Author Topic: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?  (Read 18364 times)

Offline stuckinohio

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Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« on: Dec 20, 2020, 03:42 PM »
I watch a lot of ice fishing videos on Youtube and I see a LOT of catch and release videos.
Jen and I are always sitting there asking each other why. I mean... It wouldn't even occur to us, unless they were not keepers or were breeders.

But all the time, we are seeing eaters being tossed all day long and none kept too many time.
We just dont get it.

Anyone here that can explain this to me, I would listen with an open mind but I honestly just dont get it.

Offline zcm_82

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #1 on: Dec 20, 2020, 03:50 PM »
I love catching fish, never been big on eating them, so back in the drink they go. I've just never been especially fond of the taste of fish. 🤷‍♂️

Offline RapShack

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #2 on: Dec 20, 2020, 03:54 PM »
Are you the guys who saw me releasing short bass and said "hey well take those?" and then I said "they aren't even legal" and then the wife said "doesn't matter to us!"?  I don't get it, someone explain please?

I fish almost every day.  I go fishing because I enjoy it, not because I want to eat fish for every meal.
I'm a man, but I can change, If I have to, I guess.

Online meandcuznalfy

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #3 on: Dec 20, 2020, 03:59 PM »
I don't eat very many trout, but like catching them, so I put them all back, sometimes I'll offer the ones I catch to others around me.

Offline Ole Polanski

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #4 on: Dec 20, 2020, 04:09 PM »
I can only speak for myself on this. And I'm only a trout chaser! To me, IF...U arent gonna eat them and/or they arent gut hooked or bleedin why NOT put them back so maybe someone else like me or better yet a young kid can enjoy catchin them again?? Trout here are stocked and can easily be cleaned out by those killin everythin they catch!  Just my 2 pennys worth!!  Does make U mad to see piles of fish left on the ice or in ice holes by "the killers" tho! No justication what so ever to do that!  Hopefully U get your question answered so U can understand our view point!  Stay safe and well...
"Where there's watah....There's Feesh!"

Offline Iceassin

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #5 on: Dec 20, 2020, 04:11 PM »
The only release I do is the runts. All biguns' come home with me. And in all of my years ( a lot ) of fishing, I have never depleted a body of water of "quality" fish. They are there every year. As long as I follow my states DNR guidelines...which I do.. I'm good. No remorse.
"Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice."
 


Offline skifisher

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #6 on: Dec 20, 2020, 04:16 PM »
To me it’s all about the experience of ice fishing. Catching fish is just an added bonus. Many people like to catch fish to eat, and I do too on occasion. Releasing them is my prerogative, and I will let them go out of respect for the resource. As long as you are keeping and donating fish within the regulations, I have no problem with that...it’s YOUR prerogative! I have a difficult time with the guy who over takes his limit, or otherwise violates the rules. Good Fishing! Ski
"Ice fishing...ah, the anticipation! 🎣”

Offline esox_xtm

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #7 on: Dec 20, 2020, 04:24 PM »
Here's my take:

For the most part those folks fish ALOT. AND often they catch fish. I know the "fill the freezer" mentality. Usta be there. Then, sure enough, every coupla years I'd find some freezer burned hunk(s) of fish jammed in back or the bottom not fit for human consumption so it would get pitched. Can't feed it to the pets, good as I am, they don't know how to look out for any stray bones. My new personal rules became if I've got two meals in the freezer it's C&R unless I'm eating that catch fresh in the next 24 hours. Just me.

Additionally, there are possession limits. That's the total amount of fish you can have in your possession at any given time. In WI it's one daily bag limit plus that same amount in your fridge, freezer, cooler. where ever. That means if the daily bag limit for walleyes is 5, I can catch 5 walleyes and take 'em home. I can do that again tomorrow too. BUT if I put 'em all in the freezer and I go fishing again I would be violating to keep any of my walleye catch.

Back to the celebrity anglers: Since they have reputations to maintain how would that look if they not only catch fish but a ticket for violating whatever at where ever? Not so hot. So C&R is really necessary for lots of those folks. Of course they promote C&R as well and yep, it's sound silly to folks like us that have time where we struggle to catch fish with any regularity. But we're not them.

I got hollered at for keeping a 22" walleye during the spawning run one year. "You're killing millions of walleyes!" It was the only fish we caught all weekend and we only made the one trip that year. Sure, I was the bad guy but it was ONE FISH. C&R is a slippery slope both for folks that do or don't. Usually I just try and mind my own business. If someone doesn't like it I consider that their problem.
To fish or not to fish? That's a stupid question!



“Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality.”― Lewis Carroll

Offline Gunflint

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #8 on: Dec 20, 2020, 04:26 PM »
Here's my take:
Usually I just try and mind my own business. If someone doesn't like it I consider that their problem.

Great answer!!!!!

X2
Veritas Odium Parit

Offline Dave R

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #9 on: Dec 20, 2020, 04:43 PM »
I only keep enough for a meal. The rest go back down the hole.

Offline Gunflint

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #10 on: Dec 20, 2020, 04:54 PM »
I can understand releasing fish.  Especially if you fish a lot.  But, I only fish 2 or 3 times a week.  We only eat fish once or twice a week.  However, even if I limit out when I go, I'm not going to throw the fish back.  And, I don't freeze fish, at all!!!  I just don't like them if they aren't fresh.  What I do is clean them and give them to friends and family that don't fish.  I have a few elderly friends that very much enjoy fish but can't get out.  I'm not going to take more then my limit, but if I can catch a limit, they always go home to be used by someone.

X2 - I was a major provider of trout this summer to an elderly couple near my cabin who were very grateful for what they received.
Veritas Odium Parit

Offline lefty2053

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #11 on: Dec 20, 2020, 05:06 PM »
Used to keep fish a lot. Then it dawned on me my wife doesn't eat fish so I started releasing almost everything. During the Winter I might bring home 2-4 but that is it. I even catch and release from the boat. Bend the barbs down on my lures so they come off easier. I have a brother in law and his 2 boys mad at me for catch and release. But why catch and freeze everything just because I can?
<===Lefty===

Offline Iceassin

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #12 on: Dec 20, 2020, 05:11 PM »
And I'm good with frozen fish. The secret? 2 dont's...over rinse too long after cleaning and NEVER soak in salt water. Zip lock freezer bags 3/4 full of water...burp the air...into the freezer. Re-rinse a little after thawing. Good for about a year. Never had a complaint from those I gave to or fixed for.
"Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice."
 


Offline DR.SPECKLER

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #13 on: Dec 20, 2020, 05:19 PM »
I only fish for and keep panfish and pike during the winter.and some early spring walleye.mainly due to cleaning fish is easier in the winter as they are full of crap and stink more in the warmer months.i do alot of catch,photo and release except for winter.

Offline Arctic Addict

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #14 on: Dec 20, 2020, 05:35 PM »
I typically only fish for Lake Trout through the ice.  Very seldom do I keep one.  For me, I am after a PB ever time I fish.  Obviously, it doesn't always happen but that is what drive me to fish along with being outside and taking it all in.  Lake Trout in my area are "managed" but the fishery has taken a beating.  Given that the trout I catch can be 15-25 years old, and I'm not starving, I release them.  I fish every weekend and I would like to see the fishery continue for generations to come. 
"Hope" is not a good fishing strategy!

Offline Evinrude58

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #15 on: Dec 20, 2020, 05:40 PM »
For me it is simple math. I fish 4-5 days a week about 48-50 weeks a year. I mainly target Crappie and do quite well at catching them. If I caught and kept 2 limits a week (I could do that easily most weeks) that would be 60 a week of 10" or better fish. Since it is just me and the wife we normally use 3 fish a meal, so 60 fish would be twenty meals a week. So I release most of what I catch because I don't want to eat fish 3 times a day.

Offline RStock521

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #16 on: Dec 20, 2020, 05:40 PM »
I'll keep fish on occassion, but like mentioned above, I normally only keep a small inventory in the freezer these days and C&R the rest.  Part of it is that I'm lazy.  After a long day out on the ice, the last thing I want to do spend a couple hours cleaning fish and cleaning up all that mess.  Maybe it's just that I'm getting old  :-\

Offline Rebelss

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #17 on: Dec 20, 2020, 05:41 PM »
X2 - I was a major provider of trout this summer to an elderly couple near my cabin who were very grateful for what they received.

I'd be grateful too. I'll PM ya my address.   ;D

C&R for me too......more about just being out in the outdoors in the boat and catching some.
I like Fall best. Pulled one after another of these in one late afternoon this September...kept enough
for din-din, and the rest went back in.



“The mass of men live lives of quiet desperation”  Thoreau

Offline Arctic Addict

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #18 on: Dec 20, 2020, 05:44 PM »
I'll keep fish on occassion, but like mentioned above, I normally only keep a small inventory in the freezer these days and C&R the rest.  Part of it is that I'm lazy.  After a long day out on the ice, the last thing I want to do spend a couple hours cleaning fish and cleaning up all that mess.  Maybe it's just that I'm getting old  :-\

Totally agree, way better at the end of the day to have a nice cold beer and tell fish stories then process fish. 
"Hope" is not a good fishing strategy!

Offline Buckshots

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #19 on: Dec 20, 2020, 05:47 PM »
I can understand releasing fish.  Especially if you fish a lot.  But, I only fish 2 or 3 times a week.  We only eat fish once or twice a week.  However, even if I limit out when I go, I'm not going to throw the fish back.  And, I don't freeze fish, at all!!!  I just don't like them if they aren't fresh.  What I do is clean them and give them to friends and family that don't fish.  I have a few elderly friends that very much enjoy fish but can't get out.  I'm not going to take more then my limit, but if I can catch a limit, they always go home to be used by someone.
So if I’m reading this correctly, you are admitting to taking home more than you are legally allowed?

2-3 times a week is a lot IMO. I don’t keep many fish because we just don’t eat it that often. Maybe twice a month. A limit of panfish goes a long ways. I like to catch fish to catch fish, not to eat them. I also hate cleaning fish. I can keep everything I catch, and I’ll end up with a freezer full of old fish I’ve never ate.

Offline DR.SPECKLER

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #20 on: Dec 20, 2020, 05:54 PM »
A limit of panfish does not go a long way in this household.i got to fight the heathens off to get a few fish in my belly!!lol when my kid was younger i could get by with 15 fish but now the wife and kid love fish and we eat a limit of fish for dinner easily.

Offline DrummerManDrew

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #21 on: Dec 20, 2020, 06:15 PM »
A guy from Colorado sends me this picture of about 13 trout between 10-14”. He tells me that is was his buddy out there and his buddy sent him a picture, and he was sharing this picture with everyone??? Thoughts? So... I explained to him that it’s always fortunate for the one guy who’s knows all the rules for them not to apply to him.

In my opinion, if your going to catch it to eat it, play by the rules. Yes it is annoying when your having a great day on the water, but conservation and not over harvesting a lake it just as important. CO has the worst influx of people and the reservoirs are suffering big time from all of these people, not playing by the rules.

Just my opinion on catch and release
Be well and DO Good Work!

Offline zcm_82

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #22 on: Dec 20, 2020, 06:25 PM »
I'll keep fish on occassion, but like mentioned above, I normally only keep a small inventory in the freezer these days and C&R the rest.  Part of it is that I'm lazy.  After a long day out on the ice, the last thing I want to do spend a couple hours cleaning fish and cleaning up all that mess.  Maybe it's just that I'm getting old  :-\

That's true here, too. On the rare occasion I do keep fish once or twice a year, it's just a couple channel catfish. One or two is plenty for a meal, and they're easy to clean. I hate cleaning fish.   :-\

Offline esox_xtm

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #23 on: Dec 20, 2020, 06:26 PM »
A limit of panfish does not go a long way in this household.i got to fight the heathens off to get a few fish in my belly!!lol when my kid was younger i could get by with 15 fish but now the wife and kid love fish and we eat a limit of fish for dinner easily.

You just gotta learn how to get on the bigguns Doc!  ;)2 I steered my Dad many years back when he was looking at retirement property. Was gonna be on a chain of lakes in late September. They stopped back on their way home and said I'm gonna leave some bluegills for your family. He left six and went home.  "What's everyone else gonna eat?" , I'm thinkin"...  Pan dressed (his usual), scaled, gutted, no head or dorsal but tail intact. Could only get one in a 10" pan at a time.

It was fine... ;)2

 ;)2
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Offline skifisher

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #24 on: Dec 20, 2020, 06:31 PM »
Drummer, I couldn’t agree with you more. This is a definite violation of the regulations, (unless there were several others fishing with him), and should be addressed. It’s people like that who take more than they’re entitled to, and deplete the resources. I hate hearing that!
"Ice fishing...ah, the anticipation! 🎣”

Offline GBguy

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #25 on: Dec 20, 2020, 06:33 PM »
Depends what I'm catching, but like others here, I have way more fun catching than I do cleaning, and I'm all alone so I don't need a bunch of fish for me. A handful of perch or panfish or maybe a whitefish or two.

Offline kasilofchrisn

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #26 on: Dec 20, 2020, 08:29 PM »
I end up with so much fish from summer fishing fresh and saltwater that I don't need to keep any in winter but a meals worth here and there.
Properly vac sealed in our chamber vac or properly canned keeps them good for a long time.
I don't keep what I'm not going to eat except a few fish given to elders or others.
Fishing is still fun even if I'm not keeping them.
I guess I don't understand only going fishing to keep fish?
There are certainly times for both C&R and keeping fish.
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Offline stripernut

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #27 on: Dec 20, 2020, 09:19 PM »
I like eating the saltwater fish that I catch more; Haddock, fluke, SeaBass, and Tutaog are just better eating... Most winters I do one maybe two trips for panfish for a fish fry. The rest go back down the hole to catch again!

Offline TickleStick

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #28 on: Dec 20, 2020, 11:07 PM »
I fish for fun not to eat...
 
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Offline VTLakers

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Re: Catch & Release ... WHO & WHY?
« Reply #29 on: Dec 21, 2020, 02:08 AM »
I typically only fish for Lake Trout through the ice.  Very seldom do I keep one.  For me, I am after a PB ever time I fish.  Obviously, it doesn't always happen but that is what drive me to fish along with being outside and taking it all in.  Lake Trout in my area are "managed" but the fishery has taken a beating.  Given that the trout I catch can be 15-25 years old, and I'm not starving, I release them.  I fish every weekend and I would like to see the fishery continue for generations to come.

x2 Every time I go out I want to try to catch my PB.

 



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