Your Take on Catch and Release?

[Nebe]

I used to let most of my bass go until Mrs Nebe came up with a striper chowder recipe that blew my nogen.... no bass is safe now. Im drooling tryping this

my own personal thoughts on the fishery is that there are a lot more people fishing now than there was in the moratorium days when you couldnt find a bass to keep, and those are the people who may not realize that these fish are not to take for granted.

[Rockport24]

I really don't know if the fishery can support the amount of fish that are being taken, but we can only go on the various studies that are put out there. I'm not arguing for or against anything here, but you guys that support raising the size limit or some other conservation-minded change in the law, on what do you base your point of view?

personally, I think size limits should be raised because I think it is always better to err on the side of conservation, really for selfish reasons...I want the fishing to at least stay as good as it is now for the rest of my life, the moratorium sounds like a horrible thing where guys had to go catch trout (god forbid) and I hope I never have to experience one in my fishing career. at the same time, I could just be blindly following the crowd, maybe striper stocks are as strong as ever and the 28 inch thing in Mass is more than sufficient....

[HESH2]

catch mostly schoolies.but all srtipers and blues i catch i release even the few keeper size fish i catch.the only exception is if i'm fishing with my son he wants to keep some fish to eat.

[zimmy]

I generally don't keep bass anymore as my wife is at the brood mare stage of life and can't eat em cause of the pcb's etc. That aside, I used to keep 1 or so a season and they were always smaller. Biggest I've kept is 34" and that was more than 10 years ago. I love watching the bigger ones swim away, part of the fun for me. If/when I get a monster, its going back if it has a good shot at making it. I would like to see regs like they have on drum in NC w/a slot and all big go back. However, that is based on emotion and the science is complicated so I don't know if that is best for the fishery. I would like to see us deal with all fisheries based on what is best ecologically, as opposed to what is best for certain interest groups. Our fisheries are so completely out of whack that our baselines as to what is normal are seriously skewed. I want to see in my life rivers filled with shad, Atlantic salmon and herring so thick you can walk across them, miles and miles of bunker and 80 lb stripers and cod. Not too much to ask is it?

[Chefskeez6]

As long as you fish within the laws you should feel free to take whatever you want. The laws are designed to protect the population.

IMO recreational anglers should have a slot limit or the limit should be increased to 36 etc

When anyone makes a statment like this what are they basing it on? Has someone done a study to indicate the population is declining and further restrictions are required? Even if such a study did exist does it also imply that the reason for this declining fish population is over fishing by recreational anglers?

Anyone who is a catch and release only angler who fishes with bait is a hypocrite IMO. Circle hooks have changed things a lot but any deep hooked fish or a fish bleeding from the gills is going to die.

With all of that said I keep only what I can eat without freezing it. This means if I go fishing late Sunday night and think I won't be able to eat it until the following weekend and I might have to freeze it I let it go. Does this mean I look down on the guy fishing on the rock next to me who takes home 2 fish over the legal limit regardless of what the size is? No. Even someone who fishes all year and fills the freezer doesn't bother me as long as they respect the fish and don't waste.

All recreational fisherman want a healthy fish population regardless of their stance on catch and release and think most would abide by and support any rules or decisions made based on real studies and evidence.

[Flaptail]

I have no problem killing a legal fish as long as there is a definite use for it meaning someone consuming it. I killed a couple larger fish this year after requests were made by non fishing friends who enjoy the taste of bass something which I do not.

That said I have had several fish in the 30 pound range that I could have killed or entered in the catch and release for the Striper Cup and a pin but unless they push the upper end of forty or more (sigh... one can only hope here on the Cape) they won't end up on a scale.

Unless you love to eat bass or sell commercially in season, keeping them to show off and take pics of is not my bag. Besides when you don't eat them or have someone on line ready to pick it up for them to consume they are a pain in the ass to try and unload.

But that's me, it's personal choice. I have caught and released thousands of them, usually sending them on thier way with a sincere thank you. That's my favorite way to get rid of a bass I caught.

[nightfighter]

I'm with Steve (Flap) on this subject. Eaten bass once this year. Will keep a fish ONLY if I know it will be on a grill by the next evening. I pay back property owners who give me access by delivering fillets to their house. I can knock off two to four properties with a 30# fish. (I am way behind on that score, as I have 28 properties I can access.) My family enjoys it and the neighbors have become spoiled over the years, and almost expect it a couple times a season..... But if it isn't destined to be eaten immediately, it swims free.

I do believe there should be a slot in Mass. even though a 37# fish I ate recently was as good as any 28" fish I've tasted.

[fishsmith]

I get sick of em by late May, but have a list of friends who love fresh fish, so I keep my share.
Gutted and iced immediately makes for a meal.
Yesterday a 28" eeker swallowed the lure and was bleeding like mad. It will be grilled up tomorrow.

I'd love to see a slot rule 2 fish -
one between 24 - 28" and one over 36"

[beamie]

Originally Posted by Nebe

I used to let most of my bass go until Mrs Nebe came up with a striper chowder recipe that blew my nogen.... no bass is safe now. Im drooling tryping this

my own personal thoughts on the fishery is that there are a lot more people fishing now than there was in the moratorium days when you couldnt find a bass to keep, and those are the people who may not realize that these fish are not to take for granted.

Eben, could you share the Mrs. recipe with us, sounds good.......