Catch and Release?

[jscheetz]

hehehehe Great story Griffin!!!! Kids and minnow buckets - seems like I used to be able to sit and watch the minnow bucket for hours as well! And if you could stick a crawdad or two and a couple of baby bullheads in there then it was even more entertaining!

JS

[ryan]

Just food for thought but when is the last time you let a nice ten point buck walk by out in the deer woods? Our conservation does an excellent job setting limits and providing eveyone with a chance at catching a trophy fish. I practice c and r religously but I do believe fish and animals were put on this earth for our enjoyment and to provide us with food. If someone catches a trophy then it is up to them to either harvest the fish for the wall or take a picture and turn it loose. I believe that for the most part we do an excellent job on taney in regards to conservation (thats why it's a trophy fishery). Plenty of 10+ pound fish are caught every year, some killed and some released to grow bigger. Regardless what we are doing is working so if someone keeps a 20lb fish for the wall so what, the next person will release one even bigger. Don't get stressed out about what your neighbor is doing just consentrate on your own actions. Remember you are a SPORTSMAN not a jerk.

[Thom]

I was staying at Stetson's on the white in Arkansas couple of years back and in their lodge there were about 7 browns 5 pounds and mounted over on the wall with names on them. I was giving the owner a rough time kidding him about keep the large browns for mounting. He said only one of them is really from an actual fish the others are made from pictures taken either by the guide of guest. I could not tell the difference.

It's not such a big deal to me if folks that come down once or twice a year occasionally keep a trophy for their wall. I carry an inexpensive digital and take a picture to torture my buddies that are not retired yet when I get back home. if I would be inclined to put another mount (from pictures) on my wall and had $100 plus dollars I could just give the picture to the taxi guy and have it done. I usually only upgrade if it is larger than my son's last mount.

I always release the large ones hoping someone else will enjoy the thrill that I just had. My last trip in September I released one over 20" that had three flies still in its mouth and one hook in it gullet that had probably been cut of by a bait fisherman to release.

If I decide to take fish home for lunch the 12 or 13 inchers are the best eating anyway.

I will be at Taney Oct 29th for another week. Hope to run into some of you on the water or at the dam lot. I usually dock at fall creek and fish in a procrappie trackeror wading at the dam. Plan to stop at Lillies to check out the fly shop.

[griffin]

My last trip in September I released one over 20" that had three flies still in its mouth and one hook in it gullet that had probably been cut of by a bait fisherman to release.

I don't believe releasing really stupid fish is good for the gene pool.

griffin