Do you always throw back the big fish?

[Jonny]

The science is behind slot limits and we have seen the success of it.

 

Actually, to be more specific in the context of this topic, the science behind (pickerel) slot limits is that small fish and large fish can be kept. The slot is set so that the prime breeding population falls within the slot. The slot is not meant to protect large fish.

 

I like to eat fish, and so does my entire family. I keep fish below the slot, and I also keep the occasional fish over the slot. If I obey the slot (and I do) then I am doing what the experts have decided is best for the fishery.

 

If cut into same-size pieces, fillets from large fish are virtually indistinguishable from fillets of smaller fish when eaten, IMO.

Edited August 17, 2009 by Jocko

[camillj]

Salmon.. and bows .. are eaters .... at least a couple a season are ... most of the rest go back ... cept of course them tasty Quebec specks (almost any size) and of course the legal pickerel, which for the most part are regulated to the nth degree anyways (havent eaten one in several years).... oh and lakers under 5 lbs, and whitefish pretty much any size (a few a year of each if I get a chance)

 

 

Dont normally eat perch, bass and pike go back unless they are mortally wounded... I know .. they are good eating too .. but hey I like to let em go.

 

Musky burgers ... only on the third full moon in a month ... if its snowing... and they are DELICIOUS !

[Greencoachdog]

I've been lurking on these forums for awhile now and I've noticed that pretty much every thread about a big fish talks about releasing them. I understand throwing them back to breed again but are there others why people do so? I have to admit, my first instinct would be to keep it for food. (I'm new-ish to fishing - not trying to stir anything up here.)

 

 

 

 

What part of contaminants are cumulative do you not understand???

 

Contaminants:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollution

 

cumulative:

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/cumulative

 

I know this one prolly blows your widdle mind, but think of it as 1x1=1, 2x2=4, 4x4=8......

 

I only eat:

 

Crappie 9-12" long

 

Catfish 12-18" long

 

Striped Bass 10-18" long

 

Bluegills 6-10" long

 

I do not eat Black Bass!!!... there are much better fish in the lake to eat than those disgusting "Green Trout"!!!!! (I just hurled a little bit in the back of my mouth just thinking aboot it!!!)

 

 

Practice eating Carp, Sheepshead, and Bowfin!... that should tone down your fish eating cravings!!!

Edited August 17, 2009 by GCD

[Jonny]

What part of contaminants are cumulative do you not understand???

 

I know this one prolly blows your widdle mind, but think of it as 1x1=1, 2x2=4, 4x4=8......

 

Practice eating Carp, Sheepshead, and Bowfin!... that should tone down your fish eating cravings!!!

 

You quoted behearsum's lead-off post but the reply seems more directed to me. Regardless, I think someone with your post count, on a forum that is virtually flame-free, ought to know better than to throw snide remarks around, as you so frequently seem to do.

 

Personally, I'm not impressed.

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

his snide comment to fish caught ratio is about 200:1...

[bigfish1965]

Actually, to be more specific in the context of this topic, the science behind (pickerel) slot limits is that small fish and large fish can be kept. The slot is set so that the prime breeding population falls within the slot. The slot is not meant to protect large fish.

 

I like to eat fish, and so does my entire family. I keep fish below the slot, and I also keep the occasional fish over the slot. If I obey the slot (and I do) then I am doing what the experts have decided is best for the fishery.

 

If cut into same-size pieces, fillets from large fish are virtually indistinguishable from fillets of smaller fish when eaten, IMO.

 

Slots, at least the ones I have dealt with, do include harvesting larger fish, but usually only ONE. This is more to appease guys who get that once in a lifetime fish or to reduce wastage when a large fish does not survive release.

The slots protect high volume reproducers and high quality reproducers.

It is a simple but effect method of ensuring a stable population and future generations of larger fish.

[cuzza]

I know this one prolly blows your widdle mind, but think of it as 1x1=1, 2x2=4, 4x4=8......

 

Ummmmmmm

[NAW]

The only time I've kept a "big" fish (38" Pike, only fish caught that day) was during a group camping trip, and I had about 25 mouths to feed.

 

Other than that, every big fish I've ever caught has gone back into the drink.

Edited August 17, 2009 by F to the Is-H

[Jonny]

his snide comment to fish caught ratio is about 200:1...

 

200 snide comments:1 fish caught. Not very good huh?

 

Slots, at least the ones I have dealt with, do include harvesting larger fish, but usually only ONE. This is more to appease guys who get that once in a lifetime fish or to reduce wastage when a large fish does not survive release. The slots protect high volume reproducers and high quality reproducers. It is a simple but effect method of ensuring a stable population and future generations of larger fish.

 

What you're referring to are muskie and pike regulations, I think. They are not actually slot limits but mimimum size limits.

 

In Northern Ontario the limits that are by far and away most important in everyone's mind are pickerel limits, and those are slot limits, with a minimum and a maximum set in the middle range of fish caught. The middle range is where the most numerous and prolific breeders are, as you say. The large fish are not a concern. You can have a great day on Nipissing, for example, and catch (and keep, if you wish) four pickerel over the slot, which is your maximum daily catch. So you could keep 4 large pickerel and call it a banner day. Trust me, for the vast majority of fishermen, that seldom happens.

 

Whether some people realize it or not (and not you specifically, Rick), the Northern Ontario mentality is to catch fish because you like to eat fish. For every person that posts on this board about pure catch-and-release there are hundreds, if not thousands, of Northern Ontarians who fish so that they can enjoy fish on the dinner table. As long as they abide by the fishing regulations (seasons, sanctuaries, limits, etc.) they're fine. Those who want to throw back everything they catch are welcome to do so.

[Roy]

200 snide comments:1 fish caught. Not very good huh?

 

 

 

What you're referring to are muskie and pike regulations, I think. They are not actually slot limits but mimimum size limits.

 

In Northern Ontario the limits that are by far and away most important in everyone's mind are pickerel limits, and those are slot limits, with a minimum and a maximum set in the middle range of fish caught. The middle range is where the most numerous and prolific breeders are, as you say. The large fish are not a concern. You can have a great day on Nipissing, for example, and catch (and keep, if you wish) four pickerel over the slot, which is your maximum daily catch. So you could keep 4 large pickerel and call it a banner day. Trust me, for the vast majority of fishermen, that seldom happens.

 

Whether some people realize it or not (and not you specifically, Rick), the Northern Ontario mentality is to catch fish because you like to eat fish. For every person that posts on this board about pure catch-and-release there are hundreds, if not thousands, of Northern Ontarians who fish so that they can enjoy fish on the dinner table. As long as they abide by the fishing regulations (seasons, sanctuaries, limits, etc.) they're fine. Those who want to throw back everything they catch are welcome to do so.

 

I beg to differ. Re-read the zone 11 regulations. You're allowed four walleye only one of which can be over the slot.

[Jonny]

I beg to differ. Re-read the zone 11 regulations. You're allowed four walleye only one of which can be over the slot.

 

That applies to Zone 11, yes, but not to Nipissing.

 

This is from the exceptions for Zone 11:

[Lunker777]

Ummmmmmm

 

hahahah ...... Havent you saw that new multiplucation table..... 4x4 DOES infact = 8 .... hahahah

[Guest gbfisher]

Who throws their biggest fish back? They usually get put in the freezer then thrown out a year or so later to make room for real food.

 

Ill throw them back if they are in good shape. Ill keep one if its not gonna survive and I'm able.

Been slotted to death on Georgian Bay so most go back anyways. If I catch any at all.

Edited August 17, 2009 by gbfisher

[Rizzo]

fish taste yucky...they all go back.

[cuzza]

hahahah ...... Havent you saw that new multiplucation table..... 4x4 DOES infact = 8 .... hahahah

 

Maybe on some parts of the internet, but in the real world 4x4=16

 

For the record, most of my fish go back - unless you're going to eat them seems kind of senseless killing them for the sake of a nice photo then throwing them in the bin.

[Jonny]

Who throws their biggest fish back? They usually get put in the freezer then thrown out a year or so later to make room for real food.

 

For people who enjoy eating fish, that doesn't happen.

 

...unless you're going to eat them seems kind of senseless killing them for the sake of a nice photo then throwing them in the bin.

 

Both these scenarios break the regulations. You must not let wild fish or game spoil. You can be charged for doing so. It doesn't matter if you changed your mind about eating them or you let them spoil in your feezer, or you simply want to throw them out; you are breaking the law if you do so.

 

Anyone for whom fish is regular table fare doesn't have fish in the freezer for very long.

[singingdog]

Yep. I want to catch them again.

 

We have a guy here in town that fishes every morning, every evening. He targets 'eyes, but takes bass as well. I see him walking down the street with 3-4 really quality fish on his stringer all the time. I also here him complaining that the fishing isn't "as good as it used to be".

[Jonny]

We have a guy here in town that fishes every morning, every evening. He targets 'eyes, but takes bass as well. I see him walking down the street with 3-4 really quality fish on his stringer all the time. I also here him complaining that the fishing isn't "as good as it used to be".

 

What I imagine from your description is some old-timer whose main outings are for fishing (from the shore?). He provides for himself and probably a few old girls who don't fish but love to eat fish, and a few old friends who can't fish for themselves any more. And he obviously knows how to fish.

 

Good for him. He isn't going to impact the fishery all by himself, and he's doing what he's allowed to do, so I wouldn't be too hard on him.

 

--

 

Now you're going to come back and tell me that he's a young good-for-nothing on welfare and sells his fish under the table, but I wouldn't know that from your description.

[Fish4Eyes]

Yep. I want to catch them again.

 

We have a guy here in town that fishes every morning, every evening. He targets 'eyes, but takes bass as well. I see him walking down the street with 3-4 really quality fish on his stringer all the time. I also here him complaining that the fishing isn't "as good as it used to be".

 

Unless this guy and his family eat fish everyday, he is definetely over the POSESSION limit in his freezer (if he is keeping this many fish everyday). People always forget that the limit is posession and not daily. Maybe you need to remind/educate him of this!

Edited August 18, 2009 by Fish4Eyes

[Jonny]

Unless this guy eats fish everyday, he is definetely over the POSESSION limit. People always forget that the limit is posession and not daily.

 

I guess it depends what "all the time" means. Half a dozen times a summer? It doesn't say he has a stringer every day, and "all the time" is one of those nebulous expressions, like "a couple".

 

It also depends how often he eats fish, and how often he provides fish for friends and/or relatives. Lacking specifics, I have to think that he's not dumb enough to walk down the street with his catches and still go over the possession limit.

 

Funny how we (including myself, yes) tend to think the worst when a guy has some success.

Edited August 18, 2009 by Jocko

[Fish4Eyes]

The post states he fishes every morning and evening. Im not hating on him for being succesful, its just the greed of some people is unreal. Especially people who keep more fish than they will actually eat. Ill bring a few fish for my grandfather from time to time because he likes to eat them, but I wont feed the town just because I can catch them.

Edited August 18, 2009 by Fish4Eyes

[Guest gbfisher]

Im wondering if the guy thinks that giving fish away then gives him the right to keep fish still. They are all on his possesion limit regardless. When I bring fish home they go a plate, after being cooked of course....lol

Edited August 18, 2009 by gbfisher

[Jonny]

The post states he fishes every morning and evening. Im not hating on him for being succesful, its just the greed of some people is unreal. Especially people who keep more fish than they will actually eat. Ill bring a few fish for my grandfather from time to time because he likes to eat them, but I wont feed the town just because I can catch them.

 

Well we're kind of flying on conjecture here, aren't we. Just because he's supposedly fishing every day doesn't mean he's bringing fish home every day. I wouldn't read too much into the original post and get outraged about it because there's too little information and there's also the possibility of exaggeration.

 

If 'Singingdog' was outraged by what he saw, I'm sure he could have already called the "Report-a-Poacher" hotline. Or is he just relaying an impression?

 

Anyway, like I said, there's a lot of conjecture here that can't get us very far.

[hockeyplayerz_14]

I always say Let them go let them grow and catch them another time:) unless you want to keep it to keep on your wall

[chinookhunter]

I keep them well early salmon anyway