MyFishFinder.com Just like iceshanty but warmer
I'm a believer that our lakes are more pressured than ever, and toss in recent advances in gear (just in the last 10 years), it's not going to take much to deplete a resource. The C&R movement is aimed at allowing for the increased fishing pressure so everyone can enjoying reeling a fish in, whatever species it may be. I'm not that old, but can remember when I was a young lad and seeing the same guys re-drilling the same holes day after day throughout the winter and filling a bucket with panfish (not too long ago WI limits were 50 panfish). Those were the same guys that would say "the bites really slowed down the last couple days"... when asked how they were doing, almost like there was no acknowledgment to the 250+ panfish they'd already pulled out of the same area and as if it was an endless resource. Luckily this doesn't happen as often anymore, as like I said with the increased pressure we'd see a lot of lakes in some real trouble now. Responsible catch and keep is possible, but requires everyone to self regulate, and that is hard for some people. As a whole the fishing community respects the variety of freshwater fishing resources we have in our country, and want to continue to pass that opportunity down to the next generation of fisherman and women. Usually for a meal of panfish, my wife and I will keep five or six fish and fry them up that night. Rarely do we put fish in the freezer anymore, as it's more fun to have to go and and catch it fresh if that's what we want for a meal. I respect anyone's right to keep what they're going to eat, but will never agree with the crowd that hordes and stockpiles freezers of fish where most will burn and go to waste.
I sometimes wonder (a lot actually) why the management in charge does not do their jobs.IMO lack of fish and game shortages (due to large bag limits) cannot be blamed on the sportsman.The sportsman follows guide lines with faith that limits are set by management.Don't blame the people paying to hunt and fish. Blame the people in charge of the management.While I see what you are saying and agree, I lay the blame at the feet of those who's job it is to regulate and ensure abundant wildlife.
First of all, I don’t think anyone would be complaining about the lack of fish and game shortages.That said, the biologists and managers are doing what they can with what they’ve got. There’s no perfect way to manage the populations and keep everyone happy at the same time. In addition to sampling efforts that have a margin of error, they can only estimate the level of take season over season. There are so many variables involved that blaming them for a lack of fish/game is a bit misguided. If they came out and closed a season on a species in order to manage the population, I’d imagine there’d be some barking about that, too. It doesn’t go both ways. Too many people want to blame biologists and managers for lower numbers while also keeping everything they catch. These are usually the same type of people who aren’t honest on harvest reports for fear of having bag limits lowered, not realizing that the dishonesty is counter-productive.Kinda foolish to point the blaming finger at them while also taking everything you can. It’s a bit absurd to think that fish and game populations can be managed effectively without conservation-minded sportsmen contributing a little, as well.
First of all, I don’t think anyone would be complaining about the lack of fish and game shortages.
That said, the biologists and managers are doing what they can with what they’ve got. There’s no perfect way to manage the populations and keep everyone happy at the same time. In addition to sampling efforts that have a margin of error, they can only estimate the level of take season over season. There are so many variables involved that blaming them for a lack of fish/game is a bit misguided.
If they came out and closed a season on a species in order to manage the population, I’d imagine there’d be some barking about that, too. It doesn’t go both ways. Too many people want to blame biologists and managers for lower numbers while also keeping everything they catch. These are usually the same type of people who aren’t honest on harvest reports for fear of having bag limits lowered, not realizing that the dishonesty is counter-productive.
Kinda foolish to point the blaming finger at them while also taking everything you can. It’s a bit absurd to think that fish and game populations can be managed effectively without conservation-minded sportsmen contributing a little, as well.
You've got some good points for sure.Yes I've heard of people lying on harvest reports or creel surveys.They think they are helping and/or keeping others from knowing their productive fishing areas.When in reality all they've done is skew the numbers and make management more difficult.Besides these are fish we are talking about. It not like they line up to be counted every year.There's just so many things that go into their decision making and every lake is a bit different.
The highlighted is why each body of water in a region should be under the regulation of the region in which it exists. Same for game.Who knows better what is going on than the person in the area. State wide regs are a joke.
Strong argument for sure. Would be interesting if those with property on the lake had a vote or say in the regulations. That happened at our cabin in Northern Minnesota. I was president of the Lake Assn. and the DNR was invited to our annual meeting and asked our opinions on slot limits, etc. They changed the rules for our lake the following year to reflect those opinions. Could happen elsewhere.
Everyone will be different on this. We live in different states and fish different lakes for different reasons.Personally, I keep panfish when ice fishing or in late fall after my bass fishing tournaments are over. I will keep numbers of fish as it takes a lot to have a fish fry a few times a year for the 5 or 6 people in my family. Last year I kept nothing because we didn't have safe ice. The one thing I would like to see people do more of is release trophy sized fish. We fish a lake a lot that has a good population of 7"-9" crappies. My buddies about sh*t when I threw a 12" back down the hole! Those are the genetics that are good to put back to spawn again. Did the same with a 7 pound walleye this fall. I suggest keeping the medium sized and letting the big ones go, but that's my personal philosophy. Not everyone will see it that way, and that's okay too. Just keep it within the law/regulations.
You want to know what is real madness? Using smelt for bait. I will bet you ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS you will never catch anything using smelt that will taste better than the smelt itself. MADNESS I TELL YOU!
I guess that depends on where you are. In some states no problems and in others, nothing but complaints.I certainly dont agree. Dont agree at all actually.The way states estimate deer numbers is not even a matter of guessing. Many professional game managers have written a ton on this fact. The manner in which the count is taken can be done much better and the fact that it isn't, is no fault of mine or yours.The blame lays directly at the departments feet.There are many nations who do wildlife management far better than any state in the union and it's nothing to do with anything other than the fact that we citizens just accept that it is what it is.Management isn't based on a popularity contest for most loved or respected. Management is based strictly on carrying capacity and regeneration of numbers. This is the problem.... We worry about what people want instead of what people need. This is how A.P.R restrictions came about. Worrying about how large a bucks horns are instead of how many bucks there are or how many doe there are, for that matter.The setting of state wide limits when populations vary greatly from county to county...Be it fin or fur.You cannot manage a lake or a woodlot by guessing and hoping. You may get lucky for periods of time but absolute success will never be a thing.Well... If thats what you believe than you might as well accept defeat, as you are expecting management to occur based on the good character of those who use the woods and waters around you. I have fished waters where a trout hasn't been seen in 20 years but still, there are limits for that body of water that exceed the number of trout in it.Were a few out of town persons to fish it and get lucky on one camping trip, they would clean out the pond without even knowing that they had done so.How can you blame those campers when it was the state that insured that this could be the end result?Before you say that this is a stupid example... I saw it happen in Maine on Doe pond. One guy caught and kept the only trout native to that pond, even though it originally had hundreds of native trout in it. The state ignored doe pond and eventually, it was fished out 6 at a time by mostly out of staters who were quests of the local bear guide in that area.Snook were nearly fished to extinction while the state stood by and kept catch numbers the same for decades, before moving to protect the species. Snook (at one time) were more numerous than any other fish in the Sebastian inlet area.The passenger pigeon isnt the only example of "experts" not having a clue and in 2020...(when we can send a probe to a black hole) it's got nothing to do with inability. It's strictly a matter of want and expectations of the paying public as to getting it done right.JMO
Obviously I’m playing devil’s advocate for the sake of conversation, but I just think our wildlife biologists become scapegoats because most people have no idea what their jobs entail and aren’t happy with declining numbers. “I’ll shoot hens because fish and game allows me to. But I wish those guys would get their act together because duck numbers are dropping...”
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.
I'm mainly a C&R guy. I just love the thrill of catching fish. I'll occasionally keep a couple of walleye for dinner but that's about it. I figure if I was really doin it for the food id just save the money spent on the pop up, auger, bait, rods etc and go buy some fresh fish from the grocery.
I hear you but (for me) a walk past the local fish department in our grocery store convinces me that this is not so. Walleye at $14 a pound equals 30# to pay for the new auger. 10# pays for the pop up ice shelter. 13# pays for the heater, chairs and tow sled. 10# pays for my traps and 20# pays for the wife's poles and jigs maybe.Thats less than 100# of fish paying for things that will last 10 years or more, which means 10# of fish a year pays for everything required...and things that are not even necessary. Thats less than a pound a week (1 meal) to justify the offset.
if i am fishing I am keeping 75% of the time. time and money spent mite as well get something for it. if I don't need them I give them to people that don't or cant fish. I used to have several older folks I supplied but they have dropped off over the years. plenty of people to share fillets with still though. trophy predator's go back 99% of the time.I understand catch n release but feel its place is on private waters. too many people over harvesting around here to do any good. I would just be putting them back for them to hoover up. lol
That is only if you are catching walleyes and not perch and panfish. There are less expensive fish in the local fish dept.
As long as everyone has that attitude, you'll always have overharvesting. Think of the toilet paper shortage, everyone thought they better take it even if they didnt need it and eventually nobody had any. If everyone released the fish they didnt need, and stopped keeping fish for other people, everyone would have better fishing all around! Be the start of the solution, not the progression of the problem. But its your right to keep them, so carry on! BTW my group, we keep fish on private water and release on public because private can withstand selective harvest. Public is where the fish need to be protected from the keep-em-alls.
Relying on the government/management has never ended bad before...