After a quick conversation with a state biologist he assures us that we are doing no damage by taking fish off the nest. Study after study has confirmed this and there is no scientific data that indicates any harm to the fishery. He stated that If there was any harm then the state would have impossed regulations to protect the fishery.
Now to be clear we are talking about catch and release practices only and that it was not being over fished.
Now I can see where small fisheries such a streams could be over fished during this period, but he indicated that was a very small risk and the state could impose regulations in these cases. But I would think that it would only apply to bodies of water that they are currently managing or sampling. Im sure they don't do many creeks.

Lots of opinions out there I guess.