true with fish?

I think the logic is that a large fish is a "survivor" with strong genes to pass on to the future. Darwin's theory. Large fish presumably got that way by being stronger, smarter and some resistance to disease.

[The Dad Fisherman]

I've said it before......If I catch a 50 I'm taking it home and mounting it......then I'm taking it to the Taxidermist.

I know me.....and if I get a cow I'm taking it home so I'm not even going to pretend that I may release it.

that being said, I do release more than I keep. Usually keep between 3-6 a season because I like them....also like to hand out a few fillets to friends and family.

[RIJIMMY]

[QUOTE=The Dad Fisherman;794829]I've said it before......If I catch a 50 I'm taking it home and mounting it......then I'm taking it to the Taxidermist.
QUOTE]

you are without a doubt the funniest bastard in s-b.

[JoeBass]

I catch between 30 and 50 fish a summer and usually keep 2 of about 26". (Maine has a 1 a day reg....one between 20"-26" OR one a day over 40"). I don't fault the guys who keep a big fish once in a while for food.

[JLH]

I keep a few each year and would much rather keep a 15 lb fish than a 30+ lb fish. Kept one yesterday morning that was right around 15lbs and after cleaning it I had enough fish for about 5 meals for 2 people. I do fish the Striper Cup and club tournaments and would keep a bigger fish for the tournaments but outside of that I would be happier getting a quick picture and releasing the larger fish.

[tattoobob]

I don't eat fish, and when someone says to me "keep a fish for me" I tell them unless you come with me and catch it yourself NO

I have kept 1 fish in the last 2 seasons for my wife, I just can't be bothered with cutting it up, she would rather eat Steamers anyways

So every fish I catch goes back to the sea.

I have always been against tournaments so I won't be joining any anymore. not that I did anything to help our team S-B this year other than fish

[Brian L]

I've been a commercial angler for the last ten years and just gave up my license this spring. In the past, of course, I always kept the bigger fish because they pay more.

Now from a rec standpoint, I usually keep at least one and occasionally two every time I go (fishing probably 4-5 times a month). I have neighbors and friends who really appreciate getting fresh striper fillets and I put one on my own grill once or twice a month. I prefer Tautog, Fluke, Seabass, etc.. to Stripes and those fish are usually abundant enough where I fish to bring home enough to fill the freezer for a week.

As far as releasing big ones, I do it whenever I can now. For me, it's all about food quality and protecting the stocks. When I'm catching fish to eat, I believe the big ones taste like %$%$%$%$ compared to the smaller ones. So, if I'm looking for one to grill, I'll release a bunch of 36+ inch fish in order to get a 28-32" fish. The only exception to that rule is if I gut hook or injure a bigger fish, I'll keep it if I don't think it will live if I release it. 1 at 28" baby.

[tysdad115]

[QUOTE=The Dad Fisherman;794829]I've said it before......If I catch a 50 I'm taking it home and mounting it......then I'm taking it to the Taxidermist.

[iamskippy]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

I've said it before......If I catch a 50 I'm taking it home and mounting it......then I'm taking it to the Taxidermist.

.

[Rockfish9]

I started bass fishing in 1972....the Min. length was 16".... everyone that I knew, boxed, iced and sold their catch.. i did likewise.. until 2004....Buyers that stayed open or had a 24 hour drop ( I fished nights) became scarce/extrinct in my area... holding fish in a large cooler and tr#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g them, didnt make sense with the current regulations.. so i began releasing my fish.. and do so to this day...Keeping a "50" is not an option ( I released 2 this season) because I have caught my share, hopefully some lucky angler gets to share one of these fish with me.., I have one sixty, so If I entertained the thought of keeping a trophy, it's going to be near record size...
I saw the crash in stock in the 80's.. but was doing well and thought it was just alot of jibberish... I now have fished long enough, and seen enough, to know better.. IMHO.. these fish are in trouble again...It seems the longer you fish for Stripers, and the more adept you become at catching them, the less you notice the shortages, but it is the subtle things, like lack of certain year classes, or lack of an inshore migration that send up the red flag ..some of us, will continue to be sucessfull until the last bass has been caught...

I do my best to try and cause as little stress as possible to the fish, often releasinf them without removing them from the water., when I do photo graph them, I attempt the support the belly, as I read somewhere that holding large fish "head up"( such as with a boga) causes the paunch to tear inside.. I have never saw any conclusive science to support this... as far as I know It may have been one mans opinion, I cant remember now....it just made sense..... I make a habit of reviving every fish.. they must swim off strong, litteraly pulling themselves from my grasp..
I ocasionaly tag fish with a litoral scociety tag, mainly for me to have a way of knowing if these fish are surviving.. I'v had about a % 12-%15 return on fish over 20lbs.. so I think what I am doing is working...mainly becuse this is approximatly the rate I have gotten on much smaller fish...It's not an exact science.. but it is all I have.

as far as a limit.. I personaly would( even though i do not keep them)rather see a 1 fish @ 24" limit with a trophy tag issued ( now that each state has a salt water license in place) @ 1 per season per angler.. not that enforcement would be possible, it's just my thoughts on it... small bass have not run the gambits of life, they have many obsticles to avoid to become large, large fish have survived most of these so my personal feeling are to let them breed.. a 30lb bass has the capabilities to produce far more eggs than a 10 lb bass..

My .02
Roc

[Saltheart]

I release almost all of my fish. I don't see any benefit of keeping a big one vs a small one for eating unless a specific amount of fish is needed for some occasion. The bigger ones (or should I say mid sized one like 30 pounds) are supposed to be the prime breeders. I have read that as they approach 50 pounds , they are declining as breeders but still do produce many eggs , just not as much as when they were younger. So the point is that awareness of the fishery and the idea of keeping breeders alive should extend down to the 25 to 30 pound fish and not just to the 50 pound trophies. For a meal and in fact several plates , a fish mayne 32 is ideal I think and even then , it should be eaten if taken and not just tossed in a dumpster.

Now a big issue is whether the big one you land will live. It sometimes takes a long hard fight to get a big one in. That may doom the fish. Also , sometimes the fish is mortally injured by the hook(s) . So you need to assess that issue too. Other's have mentioned this also when they choose to keep a big fish they would like to release but just will not survive.

Some guys keep every legal fish they can. Almost like they must. I think the idea is to have people think about the impact keeping certain fish, important to breeding, might have on the fishery.

[SweetD]

Originally Posted by zimmy

I can honestly say I will never keep a bass of more than 15 lbs for the purpose of eating or as a trophy unless that fish cannot or does not survive. I just have absolutely no interest in removing fish of that size from the stock intentionally. I know other people do like to keep bigger fish for a variety of reasons, it is just not something I have any desire to do.

I feel the same way. I released my personal best fish last year. The pictures came out nicely and I felt really good about it afterwards.

[JohnR]

I release 99% (or above) of my keepers. I would say that most of us (here) do.

[Sea Flat]

I agree - One fish is fine to keep, but to me I think the size should be raised a little bit too. Unfortunately, by the time anyone decides to change the regulations it may be a bit late.

One of the hardest things I have ever done while fishing was throwing back two consecutive personal best fish last season. I got one good picture and feel great that I was able to do it. My suggestion to anyone that has their doubts as to whether or not they can throw it back is to buy a camera, something simple and keep it in a water tight bag in your plug bag. I always knew that if I caught a large fish that I would struggle with letting her go so I got the camera and I was able to pull it off.

[JackK]

I release most of my fish... I generally keep a stocked kitchen (unusual for a bachelor, I know ) and unless I know all of the meat will be used right away by myself or others I don't see the point in keeping it. Much more of a hassle to fillet it, anyway.

Now, PBs are a different story. I know that when I got my first 40 this year I had no intention of letting it go... It was just a landmark that I strove for, I knew people who were asking for fish for a BBQ, and the cup was going on. It's gotta be the hardest thing in the world for anyone to knowingly release their PB... More power in the world to you if you can do it, however.

I probably won't keep many (if any) 20-30 pounders ever again... They just don't taste as good as a 28" fish. But when (read: if) that 50 comes around, it's probably coming home with me. Donating the fillets to local food banks/ soup kitchens can also be an option with a fish like that.

RF9 raises an interesting point though. What really irks me is all of the pics I see of people holding cows straight up and down with their hands deep in their gills... with a comment that reads 'caught and released'. The damage to the gills and internal organs must be severe, and even with careful resuscitation the chance of that fish surviving have got to be really low. If you treat a fish like that once it's out of the water, you might as well just keep it.

[DZ]

Due to my age and the fact that I’ve been surf casting stripers for over 40 years I was fortunate to have been one of the initial “trail blazers” in releasing large striped bass starting in the 1980s. Before that time the only striped bass that I ever saw thrown back were sub legal size fish – everything else was kept for personal use or sold. Like Rockfish9 mentioned this was the culture of that time and EVERYONE did it.

The practice of C&R was initially started by a few handfuls of surfcasters during that crash of striped bass stocks in the 1980s. It was during this time that I first met Brad Burns (yes, the same guy from Stripers Forever). On a dark Block Island night at Southwest Bar I released a cow bass and had a guy come up to me and congratulate me for what I did – it was Brad. Come to find out Brad and his crew were also into releasing large bass and were just as passionate as I was. This was refreshing because it was in stark contrast to the general practice of that time which was to ship (re: sell) every bass you could. We got some strange looks (and a few nasty comments) from some of the crowd on the island - one pin hooker actually chased a cow I released with his gaff. Bob Pond, another passionate striped bass conservationist, was also very influential when I spoke with him during the decline. I’ve been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to live release quite a few large bass. To me it is still the most rewarding and responsible thing to do when done correctly and with care.

I have no qualms with someone keeping their personal best, but I always try and instill the large bass C&R mentality onto the new crowd – it’s hard to expect them to throw back large but I still try. I still hope that recreational fishermen here in the northeast will someday eventually “get it”. All around our country anglers have adopted the C&R mentality with regards to the largest of the species they pursue. We are the last holdouts though I’m always encouraged when I see threads like this. C&R peer pressure is good – especially on the young guys that tend to look upon some of the top pin hookers with envy. I was young once, did the same thing and know the feeling. I’ve watched some of these younger guys try and emulate them - it saddens me. C&R is not the same after you have already placed 10 other cows in the coffin,box or cooler.

Although a C&R advocate I still like to eat striped bass and for me it’s all about “selective harvest”, that is keeping a bass that is a perfect legal size for table fare, say 28” to 36”. I also still enter various special event tourneys and would even consider weighing a bass of decent size, but the tourney would have to be a charity event or at the very least, donate its proceeds to a charity/special cause/scholarship.
There you have it - my recruiting plea. Keep your personal best (if so inclined), selectively harvest fish for the table, and release the cows.

DZ

[redlite]

Oh brother, here we go again......
To each their own....
Oustide the tournament, I let 80% of the fish I catch go (most because they're too small).....I only keep em if people(family and freinds) have asked me specifically for fish, and it is not too bad of a job to get them back to the truck.
Here is a break down on my numbers so far for this year---
So far this year I have weighed in 7 fish for the Striper cup, all but 3 were in the commercial season, so they would have been taken anyway. I have kept 8 fish for the table so far. I sold I believe it was only like 20 fish this year, so I have removed about 28 fish from the biomass since the begining of April. That isn't even a bad DAY for a boat during the comm season.I keep the big ones cause they are more yield per fish. I got a 50, and I sold it. If I ever get another, you can bet yo arse its comin home and onto my wall. Do I keep the bigs ones to feed my "ego" or some other hidden human nature? I don't think so. I don't know, but I get a greater stisfaction riding along the canal after slammin fish with empty baskets and people thinking I didn't catch anything than havin 2 fish jammed into my baskets witha flat tire.

As far as tournaments and promoting killing of fish and all that crap, a quick count of the Striper Cup thus far which is the largest and longest running tournament, with approx 5000 people fishing over 5 months, from NJ to Maine, this is the count so far:
60#-6
50#-27
40#-35
30#- 233
Total 301 fish

A vast majority of those fish were commercial fish that would have been kept anyway. So please stop crying that tournaments are so wrong, and bad, and killing ALL the fish......Horse pucky.

Like I say, to each their own, but don't frown upon others that are operating within the guidelines.

[Offshore24]

Catch and release here. My PB was a 42" cow up here in Maine. Released to fight another day. Didn't even have a camera. Had a witness though. I'm not one to preach to others about what I consider ethical or moral. If you're legal then it's your business what you do with your fish. I just wish there were more of them left for us to catch (get it?).

[piemma]

So you guys know how hard I usually fish. Well this year a bit less but still got over 100 legal fish. I have killed two fish this year and both were gut hooked, one swallowed a pogie the other an eel. I cannot do it anymore and I have killed a lot of fish in the past. It has become too valuable of a resource to kill.

Someone on the Board has a signature that has a saying by the famous Lee Wulff. "A striper is to valuable a fish to be only caught once." Cannot be said better.

[Adam_777]

If I keep one or two fish a year I don't feel bad.I fish mostly from shore and with limited time.Haven't kept one in two years.If I do catch a keeper or two in one night I'll keep them and release the rest of the fish.Those 2 keepers will get cut neatly,vacuum packed and frozen and will last me the entire winter and most likely into spring.All will be eaten.I like to eat fish.I like fishing.If I was a pro like most guys on this board and was into big bass every time I went out I most definitely would not keep larger ones if I had a choice between them and smaller size keepers.Never had that choice or option.I'm pretty sure it's the charter boats that are doing the most damage to the population and most of it is under the radar,not the lonely shore angler who hasn't caught a keeper all year.

[WoodyCT]

The sky IS falling.

Just you wait and see.

Everyone who fishes must go above and beyond the 'guidelines' and regs if we are to avoid another collapse. Don't let the managers tell you 2 a day is OK.

Not hating or harshing on anyone here or elsewhere, but the writing is on the wall.

Save a breeder - Eat a schoolie !
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