39 replies to this topic

[nice_Bass]

Bass are tasty fish- I keep one or two every once in a while from certain lakes.

[Bob C]

Bass are tasty fish- I keep one or two every once in a while from certain lakes.

I agree. The release everything sounds a little rediculous. I don't understand the big thrill of c&r. Catch and fry.

[nice_Bass]

I agree. The release everything sounds a little rediculous. I don't understand the big thrill of c&r. Catch and fry.

It is good practice- but nothing wrong really with keeping a small but legal fish every once in a while. Usually if i see the fish is malnurished i may keep- chances are it has plastic in its belly.

[MN_SONNEN_ANGLER]

i agree its annoying when they ask but every once in awhile when i go out and just catch a few panfish and throw them in the livewell, i will offer them. if its no worth my time to clean the five sunnies and there are a couple people fishing from the launch not doing so well.

[grimlin]

I don't shore fish as much as I used to, but those requests always made me feel uncomfortable. That's just one of numerous reasons why I don't want any witnesses to what I catch, whether I'm on shore or on the water.

I Know how you feel BIG TIMES! I caught walleye last week and some guy comes running up to me and ask if he could have it. I was like "eeerrrr NO,they aren't in season yet brother" Mind you I was looking for crappies,so it was an unintentional catch on my part.

I remember when I first started fishing up here and started getting serious about Bass fishing....people would run up to me and ask for my catches....If I could release it back in the water fast enough before they approached me for it I kept fishing. But then I had people walk up to me and go "I want your next catch".....I got so sick of it to the point I faked "I have to go home,wife is calling me"......RUIN MY DAY! And it still does every time I get approached by them which is still to this day.

I fixed that problem by getting a kayak very soon this year. Now I can fish the backwaters where nobody can get to.

[SirSnookalot]

Is there a difference in keeping a few fish for feral kittens and helping someone in need? I have no problem in giving some fish to people that need it to feed their family, if they are that bad off I've been known to give them a cash donation. I don't really like being pestered either, but if it's a routine run of the mill fish I ask them if they want it.
I know this is a bass forum and people can debate c&r until they are blue in the face. Bass are fun to catch, and plentiful in Florida, enough to go around. I just can't put them on such an elevated plateau above all other fish or people for that matter.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

There is nothing wrong with keeping of giving away the occasional legal fish. My annoyance is with the greedy that decimate fishing holes with blatant disregard for laws, regulations and sportsmanship

[grimlin]

Is there a difference in keeping a few fish for feral kittens and helping someone in need? I have no problem in giving some fish to people that need it to feed their family, if they are that bad off I've been known to give them a cash donation. I don't really like being pestered either, but if it's a routine run of the mill fish I ask them if they want it.
I know this is a bass forum and people can debate c&r until they are blue in the face. Bass are fun to catch, and plentiful in Florida, enough to go around. I just can't put them on such an elevated plateau above all other fish or people for that matter.

I agree,It's the beggars that bother me the most. More than not I'm willing to give one or two away to a gentleman that just makes conversation with me and says "nice catch" when I catch one. Yes I do work in "are you keeping any today?" If the reply is "only a couple for a small family fish fry tonight ." I'll gladly give him/her one or two nice catches. Show me some respect and I'll give it back.

[Spotswood]

Just recently I have witnessed the same thing on a small local river. Here in Manitoba, the spawning time period is completely closed to fishing, April 1 to the middle of may. But this year because of the early spring, the spawn hit during legal fishing times, and I saw many large female walleye just about to spawn being taken. And buckets full of the males. Many people just don't realize how big of an impact it can make.

[ww2farmer]

I have givin my fish to guys on the ice who were struggling for bites when I have had more than I know what to do with or I changed my mind and just don't want to clean fish that day. Talking panfish, bluegills for the most part, most people are really thankfull. Ice fishing was terrible this year, well not the fishing, but just the ice itself. We only had a few weeks of safe ice, and I am almost out of fish already. Looks like this is the year, when they are in season, that I keep some smaller bass for the fryer.

[SoFlaBassAddict]

The "bucket fisherman" who keep fish within the limits of the law have every right to do so. Not giving them your fish is completely reasonable, but condemning anyone for doing something that is legal to do, whether they are Latino, European, Asian, Eastern, Western, Northern, Southern, just like you , or very different is a waste of energy. I once kept some small bluegill from a local lake to fry for my parents. It was all we could catch, and was the last time I had the chance to do it. If you would have told me to get food stamps instead of keeping legal fish, you would not have liked my response.

Well said.

[Stasher1]

I'll occasionally leave the bass gear at home and spend an afternoon (or morning, evening, night, etc) chasing bream with a 3wt fly rod. On those days, I'll typically offer what I catch to the "bucket fisherman". Bream are plentiful where I fish, and if someone is deperate enough to fish for their supper in a county pond that's too polluted to swim in, they need all the help they can get.

I've only had one person ask for any of the bass I catch, and he's a good friend who has been having a lot of finacial problems over the past few years. Instead of giving him fish, I gave him a rod, reel, terminal tackle, and a variety of soft plastics from my past orders from ***. What he decides to keep and eat is his business.

^^^

Don't you just love how former site supporters are black-listed when they're no longer paying members.

[Basspastor]

When I shore fish I'll sometimes ask if people want what I catch when it's pike, sunfish, or crappie. Usually I release the bass, but not always. If one of the "Grumpy Old Men" wants some I'll give them fish if they are under 14". And I gave some last Sept to a funny black woman, she didn't care for me releasing the bigger fish, but wasn't pushy about it.

I do enjoy it right now when people catch bass and grumble about having to throw them back.

[200racing]

im happy to give my catch away if i don't plan on eating it.
its a public resource not my personal fishing hole.
if i can make someone day better while im enjoying my hobby than its a win-win.

[Caver]

One time this guy kept bothering me for my fish on a local pond when I was throwing them back. Finally he asked me for like the fifth time and I took the fish, bit off it's head, sprayed its blood all over my face, and yelled "FREEDOM!!!!!!!!!" at the top of my lungs. No one bothers me anymore.