Viable Egg Answer from Ma. Div. of Marine Fisheries

[labrax]

Who is it at UMASS? - PM me if you like. That is where I went, my buddy went, and I know all of the professors up there. 30 years - that must be Mike Ross, very nice guy always did well in his classes and he was on my committee when I was going for grad degree.

Not saying that you shouldn't take a fish if it is legal. I love eating fish too and will keep a fish for food. What I see though is a lot of people saying that the older bigger fish are all washed up anyway, so might as well take them as the eggs are not going to be viable. What you are arguing, or rather debating - is that the fish has only so many years left to reproduce, so that it is better to take that one rather than a younger smaller fish that has 'X' number of years ahead of it to contribute to the reproduction effort. While that is true - who is to say it will make it there. The big fish already has and during the next spawning season may produce 10x the egg of that smaller female. If these eggs are larger and the resulting fish are in better condition after the absorbtion of the yolk sac - they stand a better chance of making it to juvenile fish and then into adulthood. I see what you are saying, but I do not agree with it either and while I can't speak for Bob - I believe he was just trying to debunk the myth that older larger females produce eggs that are not as viable, or of lesser quality than smaller fish.