So I am sure many of you have all seen this before. Someone leaving many panfish on the ice to die because they believe that the lake is overpopulated by the species, and after all they eat bass eggs.

 

What do you do in this situation? I know what the game warden would do.

 

 

I have never done that and would never advise anyone to, however I do understand the need to harvest smaller fish to keep a lake (especially a private lake) healthy.  Rather than waste them by having them die on the ice, I would recommend they should take them home to feed a cat (either theirs or a neighbors).

I fished a private lake on a horse farm as a kid. One day the owner walks down and says Feed the cats today. I was ignorant to what he meant, so when I ask him he said the Bluegill's and Sunny's were starting to take a down turn in size so catch a mess and throw them on the bank the cats will know what to do. His method obviously works, I've never fished a place where the panfish average size was so large. Brian.

It shouldn't happen although I'm sure it does. They should take them home and eat them.

Just eat 'em! It's a waste of what's put here on God's Green Earth for us to use. "Take what you can use, release the rest!"

I agree with the general consensus. Panfish are some of the best tasting fish ever; why waster them? Just go home and fry up some of them slabs.