So Much for catch and release

[tfmuch]

Again I must say you guys are no different than PETA here, \with out knowing it you are another special interest group primed and ready. You guys see them everyday, our country is run by them and this is how it starts, not everyone is a tournament fisherman. I still say they have the right to catch and keep what they want as long as they follow the rules. I sad before I practice catch and release, but if my mother wanted a mess of bass to eat, I would bring them home, might take a PIC of them. I think the guy took the Pic with the pose he had as a joke in referents to an incident with a newsmen pic that almost cost him is job last year at wbko. As I live in the USA I hate it when a small group of people try and tell me what to do. I fish tournaments and see lot of dead bass after weigh-ins pitched back in, pretty sad. Bigger tournaments haul them, fewer few are took home to eat, who would want to eat a bass that has been dead for 5 hours in a live well in 80+ water. Catch and release or take some home should be an Individuals right and should not be persecuted of it.

[Col Forbin]

[QUOTE=tfmuch;316794]Again I must say you guys are no different than PETA here, QUOTE]


I think that is taking it a little too far, comparing us to PETA. We truly appreciate our sport, and want to preserve the future of it. If you want to keep fish for food, why not fish for an easier to catch and much more abundant species that regenerates it's population much quicker. I am not so outspoken that I am going to protest at cleaning stations - but anyone fishing in my boat will follow catch and release. So we may be extremists when it comes to protecting the future of our sport and local fisheries, but radical animal rights activists, we are not.

Andy G. summed it up best "you go ahead and keep keeping fish. And wonder why you never catch 10lbers in ky."

In terms of tournaments, I think they should be more strict on dead bass. I think they should even pay a deposit $50 (for large tournaments). If they weigh in a dead bass, it is donated to preserving our fisheries, if not, it is refunded. Personally, I have never weighed in a dead bass in a tourney - and I think more tournament fisherman are becoming more educated in how to temporarily keep and release healthy bass.

[DJD]

"""In terms of tournaments, I think they should be more strict on dead bass. I think they should even pay a deposit $50 (for large tournaments). If they weigh in a dead bass, it is donated to preserving our fisheries, if not, it is refunded. Personally, I have never weighed in a dead bass in a tourney - and I think more tournament fisherman are becoming more educated in how to temporarily keep and release healthy bass."""
Yikes! I know you are just throwing out ideas here but that would be extreme. I have lost a few bass due to a weak/sick fish or just plain unfortunate circumstances like a tounge hooked bass and that penalty would be an insult. Dead bass at weigh-in's are a small problem no need impose more rules. JMO

[Col Forbin]

"""In terms of tournaments, I think they should be more strict on dead bass. I think they should even pay a deposit $50 (for large tournaments). If they weigh in a dead bass, it is donated to preserving our fisheries, if not, it is refunded. Personally, I have never weighed in a dead bass in a tourney - and I think more tournament fisherman are becoming more educated in how to temporarily keep and release healthy bass."""
Yikes! I know you are just throwing out ideas here but that would be extreme. I have lost a few bass due to a weak/sick fish or just plain unfortunate circumstances like a tounge hooked bass and that penalty would be an insult. Dead bass at weigh-in's are a small problem no need impose more rules. JMO

I was thinking more in terms of larger tours, $4500 entry fee - $50 is a drop in a the bucket, maybe $10 for a BFL. Just throwing out some ideas. Don't get mad because you catch some weak fish. (totally kidding - lol).

[dh]

dead bass at tournaments are a real problem when they are smallmouth or big largemouth in summertime tours. i have seen a lot of big s.m. weighted in tour. that were dead & was rewarded with big fish money for the tour. there are to many bass fishermen & tours. to allow dead fish weighted in tour cause most of the time they are the biggest fish. tours are supposed to be about catch & release live fish not dead fish. if you do not allow dead fish to be weighted, you can bet they will take better care of their fish, tour. fishermen will do just about anything to win tours. so they will find ways to keep their catch alive!!!! fishing is a privilege that we as fishermen need to take care of & the majority of us do but the minority who think it is their right to go out & keep their limit every time they go fishing have made fishing tough for all of us. so before you lay the blame for a decline in fishing on your favorite lake on ky f&w you might want to look in the mirror & see if you can see the problem jmo

[fishin350]

A lot of fish die days after tourneys.

[CTFSHWHISKER]

A lot of fish die days after tourneys.

hang at wax marina on nolin when there are 2 or 3 tourneys on sat and sunday evenings,and mornings after some night tourneys,there will be a few limits floating and usually you'll see some nice fish,much like the pic. some are talking like it's common place to see all sorts of people catching limits of bass,i see 50 boat tourneys with only mybe 6 or 8 limits average and most of them are seasoned bassers so i don't think the "limits" are leaving the waters like some think.i know i don't hurt the population many with limits

[Moose1am]

Catching deep fish and bringing them up to the surface from deeper than 20 ft will result in the fish being under extreme pressure changes.

This may or may not harm the fish. It depends on how fast you bring them back to the surface and the difference in depth, pressure and temperature. Increases in temperature of the fish can cause dissolved gases in the blood stream to expand and bubble out of solution. And when you decrease the pressure it causes the gases to expand. Bubbles in the blood stream in humans creates the disease called the "Bends".

Now fish are not mammals and are a totally different species so I am not really sure how these gases effect the fish.

But you have to know that Boyle's Law and Charles Laws are a fact of Physics. And a gas reacts to changes in pressure and temperature the same way whether it's inside a fish or a human.

The summer months are the worst time to go catch deep fish if you are concerned about fish populations.

And I am sure many of you who fish for deep water fish have noticed the fish's eye bulging out of the eye sockets and the swim bladder coming out of the fish's mouth. That should tell you that the fish is under extreme stress that may kill said fish.

A lot of fish die days after tourneys.

[MSD]

In my opinion, I see no harm in keeping bass or any other species of fish. I often see many bass fishermen who are fishing for crappie during the spring spawn and they are not practicing catch and release. It seems to me it's ok for them to catch a limit of crappie, but people who are not a bass tourney fisherman have no right to catch and keep "their" fish. We all pay the same price to fish and as long as the rules and regs are followed; i see no problem in keeping a limit of fish, be it bass, catfish, crappie or any other species.

[fisheater]

I love eating fish though i dont keep very many bass.I prefer to have good fishing in all places that i go so i watch what i take.But if i think one is hooked bad or i need just a few more fish for a good fish fry ill turn some bass into poo.

[DJD]

I was thinking more in terms of larger tours, $4500 entry fee - $50 is a drop in a the bucket, maybe $10 for a BFL. Just throwing out some ideas. Don't get mad because you catch some weak fish. (totally kidding - lol).

Lol...actually I was being a little conservative! (inside joke)

[bevo]

mmmmm dinner.