I like money. Enough said.

10 hours ago, slonezp said:

Would you play catch and release with a 25yo hottie with loose morals that you met at a bar? A trophy is a trophy.  Mount it. 

 

Ya but you wouldn't murder the lady at the end of the night when you're done with her would you?  You'd catch and release.  At least I would.

A good take from all of this is to always be prepared, if possible. Here in Florida we have a TrophyCatch program by the FWC. Fish 8lbs and up are logged and certified. The process has specific requirements and if not followed the fish is denied. So anyone fishing for trophy's here in Florida might want to keep things in check. One of my problems is fishing at night solo....well, it's not so much a problem for catching trophy fish lol But the TrophyCatch requirement means a clear picture of the entire fish (including entire scale) from top to bottom with a clearly definable weight. The fish's tail has to be visibly free from any structure. The weight has to be perfectly readable. That's all hard to do (nearly impossible) alone on a kayak at night. Holding a 9-10lbs ticked off bass by a scale over the dark water with one hand while trying to frame the entire mess with camera in the other hand is insane. It's the kinda photo that someone else has to take for you. So all my trophy fish go unlogged. During the day I'm a bit more proficient but it's still very hard to do solo. I tried it a few times and nearly lost my mind trying to get everything correct. In the daytime the sun is so blinding that the weight display on the scale is hard to capture. So I don't even bother anymore. 

State record LMB? I dunno...if caught on my home lake, there would be a strong desire to take a few pictures and measurements, release the fish and keep my mouth shut. The home lake opened in 2018 and was catch and release until 2023. Pressure has increased exponentially since then.

 

State record LMB on another lake...maybe. Is there a potential financial gain?

 

State record walleye...you bet I'm keeping and turning that one in. Most of my buddies are die-hard "eye" fishermen...and to have bragging rights over them all would be PRICELESS!

 

Now if we are talking world record LMB, SMB, walleye, pike, Musky...you darn toot'n I'm keeping that fish and reaping all the benefits possible!

 

Knowing my fishing skills, I probably have a better chance of winning the powerball vs. a state record anything 😅

I dont fish anywhere that isnt public and crowded already so if I catch it it's getting reported. A biologist does need to examine the fish but I have enough crap from my fish keeping hobbies to give her a nice comfortable home until they can arrive. 

 

NC record hasnt been beat for 25 years, would be cool to have my kids be able to see my name in the state record books. 

@Bazoo: I don't think an old female, already stressed by the fight, would then survive a stringer, transportation in a makeshift container, and hanging in your cooler while you built a bigger container. Heck, many big females at bass tournaments can't survive their time in a live well followed by being hoisted for photos. There are many stories of floating bass in the release areas of tournaments.

 

The bigger the bass, the faster I release her. I'm an old gal too. I'm not as hardy as I once was. So, I have long-earned empathy for the other old gals in this world.

For me, I guess it depends.

 

If it's a state record fish caught from a large lake/river, I'd probably turn it in.

 

If it was caught from a small lake/river, no way. Let me tell you why, mlf (#FBD) has came to the tiny Bussy Brake in NE Louisiana twice in the last four years and the were some huge fish caught. To be fair, locals have caught some big bass too. Any way, that little lake is taking a pounding, almost daily. Nothing illegal, just a pounding so much so that someone built a campground next to it.

 

If I ever caught a world record, it would be extremely hard not to turn it in no matter where it was caught.

My fishing experiences live in my memories. I can revisit them anytime. I've always found that's enough for me. Any pics. etc. are a bonus. If, when or how I catch another record will stay with me also.☺️

1 hour ago, jbmaine said:

My fishing experiences live in my memories. I can revisit them anytime. I've always found that's enough for me. Any pics. etc. are a bonus. If, when or how I catch another record will stay with me also.☺️

 

Me too, jb. I love my photos, but I can still see so many fish I caught just as clearly as if Ridley Scott had filmed the moment with seven cameras and a sound crew. When I was paddling yesterday morning, I ticked off all the places I'd once hooked and landed or hooked and lost big ones. 

I would turn it in. I figure if I don’t, then someone else will. 

2 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

@Bazoo: I don't think an old female, already stressed by the fight, would then survive a stringer, transportation in a makeshift container, and hanging in your cooler while you built a bigger container. Heck, many big females at bass tournaments can't survive their time in a live well followed by being hoisted for photos. There are many stories of floating bass in the release areas of tournaments.

 

The bigger the bass, the faster I release her. I'm an old gal too. I'm not as hardy as I once was. So, I have long-earned empathy for the other old gals in this world.

You are not old. You are aged like a fine wine.