Has the catch and release mentality gone too far?

[ifishhi]

if i catch a trophy fish it's going on the wall

[MXFisher]

Personal choice rules.....

If I offer a friend a drink and he declines, I don't try and force him to have one.

Religion, ditto...I have my beliefs, don't push yours off on me....

Catch and release or keep...personal choice, you caught it, do what you will with it, don't push your beliefs off on me......Esox

Very well put Esox!

[Mentiply]

My feelings are if you are going to use it take it. If you will waste it put it back. As long as it's legal it should be the choice of the person who caught it and no other.

[Fishingking]

What just recently happened in Michigan on one of the rivers ?? they had a huge Fishing Tournament there and  all of a sudden the next day there were about 500 dead floating bass  hmmm

[Shawner]

     Too bad the anglers on either side of an issue create the stereotypes of eachother that lead to some debated issues. Certainly, its up to the individual, in the case of an 8# bass in NYS to release or harvest and it is a matter of minutes to make the decision before its too late. Critics are lined up on eitherside at that point. For that bass to reach that size took a great deal of time, luck and genetics. Certainly there is no shortage of 5# bass, but 8# is rare and defiantly a trophy and hard for any angler to resist a mount. I'm sure the guy who caught it didn't expect such a trophy that day and may not of had time or a plan like MX for a replica which is a good plan. On the same token, should he really be criticized for his keeping the fish, may never land another that size. Too many factors play in including conditions of populations in a given body of water to be cut an dry on either side of release or keep on a fish like that. That fish wouldn't be a good eater, but provides a memory and an experience for some, that last a lifetime. I've caught two bass in the 8+ range over the years both out of ponds, one kept and photo's,but the mount got ruined and I was 25. The other had photo's and released and none of the pictures came out, I was 36 . If I'm fortunate enough to land one in that range again I may have a small dilemma on my hands to keep or release. Hopefully I'll have a digital camera on hand and I'll release. If I want a replica I can use that photo, plus I'll know right away if the picture came out. We are all faced with this decision whenever we take to the water or the field. My brother-in-laws and I chased a 14 point grey buck around for two seasons and he always got away, the three of us saw it several times, but could never get a shot off. What a trophy, we thought, he's old and smart and still had great mass in the rack, defiantly not a good eater, but one hell of a trophy. He'd been outsmarting hunters for 8-10 years to get that grey and big. The day came, I was the sitter on a drive, I looked over my shoulder and there he was broadside at about 75 yards, my heart pounded and I put the gun up and took aim, but he was looking right at me and didn't move, ears back and tail up. I hesitated for a moment and put the gun down, I found in a split second I didn't have the heart,  for the same reasons I thought he'd be THE trophy. I've never doubted that decision, even though I haven't had a buck of that stature since. If he was a 3 yr old and brown, he'd be on the wall. He walked off, walked I say, like the majestic old king he was and that image is still there in my mind like yesterday. Never told my two brother-in-laws because they would have beat me up but good verbally for letting it go, I was 21, they were both in their thirties. Food for thought.

[Shawner]

     Yeah, that's what I meant to say Mac!

[Semper Fi]

First of all, when you keep a fish to mount, you don't eat the fish... usually. By the time the fish is skinned and ready to mount, the meat is probably tainted and starting to go bad anyhow.  If you want to eat fish.... then keep it, but if you want to have a mount.... get a replica. JMHO!

SF

[1tigger]

As with any fishing or hunting  common sense is the rule .
Situations ALWAYS dictate along with a healthy dose of ethics !

[devil-man]

I'm not into mounts. I have nothing against artfully done taxidermy- It's just not for me. I would release a 8# bass after a boatload of pics and measurements were taken.
At the same time I do keep a few bass each year for the table. These fish are 14-18" and come from clean (preferably riverine) waters. I like eating them and so does my sister's family. I have some BASS TX friends who are strictly C+R, and we seem to get along just fine...
What's the problem?
If someone wants to get all elitist on my a$$ they can give it a big kiss at the same time.

[daffydone]

I'm not into mounts. I have nothing against artfully done taxidermy- It's just not for me. I would release a 8# bass after a boatload of pics and measurements were taken.
At the same time I do keep a few bass each year for the table. These fish are 14-18" and come from clean (preferably riverine) waters. I like eating them and so does my sister's family. I have some BASS TX friends who are strictly C+R, and we seem to get along just fine...
What's the problem?
If someone wants to get all elitist on my a$$ they can give it a big kiss at the same time.

what he said. I don't have a problem with mounts, it's not for me either, I would rather have a wall full of pictures of all the fish I caught. I know when I see a really nice wall mount, I think to myself( what luck!) but when I see a wall full of pics, I think ( that man knows how to fish) that and I hate to dust , I would rather be fishing than sitting there dusting off my trophy.

[pinche]

If I ever catch an 8lb bass from Michigan Ill post the picture of the mount hanging on the wall when I get it back. With out a doubt.

[scansy]

I have one mount - a 43" pike I caught in Quebec.  It was the biggest fish of my life to that time (I was 16 years old).  Within the next hour, I caught 2 more of the same size +/- and inch, but it was too late to throw the first one back.  The other two went back.  Since that time, I have caught numerous pike that large and several larger.  In hind site, I wish I would have thrown it back (37 years old now).

It is a nice mount though.

I think it is up to each person within the law.  Many will never regret keeping a fish.  Others will - many years later - like I do.  But it is still their choice.

As for someone's comment about fly fishermen for trout - I agree that they can have a superiority complex.  I personally dabble in flies for trout.  But I catch a lot on minnows and spinners.  I release almost all of them.  I only keep one that I know will die.  It's maybe a half dozen or so a year.

Someone else told the story about letting the big buck walk away.  That took a lot of guts.  I don't know if I could have done that.  I also hunt waterfowl and I know there are guys who pass on hens and only shoot drakes.  Again, that takes guts.  That's the kind of ethical decision that a person can make for themselves as far as I'm concerned.  As long as all is within the limits/laws.

[tucker]

  It just seems to be really prevalent in the bass community now alongside some of the flyfishing trout folks as well to the point that it's not even selective harvest anymore and you get crucified if you even keep one fish when there are clearly no shortage of bass in our lakes

I never thought I would see the day when bubba bassfisherman and mr. snooty pants flyfisherman could agree on anything.  I think this is a sign of the end of times.

I find this mentality also creeping into the hunting community.  Here in NY there is starting to be a big debate over antler restrictions.

My opinion is that if it is legal to do so do whatever you want.  THere are enough rules and regs to go around and I don't need someone else to tell me what to do if I am legal.

[walleyechaser]

way too far.  I keep what I'm going to eat and thats it.  If I get a trophy I will take pics and release.  I couldn't justify to my wife the expense to have it mounted.  The larger fish IMO don't taste good so I release them.
1 exception I had last year was a 29" walleye that swallowed my jig and was bleeding all over.  I kept it because I figured it was as good as dead.  I soaked it in milk and ate it.  Wasn't that great but ok.
I keep all eater size trout I catch within the law.  I will keep a meal or 2 of pannies if I get them and I will keep eater sized 24"-30" pike if I get one in the winter. 

All bass and muskies will go back because I'm not going to eat them.

My dad taught me a good lesson when I was a kid.   I killed a chickadee with my BB gun and he made me eat it.
He said never kill what you won't eat.  That is my mantra.   Unless of course its a dog running a deer in the woods.  Then its gettting a .32 round to the head.

[MXFisher]

My dad taught me a good lesson when I was a kid.   I killed a chickadee with my BB gun and he made me eat it.
He said never kill what you won't eat. 

Thats a very good lesson, and one way of teaching it. Nothing makes me madder to see fish kept and then wasted. If you kill it you should at least have enough respect to use it to the fullest. Same thing goes for guys who shoot deer and only eat the T-loins and back straps, and toss the rest! Very wasteful and IMHO disrespectful!