today while fishing i saw a guy keep a largemouth and told him he should release it he didn't i kept on looking at him and when he left i told him he wasn't a real fisherman.  also he said he keeps all he catches so "politely" said some nasty stuff to him.

can anyone help me spread the idea of catch and release to benefit our fisheries, and remember any little thing helps.

I don't see how saying anything nasty or mean to him would benefit your cause.  Although I don't agree with people keeping fish, bass especially, I mind my own business unless they are keeping more then the state laws allows, or keeping to small of fish.

IMO u shouldnt attack someone for doing something perfectly legal. yea it sucks that fish won't be there to catch again but thinning the herd is also necessary at times. i'm sure some smarter person will be able to back me up a little more convincingly  ;D

Ok for the nine hundredth and fifty two thousandth time Catch and Release can be more detrimental to a lake than keeping them. What you did was rude and unsportsmanlike; unless you know the acceptable catch and keep or catch and release parameters of a body of water you are better off saying How Y'all Are? and then minding your own business.  

Agree, you had no right telling someone what to do. Spreading your message about catch and release is fine, but wait for an opening, then go about it with a little more subtlety.

I also think that someone who's only interested in tonight's dinner might not be too receptive to C&R.

yeah, these posts are getting kinda old. people should be allowed to do what they want as long as they are doing it legally. if the DNR felt the bass population was in trouble, they would lable it catch and release season, not give a limit of fish you can keep.

its almost to the point that I dont call myself a bass fisherman because we are getting a bad rep from all the people that are mouthing off when they shouldnt be.

There are some folks who still catch fish to eat. Nothing wrong with that.

Your approach was crude.  You will never win anyone over like that.  Plant the idea in his mind that release in some form or another is good. That way he might at least release some of the larger bass.  

Removing some "eating" size bass...1 to 2 pounders from a lake may have a positive effect on the trophy fish.  

but i have noticed this lake has started to have a sharp drop in the bass population since i started fishing here when i never saw people keep fish.  and also this is a tiny lake.  and by nasty i mean i said the fish will all be dead and you could too from contaminents.

unless you have done an actual study on that lake, I dont think you can base your desicion to be rude on that. its just best to keep your opinions to yourself on something like this.

First of all these are just thoughts and not meant to be negative or derogitive.....only things to think about.

How do you know that there has been a sharp decline in the bass population?  Has there been a scientific study on this lake or are you just catching less?  Maybe worrying about them keeping fish is throwing your game and affecting your catching?

Limits are set by the agencys. Any licensed fisherman catching fish in a lawful manner is allowed to keep a daily limit. Unless you are the state department head and have changed things you have no right to confront him the way you did. It is good for a lake to have fish taken from it to allow checks and balances. You were wrong for what you did.

today while fishing i saw a guy keep a largemouth and told him he should release it he didn't i kept on looking at him and when he left i told him he wasn't a real fisherman. also he said he keeps all he catches so "politely" said some nasty stuff to him.

can anyone help me spread the idea of catch and release to benefit our fisheries, and remember any little thing helps.

I'd say that you had no business telling the other fisherman what to do with his catch.  The actual scientists have set legal limits with the intention of managing the fishery in the best possible manner.  If you feel that your particular lake is having a significant population decline talk to the DNR they are the ones that set the rules.  Don't be a jerk and get in someone's face for doing something legal.

today while fishing i saw a guy keep a largemouth and told him he should release it he didn't i kept on looking at him and when he left i told him he wasn't a real fisherman.  also he said he keeps all he catches so "politely" said some nasty stuff to him.

can anyone help me spread the idea of catch and release to benefit our fisheries, and remember any little thing helps.

no offense, but your method was uncalled for. not only that, but even if you approach it correctly - there's nothing wrong with keeping some fish. granted, I don't keep anything except 2-3 lb. walleyes and 1-2 lb. crappie because I love the taste of them and they're very prolific...but still.

if you really want to drive a point home - use tact. also, not practicing catch and release doesn't disqualify them from being a "real fisherman". get off your high horse, bud!  ;D

I know here in kentucky they have laws about how big a fish has to be in order to keep it. If the state your in has the same type of laws and the other fisherman was following these laws when he kept the fish, than i dont see a problem with it. I myself am a catch and release kind of guy, but i know others have different beliefs and views and i respect that. Some times when im out somewhere i see guys keep fish and i think to myself "why would he keep something of that size?" or something along those lines, but i dont say anything to them because this sort of thing is kind of like politics, People have different views and opinions and its better you just kept them to yourself. I don't want you to feel like I'm attacking you or criticizing you in anyway but some things are just better off left alone. I know sometimes its hard to keep your opinions to yourself when you feel strongly about something but sometimes it just has to be done.

best of luck fishing,

-Sambrochill///

If it was a legal catch , you have no right to tell anybody how to fish or that they should not keep their catch.

Your heart is in the right place but your mouth isn't.

but i have noticed this lake has started to have a sharp drop in the bass population since i started fishing here when i never saw people keep fish. and also this is a tiny lake. and by nasty i mean i said the fish will all be dead and you could too from contaminents.

You will never get anywhere taking that approach with a person. If you tell me that I am not a true fisherman, you can pretty much bet that I am not going to listen to a thing you have to say. I will instantly be on the defensive and even if you make very compelling arguements, I'm not going to hear them. Its human nature. If you really want to get the CnR message across, you have to approach it in the right way. Perhaps chatting the person up, getting to know them a bit, then explain why you think what you do might work better. As it is, what the guy was doing was perfectly acceptable.

And as for your observations, remember that the DNR folks take limits seriously and set the limits based on a lot of careful observation of the fishery. They are in a better position to judge the health of the fishery than you are. Since they have set a limit, they've judged that the fishery would be best served by said limit, and I don't think you are in a position to refute that.

Welcome to the forum

Enjoy.

Keeping some fish has allowed the bass in my buddy's pond to get much bigger than they used to.  Many years ago, we pulled 1 and 2 pounders out of there all day long but we never caught any big bass.  A few years ago we started keeping bass and eating them and now we catch several 5 to 7 pound bass on a regular basis.  I caught my first 10 pounder from this pond a few months ago.  The number one thing that limits a bass population is OTHER BASS.  In most cases, anglers aren't keeping enough bass to really hurt the population.

I don't think making comments was in your best interest. Like it has been said 1,000 times, i doesn't hurt to take a few fish, it actually helps. Next time this happens i would suggest just leaving it alone, your comments wont make a difference so don't waste your breathe.

The best info and resources I have found for C&R and selective harvest have come from Recycled Fish

http://recycledfish.org/home/

I don't mind people keeping fish, as long as they're legal and not inside of the slot limit for the lake (if there is one)  Selective harvest is actually pretty good for waterbodies because it eliminates overpopulation issues.

If you want to be an active part of conservation, then join B.A.S.S., participate in river/lake cleanup projects for volunteers, and really understand what impacts catch and release vs. catch and filet have on the environment.

Until it is illegal to harvest fish, then no one has any business telling someone what to do with their catch, so long as it is of legal size and bag limit.  If you really want to push the issue, talk to WLF or DNR and try to get a slot limit on the lake for better management.  But for the most part, it's a losing battle and if you take it too far, then you're on the wrong side of the law over a fish.  That's like...PETA stuff man.