Whatever happened to “Catch and Release”?

[MotoXcowboy]

I fished alot this summer/fall (missed the spring run b/c i couldnt walk, (crashed the bike...). Anyways, out of the 300 or so stripers I caught, only a half dozen were keepers. 3 went home with me. All 34" or under.. Out of those three I got a bunch of meals, the 34 yeilded 7 small meals! A few fillets were even given to friends and family, and I still had a ton of fish in the freezer most of the season...infact i still have a big hunk in the freezer from Novembers catch.

I too wonder how guys killing 2 a night have the room in their bellies or freezers to keep all that meat..

I like to eat stripers but not every night!!
eh jus my 2cents..

The bloos on the other hand...they usually injure themselves during the battle so I take the dying ones home for my friend to smoke or I mix up a little bloopo for my dog cowboy...

[Sea Dangles]

I haven't been fishing long but have invested a lot of $$$ into gear,gas etcetera and it almost becomes a break even to keep some fish.It's always nice to invite the neighbors over for some eats or give some fresh filets to family or even hunting friends that reciprocate with game.Right now I'm down to maybe three vac bags of @ 2-3 pounds each.Hell I bought a foodsaver just to keep it nice so yeah,it's become a way of life.Why should I buy previously frozen tilapia filets when I can eat something I dream about catching all winter?Not to mention losing sleep as well as $3.00 a gallon for a 100 mile round trip.Plenty get sent back because I hope to striper fish with my kids when I get older and I don't feel I take more than I'm entitled to.
As for the second question;personally I'll let the #30's go and pose with and eat the #40's.They do not taste as good as the 30" fish but they still are good eats.
And lastly I've never belonged to a club but intend to join Newport and Narragansett and would do so with the hope of giving something back to the fishery.Not to mention adding my name to any piece of hardware imaginable

[shadow]

I lose respect for a guy who's standing in a photo holding two very large fish. I can't see keeping two fish of any size in one night. I love to eat bass yet only keep one fish a month usually under 20#. my two largest fish this year were relased.why? because I already had fish in the freezer. I really cant say I would of released a 40 or larger with or without fish in thr freezer thoubasically I don't like to see waste or abuse legally or illegally.

[inTHERAPY]

I love to fish. It's an obsession! I am a conservationist, not a preservationist. It sounds a bit hypocritical to criticize a fisherman for taking his/her 2 fish whenever they want. I do not even comprehend why someone would question "why do you keep....?". If I want to eat it, sell it, give it away, show it off, so what?

[parker23]

I keep a few fish/month. Most are in the 28"-32" range. 1 fish of that size feeds 2 people, 3 very large meals. I freeze the leftovers for cakes and chowder. Larger fish are just too big for a small family. Giving away fish to neighbors IMO 1/2 the fish are wasted because a lot of people do not cook fish at home. If I do keep a larger because of hooking issues, I will give fish to family and good friends that I know will cook and eat within 24 hours.

I caught a few small tuna in late July. I ate it every night. I gave 2 nice steaks to a good customer/friend and the steaks are still in his F%*&^%%$$ freezer. Frozen Tuna steaks, I wanted to kill him, but he gives me lots of $$$ every year.

This year I kept 2 fish in one morning due to deep hook sets and excessive bleeding. Both fish were in the 40" range. I called 10 friends and made a feast on the grill that same day.

1 fish a week is fine for my family. Some weeks I will release all because I need a break from bass.

Someday, I will keep my lifetime fish as long as it exceeds my father’s catch of a 64# bass in 1966. My mother just made him remove the mount from the living room after 39 years and made him relocate it to his office. I personally thought she was committing a mortal sin, however, dad has to live w/her.

90% of the large fish I catch will not be lifted out of the water. They are quickly unhooked, revived and splash water in my face when they are ready to go. If I have a fishing partner to operate the camera great, if not I have the memory store in my fishing side of the brain.

[Raider Ronnie]

After reading some this tread I tried to add up how many bass I filleted this past season and I estamate in the hundreds
But I work a LOT of charters and Paying customers want their 2 fish to take home !!!
SORRY !!!

[SandyPtMayor]

valid points by all, respect our sport for it's our tomorrows...

[rhodyflyguy]

i probably kept 20 or 30 bass this season. all of them went to a foodbank and people who love fish. the same can be said for fluke, blackfish and tuna. overall i personally kept 2 or 3 bass, 1 small BFT, 7 or 8 fluke, and 3 or 4 blackfish.

[Mike P]

I like to eat bass, so I'll keep about 4 a season. I like teen fish for the table. The only time I'll keep a big fish is if it's imjured and likely to die, or if I land one in a place where it's too risky to try to revive it and release it.

Personally, I could give a rat's patootie if anyone believes me or not if I mention that I released a 40 pound + fish. I know I caught it--why should I care whether anyone else believes it?

[nightfighter]

I primarily fish from private properties, or use private accesses to public spots. I always repay the owners who grant me access with a side from one of the first keepers caught from their property or access, if they are interested AND can cook it that day. I filet it for them and leave it iced in a cooler at their door for them. Blows them away. Guarantees me years of access. If I leave them both sides, their friends are often invited and if they are shorefront owners.....you get the drift. Two filets got shipped from my freezer to Chicago and we got a ten pound Christmas roast in return. I really enjoy having people eat striper that was swimming just hours ago. As I mostly fish predawn, most fish are released. (I do have to go to work from the beach) I would guess that I keep one in twenty legal fish and don't ever recall keeping more than one on a day. And I don't consider myself a trophy hunter. Most of the fish I can fool are 30-40 inch. If I need someone to vouch for that, I can often call Clogston or Luds48 over.

[topwatertom]

I keep enough fish to keep my family and friends bellies full, all right, I do keep a small pouch of wasabi with me at all times. STRIPER SHASHIMI!!, but I never kill more then will be consumed. Hey, with the cost of fishing: boat 3000/year, fuel 2800/ year,rack fee 1800/year, insurance 500/year, winterization 450/year, ice, bait, oil etc 3000/year.11,000 plus per year! I'll keep what I want and sleep well at night. Target the dredgers and netters that leave em dead as by catch!!! My 10 fish each year are well paid for.

[jkswimmer]

YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT GUYS WITH BIG FISH PICTURES

[Swimmer]

People who write and research the sport of fishing should be paying close attention to this board and the opinons and ideas of its members. Its the answers and opinons you all gave here that will keep the bass around.

Not to create a flame where thier isn't any, but there are boat captains that keep and sell anything and everything they get thier hands on when no one is looking. They preach one thing out of one side of thier mouth all the while hypocrasy rears its ugly head out of the other side of the mouth. And ther is no one around to watch them. Rec guys might take 80 % of the bass like MakoMike says, but that can't compete against rogue charter captains that know where the fish are on a day to day basis and hunt them down with or without clients on board. Someone is always around to watch the rec guy, but no one is ever there to watch the boat captain who has a propensity toward whatever........

When we have guys here like PETE G who rolls every bass back into the surf thats something to be proud of and looked up too. I congratulate saltwatersedge and thier clients for doing that. On the flip side thier is nothing unlawful about taking your two fish. Many people here have taken the stand since I have been on this site, since 2000, that C & R is the way to go to preserve our future. It used to be the other way around.

[DZ]

Thanks for all the replys - some real good opinions that were well thought out. I respect them all. They have really helped me understand the "mind set" of those of us who chase bass.

Appreciate all your input.

DZ

[RIROCKHOUND]

Missed this one yesterday; good provocative thread DZ
I probably killed 10 bass this season, maybe less; I cant remember
I prefer 15lb fish to eat, but like Mike P. said, if it's injured or bleeding profusly, I'm not putting a legal fish back thats going to die; I'd rather eat it than waste it.
I think you have a different perspective DZ, one that comes from being fortunate enough to have held multiple 50's; most of us who havent landed a fish that big can say we'd release them, but only at the moment of truth will we know for sure.

I also know who you were talking about w/ the 50's this fall; we can talk at the next meeting, I have fairly strong opinons about that that I dont want to discuss on here, remind me in a few weeks, and I passed along your requests to our January speaker.
B

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by Swimmer

People who write and research the sport of fishing should be paying close attention to this board and the opinons and ideas of its members. Its the answers and opinons you all gave here that will keep the bass around.

Not to create a flame where thier isn't any, but there are boat captains that keep and sell anything and everything they get thier hands on when no one is looking. They preach one thing out of one side of thier mouth all the while hypocrasy rears its ugly head out of the other side of the mouth. And ther is no one around to watch them. Rec guys might take 80 % of the bass like MakoMike says, but that can't compete against rogue charter captains that know where the fish are on a day to day basis and hunt them down with or without clients on board. Someone is always around to watch the rec guy, but no one is ever there to watch the boat captain who has a propensity toward whatever........

When we have guys here like PETE G who rolls every bass back into the surf thats something to be proud of and looked up too. I congratulate saltwatersedge and thier clients for doing that. On the flip side thier is nothing unlawful about taking your two fish. Many people here have taken the stand since I have been on this site, since 2000, that C & R is the way to go to preserve our future. It used to be the other way around.

If someone wants to keep a fish we certainly don't stop them, we just don't encourage it either. You'll never hear any preaching about catch and release, but we try and support the idea. If someone rolls into the parking lot with 2 (or more if they're commercial) slobs in a coffin I'm the first out there to take a look at them.

Bottom line is sites like this, businesses like ours, and the sport we enjoy, are completely based on the health of the striped bass fishery. What the hell is "healthy enough"? Or that the "stocks are sufficient"? Sorry, imo it could always be better. Every fish released supports the fishery.

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by Swimmer

. Rec guys might take 80 % of the bass like MakoMike says, but that can't compete against rogue charter captains that know where the fish are on a day to day basis and hunt them down with or without clients on board. Someone is always around to watch the rec guy, but no one is ever there to watch the boat captain who has a propensity toward whatever........

I think most regulatory agencies count the charter and head boat catch under the "rec" category

[JoeyM]

Originally Posted by Slipknot

I for one would love to know where that figure is arrived from. And also if it includes all the bycatch dead stripers in that total. I am not that surprised by it since there are thousands more times recreational fishermen than commercial fishermen fishing for bass, so why not say that recs kill 5 times as many? What difference does it make which group catches the lions' share?

those figures are easily obtained from the NOAA fisheries website. and for 2004, it's actually about 81%, 2003 was around 76%.

commercial harvest for all states for striped bass totalled about 6 million lbs. in 2004.

recreational harvest was about 26 million lbs. in 2004.

i dont think those figures include bycatch.

but that info is out there too if you do a little research. for example, for 2003 according to the atlantic states marine fisheries council, recs landed 76% of the fish and this is broken down as 48% harvest and 28% discard. commercial harvest was 24% total divided as 18% harvest and 5% discard.

no matter how it's worded i think his point was rec's kill more bass total, and most rec's probably think, "commercial fishing kills so many fish, it won't matter if i keep all the fish i can".

but the people get mad when they see commercial pics like this (2005 NC commercial fisherman, this was supposedly his whole season's catch):



even though recs ultimately kill a lot more bass...

btw, i really know nothing about this subject. the internet is an amazing thing though. i can pull up these numbers with real references and it took me about 5 minutes of research.

as for me, i prolly kill more bass than the average rec fisherman (always within legal limits)...and i dont feel bad about it at all. absolutely not a single ounce of my fish is wasted. i dont even filet fish cuz that wastes too much meat (ton of meat in the head and backbone). we eat every edible portion of the fish.

[JoeyM]

Originally Posted by parker23

I caught a few small tuna in late July. I ate it every night. I gave 2 nice steaks to a good customer/friend and the steaks are still in his F%*&^%%$$ freezer. Frozen Tuna steaks, I wanted to kill him, but he gives me lots of $$$ every year.

nothing wrong with frozen tuna....think about this, all the fish in the tokyo fish market is sold in the frozen state, and we know how fanatical they are in regards to tuna quality. pretty much all the commercial tuna are flash frozen, which means all the tuna in japanese restaurants across the usa was once frozen.

sashimi from frozen tuna is delicious. no reason to be mad at him...your friend can enjoy it over months, while yours is all gone.

[Squibby17]

I kept 4 bass this year and probably released over 100. My father always gets mad at me for putting so many back because after all some of my gear he bought years ago, at this point I lie to him and tell him i got skunked even if I caught 4 "keepers"

One night this year my friend and I went out and caught 4-5 nice fish and released all of them. On our ride back in I caught a 22 inch fish that completely swallowed my jig. Even with my nice pliers I had a hard time getting the hook out and the fish was bleeding profusely. There was absolutley no way this fish was going to survive and I did attempt to revive it. You know what I did? I put it in the cooler and took it home. The only undersized fish I have ever taken. I know its illegal but in this situation I took my chances with the law because the image of a little bass floating upside down seemed a great waste to me. I may raise some eye brows with this story but we are entitled to our own opinions. I agree with what most have said here I would rather keep a 28" than a cow. That little bass was the best striper I ever ate in my life although the circumstances were not something I would like to face again.

[JoeyM]

here's a little bit about weighing your trophy with your boga and then releasing it (this was for muskies, but i think a lot of it applies here):

The Risks of Vertical Holds:

1. Muskies lifted by a gaff or suspended for weighing from the tip of the lower jaw risk internal separation of the connection between the two halves of the lower jaw (it is a two piece bone) and this will prevent effective feeding after its release.

2. It has been reported that big largemouth bass when held unsupported by an exaggerated lip lock have suffered jaw damage. Now consider a 15 to 40 pound muskellunge - its jaw and associated muscles and ligaments were not constructed to support that weight under the influence of gravity.

3. The V-shaped connective tissue on the underside of the head comes under significant stress (stretched and distended) when absorbing the unrelenting weight of the fish's torso. This are is attached to the gill arches and delicate vascular tissue which, if damaged could result in the death of the fish minutes after release.

4. The cervical vertebrae (the sections of the spine connected to the skull) are subjected to enormous strain making likely nerve damage. Under the influence of the weight of the body, it will bend backward and twist in unnatural ways. A thrashing muskie will strain the delicate nerves in a range of directions,

5. Another fairly evident problem with vertical holds is organ slippage. Within the abdominal cavity, the liver, kidneys, heart, gonads, and GI tract are held in place by membranous connective tissues. Within a vertically held muskie, the force exerted by some of these heavier organs will result in these tissues stretching and tearing as the organs slide back toward the pelvic fins.

6. Any time a fish is lifted vertically, there is a greater chance that the it will be accidentally dropped. The result is a fish banging around the bottom of the boat. The consequences of this include internal injuries as well as loss of the protective mucous and damage to the cells that produce it.

the other side to this is, what somebody else said: that the released fish still has a better chance than if it was in your fishbox. also, all of this is basically anecdotal. havent seen a good well designed study yet. meaning there is no real statistical evidence that these things are true. the study maybe out there, but i didnt find it.

despite all that, i can probably believe holding big fish vertically isnt good.

[vineyardblues]

Hi DZ

I can't fish off the beach at lunch because of where I live.
So if I am on the island or cape cod for a weekend and I am lucky to catch a striper I do keep it. Yes I fish alot,,,do I catch alot .? NOT

My friends expect fish every time I come home ...lol

My personal best striper from the shore was let go to live another day. The day before the MV derby started, I thought for sure I would catch him again in the next 30 days!....lol

I sold many stripers in the late 80s and 90s , last time was in 1992
and still buy my license every year, just "because"

Besides I think Tuna is better eating fish

Have a great New Year

VB

[GBOUTDOORS]

The law here in Mass. says you can keep 2 fish 28 + inches. If this is what you do please do not feel bad about it so long as they make it to yours or a friends table. If you feel so stronge about not keeping bass as food then why fish for them at all?????????????????? because the law says you can right? So please do not tell me you are trying to conserve the fish this to me would mean not to fish at all as some would like to see!!!!!! I do keep 15 to 20 fish per year for the table and like the smaller fish for food. But to you that say let the big ones go to breed I have asked this many times of the experts in the field and have been told every time that the larger the fish the more likly they will not be around in a few years but that a 28" fish will be for many years to come so you do more harm by keeping those 30# and under than the large fish as far as the breeding gos. This makes sence to me even thought I do release most large fish I get.

[Steve K]

Originally Posted by JoeyM

nothing wrong with frozen tuna....think about this, all the fish in the tokyo fish market is sold in the frozen state, and we know how fanatical they are in regards to tuna quality. pretty much all the commercial tuna are flash frozen, which means all the tuna in japanese restaurants across the usa was once frozen.

sashimi from frozen tuna is delicious. no reason to be mad at him...your friend can enjoy it over months, while yours is all gone.

Very true but flash freezing does a lot less damage to the flesh of a fish than the freezer that you have at home because it freezes so much faster. Almost all the fish that you get at a sushi bar was once frozen.

[Diggin Jiggin]

Just curious, but are the 2 fish caught per person and kept on charters that Raider Ron mentioned considered comm or Rec ?

[Flaptail]

I don't begrudge anyone for taking what is legally allowable but myself I did not keep one fish this year other than some school bluefin tuna to eat. Last year I kept one big fish that was sure to die but let my biggest fish of the year go, a 47 inch fish on Race Point one night.
Back in November the day after Veterans day, myself and Art Crago let many, many fish between 20 and 30 pounds go while plugging the Elizabeths in one day.

I like bass to eat, unfortunately the ones I enjoy are like 16 to 18 inches long and haven't eaten one like that in a long long time. The big ones are heavy of palate to me. Not my cup of tea so to speak.

Now if I was to land a 60 pounder I would defenitely mount that fish and could probably get a good nights rest once and for all in bass season. Would definetly be a head clearer.

My best fishing was not in the late 70's and early eighties but was when the limit on bass went to 36 inches here in MA. I could float the east and west bars of Barnstable Harbor and think nothing of taking 5 or 6 fish in a day over 20 pounds on my fly rods, never mind the dozens of others that were 30 inches or better. That was my most "fun" fishing in decades.

I am now of the persuasion that there should be some kind of slot limit.

Good thread Dennis!

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by GBOUTDOORS

But to you that say let the big ones go to breed I have asked this many times of the experts in the field and have been told every time that the larger the fish the more likly they will not be around in a few years but that a 28" fish will be for many years to come so you do more harm by keeping those 30# and under than the large fish as far as the breeding gos. This makes sence to me even thought I do release most large fish I get.

Who are these experts? I just have trouble believing that. A 30# fish could be around for another 5 to 10, maybe more years.

I believe in the idea (and plenty of unbiased scientists support it) that we are changing the gene pool in heavily harvested fish species by focusing on taking the larger fish. To me, a 30# plus fish is likely a genetically superior fish. She survived when her school mates haven't. Maybe she's smarter, faster, stronger, bigger, etc. What happens when you take that breeding fish out? Un-natural selection. Now maybe this fish is past it's breeding prime (less and lower quality eggs), but it's still dropping genetically superior eggs if it is in fact breeding.

[Labrador1]

Just thought I'd chime in on a couple side issues. I know that many people say that big fish should go back because they don't taste as good. Just felt the need to mention that I agree that they taste (texture) different, but wouldn't agree that they don't taste good. Keep in mind that some people can't stand bluefish while others think of them as prized table fair. I killed one big fish on the Cape two years ago that fed my dad, brother and I for the entire trip.

Second - I can't say that I agree that no one should keep two fish per day. If I decide to keep fish on a particular day, I will usually keep a limit - I figure if I'm going to the trouble of icing, cleaning, packaging etc. I might as well keep my limit. I'd much rather spend most of my days letting fish go. In other words I generally kill no fish, but if I do, its usually two.

Having said all that, I never kept a single fish this year. Most years I do keep a few, but just never wanted to kill any this year. Just thought I'd mention that since the above might make me sound like a fish hog. And it has become harder for me to kill a big fish. Just a personal thing - but I look at 'em and figure they've beat the odds - I don't like being the one ending that streak.

[JoeP]

I don't think there is a really good reason to keep a large fish. With the apparent shortage nowadays of those very large fish I think that every one we can keep alive is better for the fishery.

If the reason to keep a fish is to eat it, I agree that keeping 12-20 LBers or so is a better option. If the reason is to mount a personal best, I think there are enough places around to get a "fake" mount done that will duplicate the fish in a lifelike manner with just an inches measurement & weight estimate or picture if that is available. I don't see the point in killing a big fish just to mount it.

Personally, I don't keep any fish - both because I'd rather see them swim away & because I never feel like leaving my spot to go put the fish down & then having to clean it in the middle of the night.

[GBOUTDOORS]

Pete-G the experts would be DR John Reardon head of marine bio at U-Mass 30 yrs, #^&#^&#^&#^& Hickney Mass division of marine fisheries, Gb Jr marine bio Mass division of marine fisheries. Now I am not saying they are right but me being just a dumb old fisherman will bow to thier years of knowledge and work in the field and go with it. That and it does seem to make sence to me,and every time I ask I get the same answer also as you said they say that the eggs from the older larger fish do not do as well.