What to do! What to do!

[Trophycats]

Dave..well said. Once again...the client/guide have to be on the same sheet of music or it is going to be a miserable trip. I make it VERY clear that all cats 10lbs or over are CPR. They are allowed to keep the eater cats if they so desire. That in itself can pose a problem at times, as after a hard day of fishing and a livewell of eater cats, they get to the dock and decide they dont want to keep them. And even after being kept in a livewell all day, some of the cats wont survive. I make sure that the client knows that if they state that they want to keep eaters then the eaters are going home with them, no matter how tired they are. I also make it clear that, I DO NOT clean them for them, thats the last thing i want to do after a hard day of fishing. All of this is clarified on the phone prior to them booking the trip, I dont want any suprises.

Dave, how have you been doing? I feel for ya if you have been fishing in this hot weather. I think you and I had a couple of the same clients this fall, they spent a day or two with me for cats and went to fish with you for bass.

Warren

[Dave Stewart]

Hi Warren: It has definitely been hot out there this past week....no wind, flat water, and no current makes it all a challenge for sure. Luckily, almost all my trips lately have been focused teaching trips to learn ledge fishing and how to eliminate water (including ledges). This trip has 5 hours on the water and 3 hours of class (on shore in the shade or inside in a/c). So I have been off the water around 10:30 every day lately except one so missing most of the really hot part of the day. We did share a client or two this past fall, they fished catfish with you and bass with me.

[AJM]

I've been out with Lance Sasser, of Sassers Guide Service. There were 4 of us being guided one morning in the late summer. We pulled up on a spot, and had our limit plus a few short fish in less than 20 minutes. It was pretty impressive to say the least. He took us on a little boat ride and we went on with our day. I believe he was scheduling back to back trips at the time. Thats how you know your on some fish!!

Also as stated and reiterated above, it is not good or suggested to release legal striper during the warmer months.

[FlyLie]

Never thought it would happen to me...BUT went out on Lake Cumberland by myself this morning and BANG. Caught a 29 inch fish a 5:08am and a 33 inch fish at 5:20am. Thats it, two's the limit....take her home.

Link to Photo Board:
http://www.fishin.com/forums2/showth...230#post373230


Both fish caught trolling shiners 30 feet deep in mouth of creek near main lake.

[btlspin]

I've never fished for them, why can you not catch and release a striper in warm water?

[PRO V LE]

I've never fished for them, why can you not catch and release a striper in warm water?

They fight so hard that the lactic acid builds up in their system and becomes lethal. They also must have cooler water with O2 to survive, more so the bigger they get.
Even if you release a striper and it swims away it will die soon after.

[RoadToad]

Would it even be legal to continue fishing for stripers once you had your limit in your cooler? I thought that any fish you were "in control of" counted towards your limit. If that's true, then it seems to me that if you had your limit in your creel already, and hooked another of that same species, you would at that point be over your limit, and could be cited.

[Duayne]

Would it even be legal to continue fishing for stripers once you had your limit in your cooler? I thought that any fish you were "in control of" counted towards your limit. If that's true, then it seems to me that if you had your limit in your creel already, and hooked another of that same species, you would at that point be over your limit, and could be cited.

It is not illegal to continue fishing for stripers after a limit at this time but many of us would like to see a seasonal mandatory non release law during warm months along with a shorter size limit in the summer and larger size limit in the winter.