MyFishFinder Forum
My Fish Finder Main => General Fishing Discussion => Topic started by: grumpymoe on Sep 14, 2006, 07:17 PM
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Okay....we're fishing your favourite specie. I latch onto a Big one and although its legal, I wonder if I should keep it and fry it up. From past experience, I've been pressured by other anglers to not throw it back, as it's healthy appetite depletes some panfish that I enjoy catching and eating. I dont care what other anglers do, as long as its legal. What may seem unethical in our part of the world, is perfectly acceptable in others. The only time I get upset, is when specially priveledged minorities flaunt the fact that they can catch, keep and eat what the licensed community cannot.....Grump
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if the fish is big enough i would keep it for the wall. i could care -less what the other guy thinks 8)
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Quick pic or four, I'll have a repliaca made! :tipup:
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Replicas look really fake. I would keep it and hang it on the wall. I had a conversation with Oakorchardfishking and fishincrazy last week. It also depends on the body of water I'm fishing. I will keep my limit of perch from a tribuatry of Lake Ontario before I keep a limit from a small pond or lake. If the body of water can take it, I do it. If the body of water can't, they go back.
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Replicas look really fake.
Not to hijack, but wouldn't it depend on who made it? You may know more on this subject Brian as you might have a mount or two if I remember correctly. ;D
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Guess it all depends on what one considers a big fish :) I only have one fish mounted so I guess in my Mind i have only caught one Big fish lol
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my vote waas keep it and who cares what anybody thinks if you think its a trophy than its a trophy!
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let her go...make a replica.
Whoever says replica's looks fake obviously had some real crappy ones done, and on top of that replicas last way longer than skin mounts.
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I might mount it, but I will not eat it :) The big ones aren't the best eaters usually any way ;D. If I can get a quick pic without hurting it I will. I have many pictures of fish on my wall, but no mounts ;) ................................................. Yet :P
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Depends on the fish really.
Big grouper and it's going in the fry pan AFTER a few pictures.
A big walleye is already on the wall, so a few pics and 50/50 table or back in the lake.
Salmon or trout - no question. Back into the pond.
But again, depends.
One thing is for sure.
Screw everyone else and what THEY think!
It's my fish and my decision.
End of story.
Mac
Pretty much my sentiments exactly, Mac.
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depending on the species. carp gets a pic then goes back. walleye, pike, trout or burbot goes on the wall or pic then released and get a replica made is what i would prolly do
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Not to hijack, but wouldn't it depend on who made it? You may know more on this subject Brian as you might have a mount or two if I remember correctly. ;D
MX,
I have 6 and they are all skin mounts. I have seen many replicas from different places and they look really fake in MY opinion. Skins mounts may not last as long but, my fiance will not want to keep dead fish after I die. She hates the things already.
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I voted for release, but I would make one exception: Walleye. I keep every legal walleye that I catch. I'm also of the view that it is up to the individual.
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I only keep a few keeper crappie in the spring.
If it is a legal walleye, it goes in the livewell, I don't get to many, and I can't pass up a tasty walleye.
But, all other legal fish on the open water are C&R'd to fight another day.
That is unless I have someone that wants a few fish, but they do there own cleaning.
If someone wants the fish, they get the whole fish. ;) I only clean my own fish. ;D
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All my fish go back, I don't eat them, so I throw them back for others to catch and make their own decision.... If fishing with a fish eating buddy... a few may go in their bucket within the law of course.... ;)
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I voted pics and release. Although, that would be tough since I always seem to forget my camera. :cursing:
But I don't have a problem with someone keeping a legal fish to eat or mount.
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I said the heck with other opinions. I tend to forget my camera so if I got a trophy class fish and forgot the camera I'm not sure what I would do. I guess I'll have to be in that situ-a and make a decision then.
Mac I agree big walleye do not taste good. Neither do big trout or salmon.
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Most times a pic and release. I have my own set standards for different species here they are. A 30" walleye would go on the wall for sure though, all trohpy pike a pic and release, a 50" pike a pic and replica, 28" plus rainbow or brown on the wall, a 20" plus brookie might go on the wall, trophy perch go in the pan after a pic most times some I release the same goes for crappie, a trophy burbot would be in the pan everytime. Tullibee get smoked or lake trout bait, even the 16-18 inchers go down for lakers, I think of it as a good investment, the return is usually large. Anything else goes back after a pic if I have a camera. I have only one mount of my first ever trophy fish, a 23.5 inch rainbow I caught when I was 12. 8)
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I fish mostly for panfish, primarily yellow perch. Hence, the pan is where they go. However, on the ice, and during the Lake Ontario spring run, I do catch a fair number of "footballs"; 14 to 17 inch super fat and egg laden females. These are released.
I feel that it is up the the individual, even though I may not agree (as with keeping the big female perch). But then I can reason, how big of an impact does my release of twenty or so slobs a year actually have on the fishery? Probably not much since the guy next to will probably re-catch her and slap her in the bucket.
Also, I would like to believe that the DEC is doing their work and is able to regulate size and quantity of take guidelines accurately in respect to what a given body of water can sustain.
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Hey DM and Camo -
If you caught a 12 or 15 lb walleye would you eat it?
Seriously.
Now a 12 or 15 lb walleye would possibly go on the wall, I don't have the $$$ to mount a fish but I know my Dad would help me out, if I got a fish like that.
My personal best walleye is 29" - 10ish lber. that I caught with out a sole around to get a good picture. I did get a picture but it was laying on the ground and the fish broke my rod tip cause it flopped around with the hook still in it and my rod tip was in a forked tree branch. :P But, I released that fish to swim and fight another day. :thumbup_smilie:
But, any walleye up to 28-30" would be table tasty. ;D
Now, I've released a nice tasty one up at camp, cause it was the only walleye that I've got out of the lake, cause there are so few, so I released that one so it would breed. :clapping:
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Hey DM and Camo -
If you caught a 12 or 15 lb walleye would you eat it?
Probably- I know 8 pounders taste good. 8)
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I'd probably release any big fish after a picture. Any walleye over 24 inches is defintely going back unless it's 34 inches or more. A pike would have to be big for me to keep it for a mount, like 48 inches. But in all reality I can't afford to get a fish mounted so a picture would be the best option. And how is a fish story supposed to grow if its on your wall right there while your telling the story. ;D
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Man that's HUGE. I've caught a few perch but I've never personally seen one over maybe 15 1/2" and even the giant perch in Seneca don't usually go more than 15 or 16". A true 17" perch would go on my wall not back in the lake. That's like catching a 12" bluegill which I would also probably mount.
These are Lake Ontario perch. I spend all spare time in the spring chasing them, and on average, get about four or five each season in the 16 to 17 inch range; and another dozen in the 14 / 15 area. Always females, always released. I've taken about six in my lifetime that actualy hit 18 inches, and just to out-do me, there is a picture on our refridgerator showing my wife with something I have never managed, an 18-1/2 incher!! Taken during the spring run in 18 Mile Creek in Niagara County. Actually, at the place that you can no longer fish all year and that I related to in my thread "Olcott No Fishing Report" >:(
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Chances are Id keep it.
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like others have ementioned, i have personal goals set for myself for wallmounts. if i catch a fish that meets my expectations of a wallmount it will be a gametime decision as to wther i keep it or not...if it is a lengthy battle and the fish is in rough shape well thats easy. if it is still strong and healthy from what i can tell it might just get its picture taken and live to fight another day
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I prefer photography to taxidermy. I think a few good pictures capture the memories, like the weather, season, and the other people who were there. When you look back over big fish pictures, you remember how much fun you had because of the smile on your face, and you remember the boat you were fishing out of. When you look back years later, you observe how young you looked, and the dorky shirt your dad was wearing. With taxidermy, you get a dead fish on a piece of wood. Don't get me wrong, to each his own. I have a smallmouth on the wall, but I treasure the pictures of day more than the mount. I do eat allot of fish, selectively harvested, because fish that are too small are hard to clean, and fish that are too large usually taste poorly.
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i say if you catch it by legal means, its yours to do with as you will. as far as the bigfish for me? i dont get fish mounted...and i dont eat the larger fish, unless its a gill, or perch. even then, if i catch a bunch of big gills, i feel compelled to throw some back, and keep the mid sized ones. i would most likely opt to just take a pic and release, if i have a camera on hand. if not, i just throw em back to breed other large fish, and/or keep the stunted fish population in check
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I could really care less about what anyone else thinks. I'm so sick and tired of each opinion being shoved down my throat. I choose to let my big fish go as they don't taste as good as the smaller ones IMHO (except perch) but as long as the fish is not being kept just to show it off to buddies then I cannot see any reason to complain.
I'm the first to admit I preach catch and release for toothies around here but I don't do it in a way that makes it seem that they must do it. I just let them know that it takes quite a while for those fish to get that big and that they should consider releasing them. If they choose to keep it then thats their choice. As long as its legal then its their choice and not mine or anyone elses.
As to the mount vs photo, I have 2 mounts done and both have pictures of me with the fish next to them. I have a skin mount of the 1st fish I ever caught which was a 2-3lb LMB and a replica of my 1st and longest muskie to date which was 45".