Trout catch and release discussion

[HennikerBassin]

Howdy folks!
Hope everyone is able to get out and enjoy the nice weather today. Hit a very crowded trout pond today which yielded a nice 16 inch rainbow for my girlfriends first ever trout!
The crowding was a bit of a bummer but I did notice that everyone I saw was doing an excellent job with the catch and release of their trout. Quick picture, back down the hole. I was stoked to see that.
Now I'm not going to bash people here for utilizing the resources the NHFG provides for us in the state, it's totally your right to take your limit each day if you'd like to and fishing licenses are somewhat expensive so it's understandable to want to take your limit if you catch it.
However i've been under the impression for a while that there's an alarming number of people in this state who seem to just fish to limit out on trout rather than for the sport of it. This frustrates me because I believe if more people released trout on a more frequent basis that the trout in this state would have a fighting chance to get bigger.
What do you guys think? Is the catch and release practice in nh in a generalized sense poor? And is that affecting the size of fish that we get to catch in our state? I'm not trying to start any arguments, just a civilized discussion on this topic and potentially brainstorm some ideas to improve catch and release practices in NH.

[AQUAASSASSIN]

I’d like to see them all released, the young ones mostly caught taste like liver pellets anyhow. It’s whoever the angler is choice though. At the same time you start dealing with more hook wounding and poor releases resulting in death anyhow, being a put and take fishery here it really probably doesn’t matter. Couldn’t hurt though. Only think that irks me is the more than you’d think amount of people who take them home more so as a trophy they get to take home and then the trout goes in the freezer for 2 years until they don’t feel so bad anymore and then it gets tossed in the dumpster. Or the classic “ I don’t eat them but fill in the blank does” and then they still get left in the anglers freezer until the feeling of waste is gone.

If they go to good use and you are within your limits more power to you. I don’t think enough people know how to properly release a trout anyhow beginning from the landing and dragging it out to flop on the ice

[TheCrittaC]

I think most people on this website release most of the stocked trout they catch. I'm not sure about people that aren't on this site because they don't post here. I personally haven't seen anyone in person keeping a limit on trout since I moved to NH, maybe because I usually fish by myself and don't often talk to many other anglers.
The six trout or six pound total weight two fish with no minimum length limit seems strange to me though. Most other limits are a certain number of fish with a minimum length.

[AQUAASSASSIN]

5 fish or 5 pounds, and that only applies to open water on non big lakes

Winter it’s 2 trout

[TheCrittaC]

5 fish or 5 pounds, and that only applies to open water on non big lakes

Winter it’s 2 trout

Thanks, I'll update my post. Still, no minimum length seems a bit off.

[george_l]

I fish year round, usually target bass.  My neighbors/friends always ask how they taste.

I can't stand eating fish, any fish.  I throw everything back.  If I fished to eat, it would be called hunting.

So even though I've only caught one rainbow in my life through the ice, that one and any future ones are safe.

George

[Digs]

I'd like to see catch and release in the fall. November until January 1st. Would be nice to keep those late fall stockers around a little longer.

[AQUAASSASSIN]

I'd like to see catch and release in the fall. November until January 1st. Would be nice to keep those late fall stockers around a little longer.

Good call!

[Digs]

Also a keeper slot size on trout.

[meatandmetal]

I'd like to see catch and release in the fall. November until January 1st. Would be nice to keep those late fall stockers around a little longer.

At least drop the limit from 5 to 2 like it is for ice fishing. Those fall stockies get hammered if there is no ice which is usually the case.

[Roccus]

I'd like to see catch and release in the fall. November until January 1st. Would be nice to keep those late fall stockers around a little longer.

I like this idea..especially on lakes that have a viable food source to grow the fish to a  more sporting size.

[river_scum]

we used to have awesome trout fishing here in Indiana. now the holdover isn't what it used to be so its basically a put n take program. there fore that's what they are for and most people harvest them.  if you have trophy potential then im sure they have reasonable limits on them.  did someone say the limit is 2 trout in NH? 

[Dickbakers]

I'd like to see catch and release in the fall. November until January 1st. Would be nice to keep those late fall stockers around a little longer.

Can't agree more!  Ponds stocked heavily in mid to late October. 
Boats trolling every day.  Rods bent every fifteen minutes.
I would prefer that the pond be closed for all of Nov.  But that is asking too much.
 I have to agree with AA .  How much hook injury?  And some people take there five trout day after day.  When I fish in April I find very few trout left.  I used to be guilty of a true ice fishing fault.  On a really productive stocked pond we would each hook and release more than a dozen rainbows a day.  We tried to be careful but not sure how many trout we damaged.  Now I catch my two trout limit and go home .  Sometimes it's less than a half hour.  Hard to ask of someone who drove two hours north.

[jigmaster5]

I fish for trout in NH + Mass, so I'll share my experience w/ both states.

I'm very careful w/ the trout I catch + I mostly only use single hooks + plastics now (99%).  They release very well w/ single hooks - esp. in cold water.  Open water I use a rubber net & try not to overly handle them.  Main reason is that I want to catch them again when they're bigger - esp. browns, so it's kind of selfish.  About 1 in 100 (maybe less) will get a jighead way back in its gill rakers & that's it for that trout.

Trebles in the gills from spoons or minnow plugs....or powerbait....that's a whole 'nother problem.  Much higher mortality rate - even w/ circle hooks....stockies will suck those powerbait eggs right down unless you use something like a jaw jacker.  Sometimes you can see dead trout right off the boat launches as ppl release gut hooked fish...more of those fish end up dying than ppl think...they swim 20 yards + croak.

Another nice thing about catching trout w/ single hooks + artificials is that you can sort thru fish if you're looking for fish to keep (or release them all).  I only keep a few rainbows, let all the brookies + browns + tigers go....again b/c I want to catch them again.  (Not sure if NH stocks tigers - I mean Mass tiger trout).  Something like 90% of all stocked trout in New England are rainbows, so those are the 1's that I keep if I'm keeping trout.  They'll stock more that look just like them in 6 months.

Other thing w/ NH trout is that NH stocks alot less + alot smaller fish than Mass, so catch + release even more important here.  Some of the NH trout that I catch will still have parr markings on them....almost never see that in Mass trout since they switched their feeding program.  So, those 9" NH trout sometimes need 1-2+ yrs to grow up.  Never will get the chance if they go home in 5 gallon buckets.  Also, I have no interest in keeping 9" trout, so I want to safely release those fish.  Although I imagine alot get eaten by cormorants, bass, & anything else that likes to eat trout.  The brood stock are different - those are good-sized, but unfortunately alot get cleaned out soon after stocking.

[meatandmetal]

I fish for trout in NH + Mass, so I'll share my experience w/ both states.

I'm very careful w/ the trout I catch + I mostly only use single hooks + plastics now (99%).  They release very well w/ single hooks - esp. in cold water.  Open water I use a rubber net & try not to overly handle them.  Main reason is that I want to catch them again when they're bigger - esp. browns, so it's kind of selfish.  About 1 in 100 (maybe less) will get a jighead way back in its gill rakers & that's it for that trout.

Trebles in the gills from spoons or minnow plugs....or powerbait....that's a whole 'nother problem.  Much higher mortality rate - even w/ circle hooks....stockies will suck those powerbait eggs right down unless you use something like a jaw jacker.  Sometimes you can see dead trout right off the boat launches as ppl release gut hooked fish...more of those fish end up dying than ppl think...they swim 20 yards + croak.

Another nice thing about catching trout w/ single hooks + artificials is that you can sort thru fish if you're looking for fish to keep (or release them all).  I only keep a few rainbows, let all the brookies + browns + tigers go....again b/c I want to catch them again.  (Not sure if NH stocks tigers - I mean Mass tiger trout).  Something like 90% of all stocked trout in New England are rainbows, so those are the 1's that I keep if I'm keeping trout.  They'll stock more that look just like them in 6 months.

Other thing w/ NH trout is that NH stocks alot less + alot smaller fish than Mass, so catch + release even more important here.  Some of the NH trout that I catch will still have parr markings on them....almost never see that in Mass trout since they switched their feeding program.  So, those 9" NH trout sometimes need 1-2+ yrs to grow up.  Never will get the chance if they go home in 5 gallon buckets.  Also, I have no interest in keeping 9" trout, so I want to safely release those fish.  Although I imagine alot get eaten by cormorants, bass, & anything else that likes to eat trout.  The brood stock are different - those are good-sized, but unfortunately alot get cleaned out soon after stocking.

Actually it isn't the food. Years ago (probably 15 years now) we would catch 15" stocked bows all the time. To save money the state started the fish to be stocked the next year in November not August like the did in previous years so the future year stocked fish would lose 3 months of growth which is substantial. Hence smaller stocked fish... I did read that Mass stocks the most and biggest fish in New England... You forgot to mention loons eating trout. I have seen them gathering when the stocking truck comes in.

[HennikerBassin]

I’d like to see them all released, the young ones mostly caught taste like liver pellets anyhow. It’s whoever the angler is choice though. At the same time you start dealing with more hook wounding and poor releases resulting in death anyhow, being a put and take fishery here it really probably doesn’t matter. Couldn’t hurt though. Only think that irks me is the more than you’d think amount of people who take them home more so as a trophy they get to take home and then the trout goes in the freezer for 2 years until they don’t feel so bad anymore and then it gets tossed in the dumpster.

I wish they would all be released too personally but I know that is wildly unreasonable to expect. But taking the trophies home as an ornament is what really angers me. My favorite brown trout spot produces giants in the 5-6+lb range every year and I know of a few individuals who take them home for the sole purpose of getting skin mounts made. Id prefer not to see those fish even hit the table but to each their own and I can understand that. The skin mounts are what really gets me frustrated. They stock 1yr old browns there so obviously they've made it a few years to make the 6lb mark, would love to see where they could make it in a few years more if they were given the chance to

[AQUAASSASSIN]

Yeup, I hear you. If you ever read my posts over the years you know I specifically only fish trout water bodies where they are stocked as 1 year olds. Brood fish just don’t do it for me, they are ugly, dumb, and no challenge.

[HennikerBassin]

Yeup, I hear you. If you ever read my posts over the years you know I specifically only fish trout water bodies where they are stocked as 1 year olds. Brood fish just don’t do it for me, they are ugly, dumb, and no challenge.

I hear you. I think there's a few lakes in nh stocked with 1 year old trout only that get slept on because people think there won't be any big ones in there. A lot quieter on those lakes than the ones every knows get the fall brood stockers put in them.

[HennikerBassin]

I'd like to see catch and release in the fall. November until January 1st. Would be nice to keep those late fall stockers around a little longer.

That is a stellar idea, I wish they could implement that. A lot of the fall stocked lakes definitely got hammered on with the extended open water season this year.

[AQUAASSASSIN]

It would be a phenomenal idea, I don’t fish period from 9/1-12/15 I’d rather be in the woods. I just shake my head at all the truck chasers. Human form of cormorants.

[AQUAASSASSIN]

You know the type to, it’s not a stereotype or a prejudice when it’s true.

It’s not the guy who likes to fish and goes out on a weekend and wets a line or the ole timer who is retired.

It’s the scumbags who are there all week while we all work so they can be sustained. The same ones who leave the worm containers and have rainbow power bait colored finger nails. You can smell them from your truck as you drive by and count all 2 teeth. Just follow the balled up trails of 15 lb. monofilament they’ll be there. You won’t see a glowing light of ambition to follow I’ll clue ya. It’s just typically a lifetime of bad choices they didn’t haveto make but we pay for 

[johnnh]

AA,

I think you covered that one.

John

[AQUAASSASSIN]

LOL!

[Dickbakers]

Frank for years I watched May rainbow stocking at Ames Farm.   Don wanted so badly to use his shotgun on the loons that tore into the fish.  Rainbows don't want to leave the concrete and are easy prey for hours.  I don't love loons.  But better than  Ontario or Champlain shags.  Were the 12" _ 13" rainbows only year old fish?   White MT.   Fall rainbows used to be 1 _ 1 1\2 lbs.  Now they are 1\2 lb.

[AQUAASSASSIN]

Yes, 1 year old fish, now they are stocked at younger ages

[HuntnFish603]

It would be a phenomenal idea, I don’t fish period from 9/1-12/15 I’d rather be in the woods. I just shake my head at all the truck chasers. Human form of cormorants.

^Agree. Same here. Hunting trumps fishing during that period.
And yes the description of the rif RAF that ruins it for the rest of us is covered above rather nicely...lol
Don't even get me started on the friggin worm containers
Should be C+R for the fall at least.

[Roccus]

You know the type to, it’s not a stereotype or a prejudice when it’s true.

It’s not the guy who likes to fish and goes out on a weekend and wets a line or the ole timer who is retired.

It’s the scumbags who are there all week while we all work so they can be sustained. The same ones who leave the worm containers and have rainbow power bait colored finger nails. You can smell them from your truck as you drive by and count all 2 teeth. Just follow the balled up trails of 15 lb. monofilament they’ll be there. You won’t see a glowing light of ambition to follow I’ll clue ya. It’s just typically a lifetime of bad choices they didn’t haveto make but we pay for 

Your rolling,  tell us how you really feel 

[AQUAASSASSIN]

Yeah, I do that sometimes 

[zwiggles]

I think I’m in the minority here, but in general I would rather see all the stockers get caught and eaten. I caught way too many stockers this summer mixed in with wild trout, but I’ll grant that’s mostly flowing waters. Ponds and lakes with wild trout, I’d be in the same boat I would rather catch way fewer wild fish vs stockers. But, we all know what opinions are like....

There’s certainly exceptions too. Winni has salmon and bows because it’s stocked. But, man I can’t see any logic in protecting the stockers they toss into ponds that are unable to holdover cold water fish. Who cares if they get cleaned out of the lakes where they have ZERO chance of making it through a full year. I’m glad someone gets to catch those fish before they waste away and feed the crayfish.

Others have hit on the issue here, but NH stocks bait.... stock bigger fish, and they will have a chance not to die when they are stocked, or educated by a fisherman for the first time.

Personally, I would rather see fewer fish stocked, and take some of the money from that and out it into extensive surveying and ha it at restoration. Identify the areas where stocking makes sense, where it doesn’t, and at the same time also be cognizant of the existing traditions. Kids chase the stocking trucks too, and a lot of people get exposed to a trout dunking worms or powerbait. Some people I know only buy a license to chase stocked trout, and fill their freezer. If it’s legal all the power to then. I would rather have more people hunting and fishing regardless of how they’re doing it (as long as it’s legal). The more people we have involved in the outdoors the better.

[Roccus]

Yeah, I do that sometimes 

Some body has to! You know where I fish, you know what we USED to have, same with the lake we spoke about that I fished last week, certain individuals,  saw fit to  catch and keep every Rainbow they could, now, we both have nothing left for those places but hope and memories... placesbwhere 4lb rainbows  were common  and 5's happened every year..