Author Topic: What would you guys have done??? (Read 6003 times)

troutguy1377 · « **on:** Mar 10, 2008, 04:30 PM »

I caught a 19in laker and some how the hook got into the gills as I was pulling it in. There was alot of damage
done to the fish and it was bleeding profusely. The problem is they need to be 21in to keep. I tried to revive the fish in the hole for about 5 min. with no success. So would you guys have kept the fish and taken a risk of getting fined, or would you just push it back down the hole and let it go to waste.

captain54 · « **Reply #1 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 04:33 PM »

Deep 6

billditrite · « **Reply #2 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 04:35 PM »

flush it...it wont go to waste something will eat it...not worth the ticket IMO

Byron/PA · « **Reply #3 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 04:38 PM »

This is one of those times when my signature line is wrong.

It would go to waste, a shame, but being poor I can't afford a fine if caught.

jayswimmer09 · « **Reply #4 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 04:44 PM »

you have to throw it back, just last weekend i caught a bass that was bleeding very badly, It was 1/16 of an inch to shy to keep. i had to throw it back. i feel terrible but its not worth the fine

ahester14 · « **Reply #5 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 04:52 PM »

DEC knows best! LOL anything is better than you keeping the fish ' L Thats why in most streams there is no size limit..Trout are very easy to hurt

gcrossman · « **Reply #6 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 05:03 PM »

Have to throw it back, and stare at it through the ice the rest of the day...Its a shame.

I had one last summer on open water I had to watch the seagulls squawk at and tear apart.

hardwater Rick · « **Reply #7 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 05:34 PM »

Quote from: jayswimmer09 on Mar 10, 2008, 04:44 PM

you have to throw it back, just last weekend i caught a bass that was bleeding very badly, It was 1/16 of an inch to shy to keep. i had to throw it back. i feel terrible but its not worth the fine

are you kidding 1/16th, doubt if you would even get questioned, being honest is a good thing, good for you.. what would you do with a bass anyway, yikes!

chummer16 · « **Reply #8 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 05:38 PM »

I would have kept it. I will save you a long rant but as a hunter and fisherman I feel responsible to what I kill. I would hope the very nice DEC officer would understand.

flagrunner · « **Reply #9 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 05:45 PM »

Back down the hole,it wont go to waste,everything has and serves a purpose.Not worth the fine.

jayswimmer09 · « **Reply #10 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 05:56 PM »

Quote from: hardwater Rick on Mar 10, 2008, 05:34 PM

are you kidding 1/16th, doubt if you would even get questioned, being honest is a good thing, good for you.. what would you do with a bass anyway, yikes!

The thing is if a officer stopped me on a bad day he would of given me a ticket no questions asked. I agree it is our responsibility to take things after we kill them but sometimes you Have to listen to the law instead of listening to yourself

troutguy1377 · « **Reply #11 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 06:35 PM »

I understand what you guys are saying about if I put it back down the hole it wont go to waste, but
if I didnt hook the fish and kill it it would still be swiming around. Well I looked at the fish dead in the hole
and said I killed it, I will deal with it. I laid it on the ice in plain sight with all my stuff and fished the rest of the day. If D.E.C would have came out I would have to deal with that. I took the fish home and ate it, in my
eyes I did what I thought was right.

ralwag · « **Reply #12 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 06:36 PM »

Throw it back down the hole. Not worth the fine and it won't go to waste. As part of the food chain some thing will eat it.

Ral

WARRIOR_ON_ICE · « **Reply #13 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 06:55 PM »

I'm sure the DEC executives do realize ALL of the unintended implications, such as this case, of the regs. they impose. They know this will happen to a number of fish, but the regs. do more good than harm with respect to keeping the fish population healthy. I am glad there is a 23" min. on lakers at LG, those shorts are easy to catch and the fishery would decline rapidly if the reg. was not the way it is.

As long as you take as much care as possible to avoid injuring a small fish, I see no harm by you keeping that fish from a moral perspective. this should highlight the importance of being really careful with the short fish. Cutting the line at the mouth is way better than trying to remove a buried hook.

troutguy1377 · « **Reply #14 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 07:04 PM »

Quote from: dfuller on Mar 10, 2008, 06:55 PM

I'm sure the DEC executives do realize ALL of the unintended implications, such as this case, of the regs. they impose. They know this will happen to a number of fish, but the regs. do more good than harm with respect to keeping the fish population healthy. I am glad there is a 23" min. on lakers at LG, those shorts are easy to catch and the fishery would decline rapidly if the reg. was not the way it is.

As long as you take as much care as possible to avoid injuring a small fish, I see no harm by you keeping that fish from a moral perspective. this should highlight the importance of being really careful with the short fish. Cutting the line at the mouth is way better than trying to remove a buried hook.

I did cut the line. The hook got right into the gills of the fish, I pulled the fish in pretty much just hooked in the gills.
This fish was bled out by the time I cut the line.

Buck762 · « **Reply #15 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 07:05 PM »

I bet plenty of people purposly mangle undersized fish so they have an excuse to keep it. The officer would confiscate the fish and ticket you. Trust me, nothing in nature will go to waste, just let go. ..

Wilsonlaker · « **Reply #16 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 07:52 PM »

If it was bleeding out the gills or dead, lay it in the top of the hole, then at the end of the day make it find its way into your basket.

BlackIce · « **Reply #17 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 08:00 PM »

Had a similar situation with a walleye a few years ago. I stuffed it back into the hole. I didn't want to chance a fine. I felt okay knowing it contributed to the food chain.

MnSportsman · « **Reply #18 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 09:28 PM »

Follow the "law of the land" that you're in... Simple as that. It's not like you needed it to survive.
I have to do this a lot when fishing. Put it back, even if I know it's not gonna make me feel "good" about it.

If the "law of the land" says, "release it, if it's not legal", then release it.

Remember folks, there are those who visit this place & are not necessarily "of age" & see what you say when you type it here.

It's not like hunting, where there is no "catch & release".

My $.50,..... inflation & the economy made $.02 obsolete. [ & possibly me, If I don't adapt.....]

bladebait · « **Reply #19 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 09:46 PM »

Quote from: troutguy1377 on Mar 10, 2008, 06:35 PM

I understand what you guys are saying about if I put it back down the hole it wont go to waste, but
if I didnt hook the fish and kill it it would still be swiming around. Well I looked at the fish dead in the hole
and said I killed it, I will deal with it. I laid it on the ice in plain sight with all my stuff and fished the rest of the day. If D.E.C would have came out I would have to deal with that. I took the fish home and ate it, in my
eyes I did what I thought was right.

If you believe you did the right thing than that's what matters. It sounds to me you would have rather paid a fine than to have just killed that fish. GREAT SPORTSMANSHIP. Laws always have limitations. The problem for law enforcement is trying to figure out who is truly disregarding the law and those like you who seem to be in the middle of a dilemma. It's not always that easy. $:-\$

troutguy1377 · « **Reply #20 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 10:22 PM »

Quote from: bladebait on Mar 10, 2008, 09:46 PM

If you believe you did the right thing than that's what matters. It sounds to me you would have rather paid a fine than to have just killed that fish. GREAT SPORTSMANSHIP. Laws always have limitations. The problem for law enforcement is trying to figure out who is truly disregarding the law and those like you who seem to be in the middle of a dilemma. It's not always that easy. $:-\$

Hey thanks bladebait I figured I owed it to the fish. I just cant see wasting something. If the fish died naturally than nature would have taken care of it. But it was because of me it died so I felt I must take care of the situation. If I would have gotten a fine so be it. IT was my responsibility.

troutguy1377 · « **Reply #21 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 10:49 PM »

Quote from: MnSportsman on Mar 10, 2008, 09:28 PM

Follow the "law of the land" that you're in... Simple as that. It's not like you needed it to survive.
I have to do this a lot when fishing. Put it back, even if I know it's not gonna make me feel "good" about it.

If the "law of the land" says, "release it, if it's not legal", then release it.

Remember folks, there are those who visit this place & are not necessarily "of age" & see what you say when you type it here.

It's not like hunting, where there is no "catch & release".

My $.50,..... inflation & the economy made $.02 obsolete. [ & possibly me, If I don't adapt.....]

If you are deer hunting and you shoot at a buck and you are sure that is the only deer around and it goes right down, and then you get over to it and it is a doe and you have no tag. what do you do then, leave it for nature to take care of. NO that animal died because of you, get it back to your house and take care of it. If you get caught
you get caught but that is the chance you have to take. You did not want to kill the doe but you did,now its time to be responsible. If you kill it take care of it accident or not.

oneman · « **Reply #22 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 11:12 PM »

Quote from: chummer16 on Mar 10, 2008, 05:38 PM

I would have kept it. I will save you a long rant but as a hunter and fisherman I feel responsible to what I kill. I would hope the very nice DEC officer would understand.

assuming you get a "very nice DEC officer"

pooley · « **Reply #23 on:** Mar 11, 2008, 06:39 AM »

you did the right thing. you knew it wouldn't survive. i would say leaving it in plain sight was right too. the DEC would at least know you tried, and didn't want to waste it.

DR.SPECKLER · « **Reply #24 on:** Mar 11, 2008, 08:45 AM »

it dont seem rite but ya got to throw it back.

chezmoose · « **Reply #25 on:** Mar 11, 2008, 08:50 AM »

We learned the answer to this question the hard way. Couple years ago we caught a 23" pike and it was bleeding from the gills. We tried to revive it with no luck so decided to keep it, rather than waste it. As luck would have it, the CO paid us a visit on the lake that day. He asked how big the pike was and we were honest with him and explained why we kept it. He very nicely wrote us a ticket and made us put the fish back down the hole. $85 lesson learned...

Cheeks13 · « **Reply #26 on:** Mar 11, 2008, 09:03 AM »

The law says release it, then release it dead or not. No fish is worth the ticket. And trust me they will ticket you. Cheeks out 8)

snelly · « **Reply #27 on:** Mar 11, 2008, 09:26 AM »

I would have rifled it back down the hole, and wouldn't have tought twice about it. I probabally have done just that in the past.

WARRIOR_ON_ICE · « **Reply #28 on:** Mar 11, 2008, 09:32 AM »

Quote from: chezmoose on Mar 11, 2008, 08:50 AM

We learned the answer to this question the hard way. Couple years ago we caught a 23" pike and it was bleeding from the kills. We tried to revive it with no luck so decided to keep it, rather than waste it. As luck would have it, the CO paid us a visit on the lake that day. He asked how big the pike was and we were honest with him and explained why we kept it. He very nicely wrote us a ticket and made us put the fish back down the hole. $85 lesson learned...

How big do pike need to be in MI? In NY they need to be at most 22", water dependant, general reg. is only 18".

chezmoose · « **Reply #29 on:** Mar 11, 2008, 09:53 AM »

Quote from: dfuller on Mar 11, 2008, 09:32 AM

How big do pike need to be in MI?

24" on most lakes

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Author Topic: What would you guys have done??? (Read 6003 times)