Second Brown This Week By This Young Angler

[ozark trout fisher]

Well, this guy clearly is a pretty good fisherman.

Next time though, tell him to leave a couple in the river for everyone else....

[Nortrad]

Depends on how he caught it...

[Jason R.]

I was being a little sarcastic by the way- I'm going with snagged in the belly, filleted and fried up crispy.

[Gavin]

Congrats to that young man..his first looked like an 18" and change...but the one in the picture is a quality fish. He's well within his legal limit if he took two in a week......and after you catch a few of those the need to take them usually subsides.

[Flyflinger]

Snag mark...nylon stringer, and yet another nice brown dead....yawn.

[laker67]

Congrats to that young man..his first looked like an 18" and change...but the one in the picture is a quality fish. He's well within his legal limit if he took two in a week......and after you catch a few of those the need to take them usually subsides.

Yep, my congrats as well. I totally agree with Gavin's comment. Young anglers keep fish and for sure they are going to keep their first one or two or ten lunker fish. I kept my first five lunker fish, and have kept a total of 27 lunkers in my lifetime. If the young man caught those fish in fair chase, then he has every right to be proud of his catch.

[Muddler4]

Interesting tail. When they stock browns in the blue ribbon Current do they put some broodstock in as well? Or is that from being drug around on a stringer? This was caught in the park right? Assuming the "lunker board" is for park caught fish only?

[Jason R.]

I've just never understood why people keep trophy fish- I mean that one isn't exactly a trophy but why not just keep two 15 inch bows and put that brown back. They don't taste any better, they don't fit in a pan and real skin mounts usually don't last all that long. Take some hero pics and let it swim- just an opinion- I know it is legal.... but snagging ain't.

[Phil Lilley]

Consider his age. When I was his age, I killed quite a few big browns and rainbows. When I was growing up, I never released any big bass I caught out farm ponds I fished. Just didn't think about it.

Education is the key- that and growing into a different mindset. Most of us have been there. I bet if someone showed this young guy how to fish better- and the importance of releasing his catch, he'd become a more conscience angler. Beat him over the head for killing a trophy now and he may never want to become a catch-n-release angler... like the ones giving him a hard time.

Food for thought.

[northernranger]

I agree with lilley. I got a carried away and missed the finer points.