I look at it this way. Legally, you can kill two stripers/day. If you catch 4 out of warm water, and the mortality rate is 80% (closer to 100% by August), you've killed at least 3 stripers. One more than the legal limit. You are not helping the fishery by killing more than your daily limit. If you were to catch your 2, release them, and stop fishing, then you are still in your legal limit. In that case you have not negatively impacted the fishery. Just seems like a waste to release a fish that is going to die anyway. Might as well fill your belly with them, they are tasty!

Personal choice, I very rarely fish for them during warm water season any more. I release almost all the stripers I catch from cold water. Its a "put and take" fishery, but the sizes can be increased by releasing stripers in cold water times.

My 2 cents.

Andrew