Cpr/c&r

[BingeAndPurge]

Anyone here mainly C&R? I very very rarely fish with the intent of keeping my catch. The kids bug me to fish for food, which is fine for small chanels and a stringer of gills, but mostly we catch, photo, release.

Yesterday, I took them to a kids and seniors only lake. We watched these two older guys with Senkos bucket every bass they reeled in, with oodles of park goers oohing and aweing over their five galon bucket of bass. I very loudly told my kids a few times to never ever keep bass like that, and tried my best to explain why. What I really wanted to do, though, is pack my gear, and dump their fish back in while they weren't looking.

Anyway, I know they were within the regs and rights, but I hate seeing things like this. There's also a couple of notorious Asian fellows who stalk the spillways with nets for whatever they can grab. The reports I've read lately are about the muskee they've been snatching. I'm glad my kids enjoy fishing, and hopefully there'senough out there like myself who prize certain species enough to keep fishing enjoyable for future generations by practicing and teaching catch, photo, release.

[slooby_doo]

I would say that 90-95% of the time I am a C/R guy. I usually fish my state's trout parks where you're obviously encouraged to take them (with a four trout limit), and still C/R them. My daughter always wants to keep them. So far I've kept her at bay by explaining that when she's old enough to clean it herself, then we'll talk about it.

I fish for the enjoyment and to be in nature. I shop to put food on the table. Two different mentalities and actions.

[Rudy Vey]

I normally do only C&R, but when I go salmon fishing, I keep a small fish or two for my colleagues and myself. We all love smoked salmon, one guy has a smoker and does all the work for us (I am just too lazy to smoke them myself).

[_JP_]

If I'm in the mood for a fish dinner, then I'll keep some. Otherwise, I'm only doing it for fun.

If you observe people going over the limit or using illegal methods to fish then that should be reported. I know that using nets in my state is only legal for catching bait.

[BingeAndPurge]

I know that using nets in my state is only legal for catching bait.

Yeah, I'm in Columbus as well. The OGF forum has reports of these guys up at Alum netting saugeye and muskee out of the spillway. The kids and I try to stay away from the masses usually, which is why we've never done the stocking at Antrim. We usually go to the oxbow section at Hoover, which they love when the water is down because they can run up and down the "new" shoreline scavaging everyone's old hangups. My son and I kept some trout in Colorado once, and now he always asks if we can keep and cook our fish.

[EricAT]

It seems to me that sportsmen of today are all trying to out moralize each other. I half expected you to start on how dry flies are the only true form of fishing and the evil of baits. I don't know how things work in Ohio but my experience with senior and kid lakes is that they are heavily stocked with some of the dumbest fish out there. Your opinions are yours and I doubt your lecture did little to the 'offenders' than further entrench them into their opinions. If you honestly think one should fish to be outside and enjoy nature (or that your food should come from the market) then why does it matter if their is a single fish in the lake. Would you care as much if they were catching carp or catfish or does it only count if they are going after fish you like? If you are that disturbed feel free to join groups such as trout unlimited and lobby for changes in the law. I've worked for the game and fish department in Utah and I've made reports for the state and have been at meetings where they review and decide on regulations. Everyone has their own reason to fish and the laws are written to try and be as inclusive as possible while managing a finite resource.

If you feel that your part should be to release every fish you catch good for you. The mortality rate for catch and release fish is small but would you keep a fish if it had taken the hook in a way that made death likely (internal organ injury, or swallowing a hook a bit to large). Personally I feel terrible when I let a fish go only to find it belly up later, so now I always keep the fish if I feel it been mortally wounded. If you feel I have been too blunt I apologize I'm not trying to condemn anyone here, but I get annoyed by people that confuse their rules with the rules. You have your personal guidelines that you follow and that is great, but if you get angry every time you see someone breaking your personal rules you'll create allot of needless stress and find your self enjoying fishing less and less. This is more a vent against all the knuckleheads I dealt with while working for fish and game than you, and I again apologize if this appeared to be a personal attack as it wasn't meant to be so.

[BingeAndPurge]

It seems to me that sportsmen of today are all trying to out moralize each other. I half expected you to start on how dry flies are the only true form of fishing and the evil of baits. I don't know how things work in Ohio but my experience with senior and kid lakes is that they are heavily stocked with some of the dumbest fish out there. Your opinions are yours and I doubt your lecture did little to the 'offenders' than further entrench them into their opinions. If you honestly think one should fish to be outside and enjoy nature (or that your food should come from the market) then why does it matter if their is a single fish in the lake. Would you care as much if they were catching carp or catfish or does it only count if they are going after fish you like? If you are that disturbed feel free to join groups such as trout unlimited and lobby for changes in the law. I've worked for the game and fish department in Utah and I've made reports for the state and have been at meetings where they review and decide on regulations. Everyone has their own reason to fish and the laws are written to try and be as inclusive as possible while managing a finite resource.

If you feel that your part should be to release every fish you catch good for you. The mortality rate for catch and release fish is small but would you keep a fish if it had taken the hook in a way that made death likely (internal organ injury, or swallowing a hook a bit to large). Personally I feel terrible when I let a fish go only to find it belly up later, so now I always keep the fish if I feel it been mortally wounded. If you feel I have been too blunt I apologize I'm not trying to condemn anyone here, but I get annoyed by people that confuse their rules with the rules. You have your personal guidelines that you follow and that is great, but if you get angry every time you see someone breaking your personal rules you'll create allot of needless stress and find your self enjoying fishing less and less. This is more a vent against all the knuckleheads I dealt with while working for fish and game than you, and I again apologize if this appeared to be a personal attack as it wasn't meant to be so.

Whatever, no big deal. I don't keep largemouth or smallmouth, and I'm teaching my kids the same. Theyre prized sportfish around here and not good eating anyway in my opinion. I've kept guthooked pike in Canada while walleye fishing, and pike are a pain to eat. Circle hooks while baitfishing help with this. My friends and I have found more than one secluded quarry that we've seen absolutely decimated once the state purchased them and turned them into parks. It took only one summer of public fishing to kill a set of three quarries.

The lake my kids and I fished the other night is not stocked from the info I've seen.

Not to say there aren't plenty of waters that need the population trimmed to create a healthier environment and to keep stunting from taking place, but the public waters I fish don't have this problem with bass. I know more than a few holes that I'd like to see the gar, carp, or bluegill populations brought down, but other than one small farm pond, the bass population could be better.