Releasing Record Fish - Right Or Wrong?

[SPEEDBEAD.]

A picture, a witness and a release vid are good enough for me.

 

I'm ok with people keeping fish up to their legal limit. That is a right you acquire along with your license. Obviously, I would prefer if the big ones (subjective to your waters/location) were allowed to swim another day.

[Teal]

A picture, a witness and a release vid are good enough for me.

I'm ok with people keeping fish up to their legal limit. That is a right you acquire along with your license. Obviously, I would prefer if the big ones (subjective to your waters/location) were allowed to swim another day.

Agreed!! My reason for this opinion really has nothing to do with letting the fish live for the sake of not killing a thing of beauty, but more so that another person has an opportunity to experience what i just experienced. My thinking is this, i would love to think by letting it go, someone else who has been chasing monster fish their whole life might catch them next...or a young person may catch em. People have the right to keep them, but id like to PAY IT FORWARD.

[ebob2435]

Frown on me then. Because  I catch and release.    But,,,, if I would happen to catch a state record---(even if its 2 ozs little lone 2 lbs) -be it a largemouth,smallmouth,carp,perch,bluegill....whatever it may be. I will have it certified if all possiable to be released alive. but if it has to perish so be it.   I don't see how people can say that they  would release it, without having caught it yet? You really don't know what you would do in that situation till it happens. Just my own opinion.

[PABASS]

Personally I don't own a scale and I am just this year going to bring out a tape, which I will be mainly using it to measure forage, but I don't like killing anything and while I never personally experienced a state record I would say take a few measurements with pics and release it.  I just dont see then need to kill it, it grew that large against so many odds its a miracle in many ways, tuff call but your decision none the less.

 

BTW OP that's a horrible photo-chopped image...  Be aware cameras sign the photo with metadata as well there are many applications that can check images authenticity, but in this case all I needed was my naked eye.

[KansasAngler]

I dont care what someone does with it but for me Id just take some pictures and release it.  But then again if i had one that big in my hands theres really no telling how id react 

[bass1980]

75% of people on the Internet will say they would release it. 90% of people would keep if if they had a state record in their hand. Truth!

[jbsoonerfan]

If I know it is going to be a state record and it has to die to be certified as such, then it will just have to die. I would love to know I own a state record.

 

I suppose I am not the "sportsman" that some people are. Of course those are the same people who have caught many double digit bass, but they don't carry scales. Heck, some have even caught potential state records, they just don't care to have their name associated with a record like that.

[Ratherbfishing]

If it truly is a record breaker, I'd keep it (and enjoy the accolades).  Although it has beaten the odds (and there's something to be said for that), there is nothing sacred about a giant bass.  On the other hand, I'm a strong advocate of releasing most big fish (to keep the gene pool high).

[don53]

release it,let that fine old warrior fight yet another day

[bassguytom]

I released a 9.8 lb large mouth back into the lake I fish. It would have been a lake record but we took length and girth measurements and a lot of pictures. We did this all very fast and the fish swam away fine. I am having a fiberglass mount made from the pics and measurements. That's good enough for me. I think the more bass you catch the more you appreciate what it takes to become a true lunker.

[DINK WHISPERER]

Like stated above, if it could be recorded w/o killing it than HECK YEAH i would want to do it! I spend countless time and $$ on a sport i love and am passionate about so to hold a legit state record would be a huge achievment to me. Just my couple pennies in the pot though....

[Shoop05]

First off, Id say this is a reason to always bring a camera, scale, and tape. Id get pictures, measure it, and release it. Now if getting it certified meant killing it, I really don't know. I love seeing GIANT bass, and I really feel bad when one dies. That's just my love for the sport.

 

Secondly, if this is a real picture, (it looks photoshopped) I wish he would actually hold this beast the way it's supposed to be held, by the belly. I hate seeing people hold big bass this way, it could dislocate it's jaw, and basically end up killing it anyway.

 

It's really up to the angler though. A picture of it on a scale would be hanging on my wall, and that's enough for me.

 

 

[AK-Jax86]

16 pounder that would be a tough decision but he made the right decision. But for me that would be a hard one to make. I always catch and release but something like that??

[jhoffman]

Havent knowingly killed a fish in 10 years now and dont plan to start

[jignfule]

INDIANA STATE RECORD RELEASED RATHER THAN CERTIFIED!!

 

 

Angler opts to release 16 pound bass unharmed rather than freeze fish to await confirmation of species by biologist. The current record is 14 pounds 6 ounces. Did he do the right thing? I say yes. what about you?

WHAT A GUY!!!!!

[Jig Meister]

If I caught a world record, I would keep it, state record, eh, toss it back, a state record in Ohio is pretty average is some parts of the USA

[Comfortably Numb]

Put it in livewell, go straight to closest certified scale, get witness's, photos, measurments and a scale sample, release fish if still alive. If it dies, you did your best

[jkroosz]

Correct to release...Keep those genes in the pool.