fishing ethics

[Lawdog]

Do you think it is ethical or unethical to keep, clean, and eat a largemouth bass if it is within the legal limits set by the Commission? Is there a difference between keeping a fish to eat and keeping a fish to place on your wall?

[EJHick]

Very controversial subject. One thing you have to trust is that the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife is regulating our waters the correct way in order to grow a successful fishery in the state of Kentucky. Now ethical to keep a bass? Why wouldn't it be, it's a fish, no different from keeping a bluegill.....

BUT personally I never keep any bass, I am soley a catch and release guy. I'm out there for the sport not to catch me a sandwich. When I hook into a hawg and she gives me a memory that will never be forgotten, the least thing I could do for her is to let her go and to create another memory for someone else.
If I want some fish, I will post up on a spot and catch me some crappie, gills, cats, or hybrids. There is just something about those green and brown fish that I can't find myself ever keeping them. Now if there is alot of little ones in a small lake, and the hawg population goes down, then I will start keeping the smaller ones to spread out the population, but that is really the only case scenario I will keep one. I've got one on the wall, which is enough...unless I hit double digits then she may be my next decoration the wife can complain about. While we're on the subject of catch and release, my father started me out at an early age. I remember camping one time at Rough River, fishing the bank and I stumbled upon freshly cleaned bass (like 5 4lbers) just laying on the bank. That was one devastating experience to say the least!

Eric

[artcarney_agr]

I'll keep small ones from time to time, mainly because there are a lot of them! The smaller fish put up a lot of competition for food. Also, I keep any fish I know that won't live after getting hooked too deep. I can't stand putting a fish back that I know will die and go to the turtles to eat!

[decker]

I see nothing wrong with it. As long as you don't waste them. As far as mounting a fish you can get a exact repleca for just a little more money and it will last forever and not shrink. So it is better to do that anyway. People will complain about you doing it, will be the same ones that pass up 10 tender meated does to shoot that 10 point tough meated buck and say it was for the meat. If you enjoy the meat eat it. i don't like a bass over 1 or 1.5 pounds anyway it gets to strong.

[Brutus]

I used to tournament fish a little, bass fish alot. Nowadays I just fish. Sold the bass boat and have just a fishin boat now. My current fishin bud, who has been fishin with me for about 4 years now, wants every legal fish he can take home. I never let him keep any of the bass I caught, but didn't care if he kept what he caught.
This year I've been letting him keep some of the bass I've caught also. The biggest was one just under 3 lbs. We keep all the Ky's we catch for him too. I don't see anything wrong with it if the person is legal and keeps only legal sized fish.
If someone wants to b!tch about us keeping bass, then next year buy my license and I won't keep no more of your bass.

[MASBASS]

I do not keep my SM LM bass I just do not.I will keep Kentucks once in a while most of the time in the fall and winter. The better eating is the bass 10-14 inches IMO. But when you get right down to it I would much rather eat Bluegill, Shellcracker, Crappie or WALLEYE!!!!

I have had 2 bass mounted in my life. I will not have another I will have the replica made for myself and release a trophy bass. I turned a 8-02 loose last year and a 9+ the year before. I would much rather have a picture or replica, but that is me.

[Viking]

from: GOD
to: Bass fishermen

Don't play with your food.

[yogio]

I know I'll stir up the stink a little with this answer and we will never know if this is accurate. But I bet that the average catch and release fisherman and especially tourney fisherman who catch (often bedding bass), release and cull multiple times thru the day and haul the fish to be weighed and released often miles from "home" end up killing more fish than the meat eater who catches his or her 5 and goes home with them. I own a pond in which I let good fishermen fish and release and very seldom are there not a couple nice ones floating the next day. In the hot summer, in warm water, delayed fish kills are terribly under reported. Most, the turtles get before you ever even know they died.

[Chubminnow]

Eat'm, mount'm, release'm...just don't waste'm...in other words, sure, mount yourself a trophy bass...it doesn't have to be the state record to be a trophy...it's your own personal trphy anyway, maybe you've fished for many, many years and never caught a bass larger than 2 1/2 to 3 pounds, then you suddnely land a largemouth that goes over 6lbs...heck, mount it...

If you'd like to have some fish for dinner, or even put some in the freezer for another time, heck go for it, why not? As fas as tropy's are concerned everyone most likely pretty much knows what they'd like to see hanging on their own walls...In regards to fish consumption, everyone should know what they can or will eat as far as quantity of fish is concerned, so there's no need to hord a bunch of fillet's in the freezer, especially when you can get catfish fillet's on sale at Kroger for 2.99 to 3.99 per pound every now and then...but above all, please handle the bass with care if you release them...

This is only my personal opinion...everyone feels or sees it differently, but if a man has any concious about him what so ever then he'll do what's right by the laws of man and by the laws of nature.

[Chubminnow]

Yogio - You're correct about the turtles...The following is a true story.

a few years ago I had a fish basket laying in the water up next to the bank of this farm pond I go to...we were having a nice cook out there at the house of this pond, so I take a break from fishing and go to the house and grab a burger and a beer and visit a spell...about 45 minutes to one hour later when I returned to the pond I resumed fishing. My fish basket was still there and looked to be just as I left it...after a few casts I caught another fish...as I lifted the basket to place the fish in with the rest of them I discovered a torn spot in my basket, not only that but two of the nicer sized bass that were in the basket had their stomachs completely eaten. A freakin' turtle had worked it's way THROUGH my fish basket and ate the dag-blurned bellies out of my bass...man you talk about getting ticked off! If I had known that was going to happen I would have either cleaned the fished prior to my having dinner or released everyone of them as soon as I caught them...I was ticked off and a little sorry at the same time...but then again I guess the turtles have to get their share occassionally.

[Chubminnow]

MASBAS - How large are the two bass you have mounted?

[flippindrew]

Brutus, although I do not keep bass, and dont agree with it, you have a very valid and strong point there at the end lol.