Actually, its funny you should say this. As a matter of fact, there was a thread about a year ago, on another forum titled, "Shoot and Release". Now as funny as this may sound, there are actually a few places offering big game hunts in Africa, in which the animals are shot with tranquilizer darts. Then the paying customers walk up and hold the animals heads up for photos. Then they back off, and wait for the animal to get up and walk away.... like the "release" I guess, then the hunt is complete !

Just think, if you were a guide, and you had an idiot client..... maybe you could "purposely slip up" and only use half the tranquilizer needed...... "Sure buddy.... that Lion is flat knocked out".... You go pick his head up, and I'll take your picture :-) LOL

Peace,

Fish

When I lived in Louisiana I got an education about people who hunted and fished for the table. I grew up in Brooklyn and because my father owned the neighborhood butcher shop,we got to dress deer for the few hunters in our neighborhood. While a lot of city people looked at them as BAMBI SLAYERS I saw them as the same food those nitwits were buying from my dad,just a different mammal. I have never hunted, but now that my surgeries are done I hope in the next two seasons to get my first deer and eat an honest meal! What has this to do with this thread?

Well down in Louisiana when I went to my first thanksgiving meal I was amazed at how all the Bass,Crappie,catfish and shrimp had been caught by the people who were eating them Both Turkeys one fried and one baked were shot by our host as well as some venison THOSE PEOPLE KNEW HOW TO EAt Everything at that table was caught or shot by the people eating that feast some of the veggies were also grown by them All the game and fish were caught in season,observing limits WHAT IS WRONG WHAT THAT

I C&R mostly b/c I hate cleaning fish and I fish a very pressured lake But those fish arent in that water to produce lunkers and tourny winners They are for the enjoyment of anyone who has a license and observes the limits and laws of our fish commission Why is it anyones business (especially mine) what they do in the limits of the laws THEY WORK AND PAY FOR THEIR LICENSE JUST LIKE I DO

Ive killed 2 fish in 9 seasons b/c the were badly hooke both fish went to folks who were fishin for the table WHY IS IT OF ANY CONCVERN WHAT THEY LEAGALLY DO WITH FISH? HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN SOMEONE TRIES TO TAKE YOUR HUNTING RIGHTS AWAY? ITS THE SAME THING!!!!!!

A little live and let live will go a long way here fellas

I thought this thread was dead and buried a month ago?

why beat a dead horse?

Hey sorry Avid I didnt pay attention to it first time round I guess. The kids are home outta my work place for next few weeks and I have a lot of free time to be online Just puttin my.02 in buddy

I was never a big fish eater but have learned to appreciate it in the last few years.  That being said I just flat out love to catch bass big or small. Same with Crappie, Walleye etc. I belong to a small private lake that is mainly catfish. You are allowed 4 per week and some people just live for it. How many fish can these people really eat? Crappie limit is 25 per fisherman per day at a nearby lake. Same thing how many fish can they possibly eat? They are legal and it is their right but the mentality of more more more bothers me. Personaly until they post a sign saying "please keep the fish" I am throwing them back except for once or twice a year.

Just my 2 cents

Matt

This whole subject is really quite simple. If your fish and game allows you to keep fish then it's your right to do so.

What I or anyone else does has nothing to do with your rights when it is you making the decision.

When people fish from my boat it's understood up front that it is catch and release, but I would never tell or suggest what you should do on your own boat, assuming it is your right to keep or throw back the fish.

As much as the thought of a filet knife cutting through a bass absolutely makes me wanna puke,...This is America so I'll have to puke and get over it.  Rights are rights and they need to be respected.

This sure is one popular post I almost feel obligated to take a look at it. Everyone has their own opinion and I have never been one to disagree with a logical opinion, and all of ours are very logical. There are many ways to look at catch and release and keeping the occasional fish, but in the end it just comes down to the person fishing, and what they choose to do. As long as they follow the laws it is fine with me.

Everyone has heard about Catch and Release for many years. In fact, it has become almost a knee-jerk reaction for many anglers, to the point where it has actually caused problems with overpopulations of smaller fish, and the loss of quality, in some fisheries. No doubt about it, C/ R is the 1a class. Selective harvest on the other hand, while it requires a bit more thought, is the advanced course, and can provide increased benefits for most fisheries.

So what's the problem ?

  Many people practice a reversed type of selective harvest. That is, they will release every fish that they catch for years and years. Then one day, when they finally catch the fish of a life time, they decide to keep this one and hang it on the wall. The fact of the matter is, it would have been much less detrimental to the fishery had they kept a few smaller fish every now and then, and then released the giant !

 Often you will hear the argument about a huge fish having already contributed its trophy genes to the pool, and that it is now past it's spawning prime.

 Well first of all, it has been proven that most bass will continue to spawn throughout there entire life, and while they will produce fewer offspring towards the end of there life span, fewer is much better than none at all. Also, a fish which has already proven to have the right genes to get huge, is the exact fish that should be allowed to produce every last baby possible !

 Secondly, if a huge fish is released, there is a strong chance that that fish will be caught again, and of course there is also a strong chance that that fish will become some other lucky anglers best catch of a lifetime ! Of course, you yourself, might just be the lucky angler who re-catches that fish when it is even bigger. This is not near as uncommon as people tend to think. I have personally caught, released, and then re-caught several fish from 7 lbs to 13.5 lbs. There is no doubt in my mind that as I continue to release my trophy catches, the odds continue to increase, that I will eventually re-catch a fish which, in the time since it's first release, has grown to be HUGE !

 Thirdly, you will often hear people say about a huge fish: Well, it's a really old fish and it's probably at the end of it's life span anyway...... Hmmm.... maybe, or maybe not. Obviously an 18 lb bass had to be 15 lbs at one point. A 20 lb'er had to be 18 lbs, and a World record will have to 20 lbs, first. It would be easy to say that this 15, 18, or 20 lb fish was already at the end of its life span, but there is never a way to be sure of that. The plain and simple fact is, a huge fish which is released will have some chance, no matter how slim, of becoming even bigger..... maybe even a world record ! While a huge fish  which has been hung above the fireplace will have absolutely no chance !

  The bottom line is this: We should always think twice about eliminating the chance for a fellow angler to catch that fish of a lifetime, or even for ourselves, the second time around !

Education is the key

  Many years ago I kept a  sub-ten bass and had it mounted. Later I regretted that decision, and really wished I would have had a replica made. But live and learn. Why do I mention this here ? I believe this is a great way to put myself on the same level as many anglers who have not been there..... yet. The approach of slamming another angler with, I won't do that, and you shouldn't either never works, and quite simply drives a wedge between yourself and the anglers you are trying to educate. If they have killed a fish in the past, so be it. You cant change that. But through tactful communication, you might possibly prevent this angler from killing more giants in the future.

 I truly believe that the vast majority of the anglers who might otherwise keep a huge fish for the wall, would in fact release that fish, if they only knew the importance of that fish to the fishery. Also of course, if they knew how nice the modern replicas were, and how easy it was to have one made.

 As for those few anglers who will just never understand, we should always remember this: As an American, and possessing a state fishing license, it is every anglers RIGHT to catch and keep any fish that he wants to, within the regulations set forth by our Fish and Game agencies. We certainly don't want anyone interfering with our rights, therefore we certainly should not interfere with anyone else's.

 Again, the best we can do is to educate anglers with all of the facts, and hope that they will make the right decision. Most will.  

Taking care of your trophy catch

 A strong consideration for anyone who intends to release a huge fish should they catch it, is how to take care of it between the time of the actual catch, photos, weighing, and release. I'm quite sure that many trophy catches, despite the anglers best intentions of releasing the fish alive, will in fact perish, simply because the  angler was not prepared to handle the situation.

 For starters, no fish should be kept out of the water for any more than a couple minutes at a time...... even less in warm weather.

 ALWAYS carry a decent camera. Its also nice to have a disposable 35mm camera stored away in your tackle bag too, just for cheap insurance. ALWAYS carry a reliable scale. There are a ton of reasonably priced models on the market to choose from. I use a Berkeley 50 lb digital. You should also carry a decent spring scale as well, just in case your digital should happen to malfunction.

 AFTER you catch that fish of a lifetime is NOT the time to run around looking for a camera or a scale. Quite simply, you need to be prepared at all times.

 If you happen to be in a boat with a circulated livewell, this will be fine until you can get your camera and scale ready. If you fish from a small boat like I do, a large icebox which is partially filled with lake water, will suffice as a temporary live well. If you are fishing from the shore, the fish can be placed on a stringer, with a rope or clip put through the lip (not the gills) of the fish, while preparations are made for photos and weighing. Finally, if this is a really big fish (a lake record, a contest winner, etc) and needs to be weighed on a certified scale, then a large, partially filled ice box, or tournament weigh bag should be used to transport the fish to and from the certified scale.

 Please allow me to reiterate that a fish should never be out of the water for more than two minutes, or even less in warmer weather.

Please note

 A giant Largemouth bass of 10, 13, 17 lbs, or even more, is quite literally a one in millions fish. This fish has beaten absolutely incredible odds to attain this size.

For your own chances of re-catching a huge fish when she has grown to be even bigger, as well as that same chance for your fellow anglers, please release all of the giants.

Catch and Release a Trophy Bass !

Fish Chris

Nicely said Chris. I agree 100%. Keep some of the small ones if you simply have to keep any or want to. Bass really are not that great eating either. Anyway, please do not keep the big ones. I guess I get botherd when I see pictures of people holding big bass inside of their house or garage.

Hey Fellas this bass dont taste good is getting a little old and untrue

Take about 1 1/2 lbs. bass filet

2 eggs,1/2cupmilk and 4 or 5 drops of Tobasco Sauce and mix em together Soak the bass fielets in that mixutre foe about 15 mins

Get a pack of Zatarans Seasoned Fish Fry and drag the filets through it one by one until they are completly covered

Get a hot black frying pan melt 1/2 lb of butter and fry those filets. I learned this when I lived in New Orleans Now tellcsomeone bass dont taste good Thats like tellin a guy whos goin after the same girl SHE CANT KISS GOOD ;D

I'm big on CPR for all fish.

-especially bass-

But, at least a couple times a year I gut hook a bass. Could be due to fishing in the wind and not being able to sense a subtle bite, could be that the fish pounded and inhaled it or it could simply be my fault.  If a bass it bleeding heavily it goes in the live well.  If it stops bleeding it gets released.  If it floats it gets eaten....... no matter what the size.  

I hate CPR preachers that toss a badly bleeding bass back right away.  You may feel good about the release but it probably died anyway and now you've wasted it completely.

This is simply my opinion on what I feel makes sense. Not a perfect system, but I sleep at night,  and have a couple good meals per year.

Good points.

I can say however that I have caught Bass with fishing line coming out of their mouths which means they have a hook firmly planted in their guts. I also caught a fish once that the line was coming out of it's back end. So I removed it and turned the little guy lose. Perhaps he had a hook that dissolved in it's stomach and the line was just passing through his system?

Muddy:

Anything would taste good in that recipe!