Catch and Release?

[gonefishin]

GF I am just glad I can entertain you

Gotta have a little fun when you are the minority voice.

JS

Me too 'cheetz. After all you are in the entertainment business arent you? I have never heard any of your music but you sure do a good job of entertaining on here.

[Tightline]

scheetz , is that you or your wife holding that big fish in the pic on your posts, hee hee. Bet that fish lived a long time after you run your hand up its gills or did you have it mounted............>?

TL

[elsah]

I hate to interrupt the debate but I want to find a web site similar to what Lilley’s used to be. It had what the fish were hitting on the day before, where the best areas were and other pertinent information people can use to help make a long trip more rewarding. I’ve seen some of that here but frankly it’s getting harder to find. Any constructive help would be appreciated. Once again, sorry to get off the subject. Thanks

[gonefishin]

scheetz , is that you or your wife holding that big fish in the pic on your posts, hee hee. Bet that fish lived a long time after you run your hand up its gills or did you have it mounted............>?

TL

It was probably kind of alive when he released it. If the fish chose to die later that isnt his fault. As long as the fish is still alive when he put it back in the water he maintains his C&R status and his consious is clear.

[jscheetz]

Are you kidding? Me and Griffin skinned it alive and ate it raw - sushi style right there in the boat!!!

Yeah!!

Git-R-Done

JS

[gonefishin]

Like I said I think too many people get upset about fish they think should be released. I think all of the guys who come and net the blue gills I fish for (near Liberty, MO) should let them go! But that is cause I like catching the hand sized slabs (which take years to mature). It really steams me, but perfectly legal. Ethical? Well if you are a catfisherman you will say yes. If you are like me you hate it.

As long as you are NOT a poacher...

Very well stated Charley. Like you I like catching slab sized gills or better yet RedEar. As to the C&R thing; I respect most C&R anglers. In general I release many more fish than I keep. What irrates me is the C&R fishermen who belittle anyone who keeps a fish. I have seen C&R fishermen throw back fish that were obviously going to die then puff up like a banty rooster and crow to the world about how enviromentally consious and ethical they are and how someone who kept a fish is murdering a potential trophy. To me people with this kind of attitude are the worst kind of hyprocrits. If someone catches a legal fish that is obviously going to die the only ethical thing to do is add it to his/her creel then when they have limited out, quit fishing. If they don't want to eat their catch they should give it to someone who will or someone needy. By chosing to throw back fish that are going to die they have not only chose to kill them they have wasted them just as surely as if they had thrown them in a dumpster to rot. At least the people who keep them are going to use them.

But then this is just my opinion.

[griffin]

Are you kidding? Me and Griffin skinned it alive and ate it raw - sushi style right there in the boat!!!

Yeah!!

Git-R-Done

JS

Now you done it jscheetz, you've forced me to break out my best fish eating story.

When my son, Griffin, was 2 1/2 I had him out on his first walleye/sauger fishing day below a spillway over this way. We had stopped at the bait store on the way and picked up 4 dozen minnows, which Grif always has to be in charge of. The gal at the shop always let him scoop his own, and he'd put them on the floor of the truck in front of him and watch them on the way to the river.

So we're out there fishing, vertical fishing 1 oz. jigs off the bottom as we drift, bow upstream with me running the trolling motor. Obviosly, at his age, he's having a tough time telling the difference between a bite and the bottom so he needs a new minnow about every 10 or 15 minutes.

He only lasts about an hour or so before he wants to start casting, so I tie a big ole Rat-L-Trap on his rig and he commences to thrash the water. He's happy as he can be slinging that lure and I'm content to just drift along bouncing my jig.

After a while, I realize that I ain't really been paying much attention to him and he's gotten quiet. I look back and he's messing with the minnow bucket like he always did, dipping a few out, checking them over, and putting them back in the bucket.

I go back to fishing and in a bit I need a minnow. I look back and say, "Grif, whatcha doing?". Little dude mumbles, "nothing". I say, "gimme a minnow"......and he doesn't turn around....he's just sitting there over the bucket with his back to me.

I climb down off the front deck and walk back to get a minnow and when I look in the bucket there is only a handful of minnows. I look at the little goof and he's just kind of staring at me. I say, "where'd all the minnows go?" he just kind of shrugs his shoulders and says, "mmm mmmmm mmm" in the same cadence as "I don't know". Now it dawns on me what he's doing and I say, "ARE YOU EATING THOSE MINNOWS????" He starts to grin and when he does I can see little scales running out of the corner of him mouth!!! I say, "darn GRIF!!! DID YOU EAT ALL THOSE MINNOWS????" He breaks into a full blown grin and says, "they're good". We both busted up laughing. I bet that kid ate a couple dozen minnows.

So don't be telling me about eating raw fish.....it ain't nothing for us.

griffin

[Kicknbass]

Thanks for the story Griff. It is one of the funniest kids fishing stories that I have heard.

[gonefishin]

ROFL Funny story Grif. A few years back I took my daughter fishing. Her brother and I were catching a few fish (Bluegill and small Bass) and she wasn,t. She was starting to get bummed out about it. So I got to goofing around and trying to keep her entertained. I told her if she wanted to catch a lot of fish she had to start kissing them before throwing them back. So whenever her brother and I caught a fish I would act like we gave it a kiss before throwing it back. In a while she caught the biggest fish of the day, about a 3 lb channel. Right before throwing it back she gave it a kiss......... She started hollering GROSS and spit and sputtered around for 30 minutes. ROFL

[Charley Hart]

Very well stated Charley. Like you I like catching slab sized gills or better yet RedEar. As to the C&R thing; I respect most C&R anglers. In general I release many more fish than I keep. What irrates me is the C&R fishermen who belittle anyone who keeps a fish. I have seen C&R fishermen throw back fish that were obviously going to die then puff up like a banty rooster and crow to the world about how enviromentally consious and ethical they are and how someone who kept a fish is murdering a potential trophy. To me people with this kind of attitude are the worst kind of hyprocrits. If someone catches a legal fish that is obviously going to die the only ethical thing to do is add it to his/her creel then when they have limited out, quit fishing. If they don't want to eat their catch they should give it to someone who will or someone needy. By chosing to throw back fish that are going to die they have not only chose to kill them they have wasted them just as surely as if they had thrown them in a dumpster to rot. At least the people who keep them are going to use them.

But then this is just my opinion.

Yep I hear you. BTW Love your signature pic! I remember the first banner day I had down at Taney... It was great 30-40 fish! In April. I remember heading back to KC and thinking with a smile on my face. (some will cringe sorry) You know I had just as much fun catching those 30-40 bluegill, crappie and redears at the pond. My trout fishing buddy was kind of mad at first I was really on to the suttle strikes. I did not tell him I was pulling crappie out left and right the day before but the take was so suttle you almost could not feel it!

Got love the panfish...

Back to C&R as long as it is legal I have no problem with it.