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Posts: 1936
Location: Eau Claire, WI | Brad,
I think you did the right thing, best remain calm and approach them later when you can have a good discussion, maybe invite them to join the Capital City Chapter, etc.
Gotta say, that I too might have been a bit riled up to at the time...
One thought on the fish... I'm going to make an assumption that it might be floating in the area right now. Might be an opportunity for your local biologist, to get his hands on a mature fish to do some research. He and your chapter might learn a bit from the fish..age, sex, health, etc. At least then it isn't a total waste and feeds the seaguls.
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Posts: 5874
| bn - 5/30/2008 11:43 AM
maybe you mis-interpreted how angry or not angry I was...I was ticked, yes, but "out of control"..hardly...I simply knew if I went over right afterwards after seeing how poorly it was handled I would have come across wrong...was I "out of control angry" ...hardly...just knew better...
I guess I did read into it that you were more angry than perhaps you really were. Sorry. But, I'm just trying to make a point, too. I refuse to let a situation like this get me to the point that I can't take that opportunity to help the cause. Again, they were kids, and are impressionable. I hope so, at least. |
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Posts: 723
| Its pretty hard to tell someone on the spot that they are doing something wrong when they are in fact floating on cloud nine. They pretty much take that as an attack and will not use your advice.
This last weekend a buddy and I were in GB. Watched some guys boat a fish, spend way to long taking pics with multiple cameras, different poses, almost a couple drops of the fish, and as we troll towards them, watch them finally put the fish in the water, the guy reaches down, and deliberately yanks the tag out of the fish. All I said was, Hey, youre supposed to leave the tag in the fish and write the # down. That way the DNR can still track it. If the fish doesn't have the tag anymore, they wont know when, where, it was tagged, or, how it has been doing.
Well, all we got from his partner was a " why don't you mind your own *&%^$*& business.
I have made mention to a few anglers up in GB the past few years who have brought fish into their boat, used walleye nets, or kept them outta the water way too long, and all I ever got back was negativity. I would probably talk to them after the moment is over, or another day pending you see them again.
Its amazing how almost all of our attitudes have changed from way back when they used to club, shoot, and gunnysack fish. you gotta keep in mind tho, that not everyone is going to do things the way you'd like them to be done. especially a greenhorn with their first. |
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| Like most are saying, I think you did the right thing. I had a similar experience on the water a couple years ago where a father and two sons caught a 45 inch muskie and they kept it to mount. I met them at the boat landing along with about 4 other muskie boats because there was a bad storm that chased everyone off the lake. It was one of the kid's that caught the fish and it was his first ever and so he wanted to mount it. They asked me if I had a tape measure and a scale, which I did, and let them use both. Not that I have ever weighed a muskie on a scale, but I do have one in the boat for whatever reason. I told them nice fish and congratulations on your first muskie. Even though inside I was very disturbed about the fact they were killing a nice sized fish that was not even close to a trophy sized fish in my opinion, I kept those thoughts to myself. They were very nice people and who am I to judge someone on whether they keep a legal sized fish or not. This lake now has a 48" minimum, so that should help with issues like this. I really wish they made all muskie lakes 50" minimum. Good luck fishing all! |
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| I think people forget that we want to manage lakes so we can catch a bigger muskie, not so the muskie lives a better life. Your anger is not that the fish is being hurt, your anger is that it might not live and grow larger for you to catch it. That is the only reason C&R is practiced...You keep walleye, pike, trout to eat, so the actual killing of a fish is not an issue. I would guess at a young age you were taught to share and also that you cannot have everything that everyone else has. Muskies are like that as well. Once you realize why you are angry, you see just how silly it really is....
Edited by BenR 5/31/2008 12:59 PM
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | Not to hijack this thread, but the internet has been a monumental tool for me personally when it comes to fishing knowledge. Whether it be learning new waters, new techniques, new baits, keeping up to date on conditions, making friends, etc...
Are there some tiresome things that go on? Sure, but weighed against the positives they aren't worth getting worked up over |
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Posts: 434
Location: searchin for 50 | I agree with BenR. It's only a fish and there will be other ones. Do what you do best. Catchem and releaseem. Some people will never get a clue on the release factor in a reasonable amount of time. |
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | Good thread and advice here.
I have seen this all to offten with fish. Multiple camera shots with multiple cameras, dropped fish and dropped again, netting them and bringing them in the boat, etc. This is mainly because of lack of knowledge as to properly trat a fish for quick catch and release. I repeat:Lack of knowledge.
I will always offer my help in a few ways when I see this going on even if I see all the above going on and I am pissed.
1. I pull up and say "nice fish". That gets you in good terms already with them.
2. Then say "I couldn't help seeing you guys having some trouble with this fish".
3. Then explain how dropping a fish can hurt the fish or even kill it. Or keeping a fish out of the water for way to long can dry the slime, keep the fish from getting needed air, or even more time for that fish to get dropped again. All of this can add to delayed mortality. Even though it is released and swims away only to slowly die later that day or days later from the effects of poor handling.
4. Cutting hooks is also one lots of new muskie fishermen do not do. I see people working on getting that "hot" lure out of that fish without hurting the lure. KEEP NEW HOOKS IN YOU BOX for that reason.
5. Good net. This is where the fish should be worked on NOT, on the floor of a boat where the protective slime can get damaged or removed.
This is some of the things a person could suggest or talk about as you help with the release, take a picture for them, cut a hook and offer new ones to replace the cut up hooks on that "hot" bait. You would be surprised at how many people welcome the help and advice. Most everyone wants to learn more about muskies and the whole picture of catching and release. I have stopped and offered help to countless boats, only a few were negative and said "we got it" most will let you move up to them and then with a slow carefull start the info can be shared while you help or just watch.
Again, the "nice fish" intro usually will get the welcome door opened for you.
It is just a fish BUT it might be the fish that makes your whole season sometime in the future. Treat every fish as if its a trophy and there will be more trophys in the future. |
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| Mike Koepp wrote:
"It is just a fish BUT it might be the fish that makes your whole season sometime in the future. Treat every fish as if its a trophy and there will be more trophys in the future."
Great quote Mike....that is what we all should take into account... yes, just a fish...but it could be JUST the fish that makes someones year ..or lifetime of musky fishing! |
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Posts: 8781
| It's not worth getting in a fight over, especially if the person in question clearly just does not know what they are doing. Someone who knows better? Or should anyway? Well that's a different story. I might have been inclined to say something like "Jeez, if 'ya wanna kill it just whack it on the head already. No sense letting it suffer like that before it dies, which it now probably will from the beating you just gave it and having it our of the water for a week..."
Granted, that's not the best approach. And it probably would leave them thinking you are a jerk. But then sometimes being a jerk is the only way to make a lasting impression on people.
If it were me I would have talked to them right then and there. I would have done my best to be civil about it, but I also would have been very matter of fact about everything I saw, and telling them that there was little hope of a fish surviving after that. Chances are they just didn't know better. But you know what, ignorace is no excuse. |
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