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Location: New Albany, Ind. | Geuss I'm bored like everybody else. Been fishing all my life and was raised to eat fish. Started musky fishing about 4 years ago without knowing the first thing about it, so I kept first few I cault and eat them. Then I started reading and learning about the sport of the toothy critters, and how important catch and release is to me. Haven't kept a musky in over 3 years, have learnt from guys on here and others how important c&r is.
I do lots of redear or shellcracker fishing to. I keep all of these to eat and even have couple fish frys a year. Catch numerous redears in the 10 -12 in size. Noticed last year as I was cleaning these it was starting to bother me to keep the redears now. So seriously thinking about practicing c&r on the redears also.
Bet you guys probaly think this is crazy. The question is have you guys started to practice c&r on other fish other than the musky? Thanks Ron |
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Posts: 63
Location: Indianapolis, IN | Yes, I practice C&R with all species. When I want to eat fish, I generally go to a restaurant! Nothing wrong with keeping a few small crappie or walleye for the dinner table, but all large fish go back! Fishing in most places is better now than 20-30 years ago, thanks in large part to c&r. So many people now a days are excellent fishermen. We have to practice c&r for the health of the fishery!
Todd |
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Posts: 1530
| alpha trophy fish as muskies are slow growth and unfit for eating. i see no wrong in taking meals of table fish. as long as we limit our catches. dnr do biology studies on limits and sizes. i say enjoy the outdoors and keeping a balance will gives many years ofcatch and release , and fillets for a fry.
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | I'll keep just enough walleye to make a meal, but thats it. Panfish as well. I generally dont order walleye from a restaurantbecause I dont agree with how some are harvested. Since I dont want to go back and ask the chef where the walleyes came from, I just avoid them all together. I also will not order ocean fish at a restaurant for similar reasons. For the most part if I eat fish, it will be fish I have caught myself. |
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | No Catch and Release Here !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Posts: 697
Location: Minnetonka | Resource Management Formula:
SOX=100% C&R4L
To answer the question, yes... C&R is definitely implemented on the larger of all species of fish for proper economic resource management. Now, my friends will say that my perception of this is a bit skewed at times but, to each his own, barring any slot limits.
Amen, Pointer. The reason to harvest an "ethical" amount of fish is so we don't have to support the most unethical harvesting in our waters that brings the fish to the markets and restaurants. Just enjoyed some crispy crappies last night in fact... better than most restaurants could prepare them, IMHO.
aNDY
Edited by Hammskie 1/22/2009 10:06 AM
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Posts: 32909
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | We really enjoy our fish and game, we eat little else for meat here. If I bring home 10 bluegills, that's dinner for Sue and I and a couple fillets along side my morning eggs. Il'' eat a Pike in a minute, but usually only keep one firm each ice trip. I don't keep the larger crappies, those go back to do their thing in the Spring, usually. I like the fillets off the 8/9" pannies best. |
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Posts: 129
Location: Glenmoore PA | I C&R almost every fish that i catch. They only time i keep 1 or 2 walleye or pike is for a shore lunch when im on a trip. |
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Posts: 8807
| Like you I used to eat everything I caught. Gradually, half due to being lazy and half due to wanting to leave as small a footprint as possible, I started releasing more and more fish, of all species.
Today I am mindful to only keep what I intend to eat. Larger fish go back. All muskies go back. Smallies go back. If I harvest anything, it's likely only going to be enough for a meal.
I hardly ever eat fish in a restaurant, both because of the damage commercial fishing does to the resource, and because frankly by the time that fish gets to your plate it just isn't very good any more. I will put a few pike and walleyes in the freezer when I go up to Canada, but typically I like to eat them the day they are caught. |
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Location: Des Moines IA | If I stumble across a hammer handle pike, a walleye or enough panfish to make a meal. I'll keep them if it's legal on that particular lake. I don't really target any fish other than Muskies though, except for salmon in the summer, and we definitely keep them! |
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Posts: 227
Location: New Brighton, MN | I probably keep less than 10 fish each year on average. I will never keep a muskie. a rare walleye, panfish, or small pike. I fish lakes that see a lot of pressure, and I feel guilty if I take many fish out of them. If I want food, I go to the grocery store. Maybe i'm just too lazy to fillet them up. I keep a few every year on camping trips and special occasions.
Edited by Willis 1/21/2009 1:54 PM
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| I like catching delicious bass............ |
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Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | I dont think these are going to make it back to the big lake. However, I think I'm going to let the Lakers go next year and for the feature as they really don't taste too good! But fresh salmon on the grill...oh yeah baby.
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Location: New Albany, Ind. | Thanks everyone, don.t think I will be keeping redears this next season. Maybe keep a very few for me and the wife we both love them and can't get these at no grocery or restraurant.
The reason for me is a spiritual one in that I just don't have the heart to kill anything anymore, if that makes any sense. Plus the feeling I get when I release muskies is awesome. Best part of musky fishing if you want my opionon.
Thanks for the support Ron |
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Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | Slamr, are you crazy?!? Lakers smoked are amazing!
I'm not afraid to admit eating my fair share of fish. Never tasted Musky and hopefully never will. I keep my limit of small pike everyday i musky fish. Those little bastards are everywhere! |
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Posts: 7
| catch & release,but if we'd have salmon or trout here in Holland i think i'd take one home every now and then. Nothing beats fresh fish |
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Location: Davenport, IA | There is nothing like some fresh panfish or walleyes. That being said, I only keep a few meals of fish a year. I don't have a problem with people keeping these fish as long as it is reasonable. Keeping 3 limits or more in a week though is a little excessive. There are a lot of people out there that waste fish. In fresh water, keeping a few fish can often be a good thing. Locally, the slot limits on walleye in the Mississippi has done great things. Always try to release the largest of any species. |
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Posts: 8807
| muskycrazy65 - 1/21/2009 4:17 PM
The reason for me is a spiritual one in that I just don't have the heart to kill anything anymore, if that makes any sense.....
Thanks for the support Ron
It does and it doesn't. Someone had to kill everything you put into your mouth. We're humans, we eat stuff that used to be alive. Considering how commercially raised meat lives and dies, and what happens to it afterwards between the slaughterhouse and your plate, I'd be a lot more inclined to eat wild game if I lived in a place where it was reasonable to do so.
But I don't enjoy the killing part. It's a means to an end, and its an act that I find very humbling, even when its just a fish. The fact that something has to die in order for me to eat and live is something I don't take lightly. It's part of the respect I have for nature and the environments we enjoy as sportsmen.
That said, if I had to eat a musky, I would. And I don't feel bad about that at all. Why should I? If there was a muskie big enough, you can bet it would eat me without much hesitation... |
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| muskycrazy65 - 1/21/2009 4:17 PM
The reason for me is a spiritual one in that I just don't have the heart to kill anything anymore
But there's no problem in hooking it for no particular reason, except maybe because it's exciting? lol |
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Location: New Albany, Ind. | exciting isn't even the word lol everyone knows what I mean |
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Posts: 194
| I would suggest that everyone consider keeping legal, deeply hooked fish. They are probably going to die anyways. Muskies, or any large size predator fish are not included. Too much mercury and other poisons. |
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Posts: 999
| Musky fishing has also made me release freak of the other species. I only keep bluegills and small 14- 18 inch walleyes for the table. Question for Steve, I absolutely love Pike from Canada but i've tried them time and time again here in WI through the ice and they just taste like their smell to me. Do you do anything different with them? I know that the fillet color is definitely different between here and there.
One other thing whats a redear?
Mr Musky
Edited by Mr Musky 1/21/2009 8:43 PM
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| redear is a shellcracker, very similar to the bluegill. |
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Posts: 999
| Can you post a pic? Shellcracker? |
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Location: New Albany, Ind. | Herre is a good one....
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Location: Northern Wisconsin | Even though i have released every muskie ive caught and probably will never keep one, that bird picture is bad @$$ |
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Posts: 999
| Thanks for posting the pic MuskyCrazy, very similar to the gill but they look huge! |
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Location: New Hope MN | Kazmuskie - 1/21/2009 7:48 PM
I would suggest that everyone consider keeping legal, deeply hooked fish. They are probably going to die anyways. Muskies, or any large size predator fish are not included. Too much mercury and other poisons.
nah, leave them for the turtles and crayfish. |
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Location: New Hope MN | These are good eats!
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Posts: 463
| You can do what you want but I think a 15nhalfincher would the kind of fish you would want passing on its genes in the spring. But then again, up in Oakdale MN it probably has had its chance to do that for the last 10-15 years. |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | That's a much pounded upon point. It's BEEN passing on it's genetics for years, and I bet it's genetics are about identical to all the rest of the crappies out there in that water.
Kill them all. Every one. Use a tactical nuke, and cook 'em at the same time.
Kidding, kidding. |
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Location: Grand Rapids, MI | YUMMMM. Makes me want to go out right now and hook a couple for dinner.  |
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Location: New Hope MN | chasintails - 1/23/2009 10:17 AM
You can do what you want but I think a 15nhalfincher would the kind of fish you would want passing on its genes in the spring. But then again, up in Oakdale MN it probably has had its chance to do that for the last 10-15 years.
Perhaps, but I didnt catch these in Oakdale MN. The average size was 14", largest 16.5, and the smallest was about 9". It was extremely rare to catch one smaller than 14 on Lake X.
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