Keeping fish for eating.

[MemphisFisherman]

Not just on this forum, on every bass forum, I see HUGE number's of people who claim to be c&r only.  I want to know how many people actually think that way.  Me personally, yes...heck yes I keep fish, bass, sometimes.  I don't keep bass out of small pond's, but in larger lakes that have a great population of bass, yes I will keep my limit if I catch it...but I never keep the larger bass (over the size limit), I just feel that they have lived their time and I should leave them be...sorta like a respect for the elderly.  So what about you guy's?  Be honest.

[NEBassMan]

I never keep any fish.  It's not that i don't want to (i would keep legal crappie to eat) but my wife will absolutely not eat any fish, and will not allow me to cook it in the house (can't stand the smell).  It's ok though, i enjoy releasing them to catch another time or for someone else to catch and enjoy.

Jason

[dman]

Never,  i dont enjoy fresh water fish.  And,  i'm too much of a wuss to kill anything  ;D

[fourbizz]

Spots are tasty

Largemouth and smallies are safe!

[SimonSays]

I generally C&R, but if i'm taking a friend fishing for the first time I'll fry up his first catch ever (if it's within the size limit).  

[Guest muddy]

I am going to make some popcorn, this should be better than Leno tonight

[MemphisFisherman]

I am going to make some popcorn, this should be better than Leno tonight

I'm doing both right now :-p

[32251]

I C@R in ponds and other water that is not state certified as clean and safe.  I checked on the Ga. DNR site and they list many bodies of water that are tested and the fish pass the safe to eat test.  I plan on going to one of these and trying to catch just enough to enjoy a good meal like I used to do with my Dad when I was young.  I figure about 6 Bream and a couple of small legal bass will be just fine.  The limit in the lake I will fish is 15 bream and 6 bass so I am well under that.  

None of the sites I checked out recommended keeping larger fish to eat at all. Release them.  They collect things in their bodies over longer periods of time that are not safe for human consumption.

[Hookemdown.]

Do I like to eat fish?  -- Of course!

I often enjoy catfish (which should be the state food of Arkansas), perch and walleye.  

I C&R for two reasons

          1. It helps protect the future of bass fishing

          2. I hate the taste of bass

[eastkybass]

I will release bass when they are caught but I do spend sometime out crappie fishing and will keep them to eat.

[BASS fisherman]

I am truely C&R. ;)

From what I understand, it is better to keep the smaller fish from an over populated lake, and let the larger fish go due to their genetics.  A great example of this is the Texas Sharelunker program.  If you catch a fish over a certian length, you call the program and they collect the fish to use for spawning, and then release it.  Guaranteeing a higher population of genetically superior fish.  

But most fishery agencies are run by government and lawyers and they don't yet understand the importance of properly restricting certain length limits to allow for genetically superior fish.  

Muddy, too funny man, too funny! ;D

Plus I couldn't bring myself to cut open a little fishy, scoop it's guts out and fry it up.  I'd rather go to the grocery store to buy fish.  I fish for the sport of it, not because Im starving.

[techo]

How can anyone resist keeping the crappies?  They beg to be ate.  

[grimlin]

Depends....i rarely do though.I'm the only one who will eat fish in this house.My girl and kid hates fish for some reason...but yet they'll eat fish sticks that can be brought in stores...go figure.

[Ghetto_Basser]

I'm a chef. I break down enough fish in my work day. I just want to catch them and throw them back.

When you have 50 lbs of Salmon, Ahi Tuna, Trout and other fish you get for the day, you get over it

pretty quick.

[5bass]

This thread is doing well so far.  

[Valascus]

I usually never keep a bass. However, the one place I will keep a bass is on my grandparents property. The two ponds she has are way overpopulated resulting in stunted bass. So I harvest some of the smaller ones and throw the larger fish in the population back. Any other fishery, the bass go right back in the water. For the most part, I am strictly catch and release on any species, but I have been known to keep enough crappie or catfish to make a meal for my wife and I. That hasn't happened in well over two years now. Fish I enjoy eating are walleye (best tasting freshwater fish IMO), crappie, trout, and catfish.

As far as keeping your catch or C&R go, it is all up to each persons personal preference when it all boils down to it. I prefer catch and release. I have absolutely no problem with the folks who paid for their fishing license just like I did to keep a few fish to eat, no matter what the species. Where I get is fired up is when they do it illegally, i.e. keeping fish under the required length, keeping more than the legal limit on a body of water, keeping fish without buying a fishing license. As long as everything is on the up and up, I'm cool with it.

[Catt]

It's a well know fact I'm a Cajun & Cajuns eat seafood of every type but with that being said I haven't keep any fish in over 5 years.

[roadwarrior]

No pond fish expect The Secret Pond. It's ruined and I don't fish there much anymore, but when I do I kill all the little bass. I fish for striper during the summer and keep some. If we have guests that want fish we keep limit plus all the catfish. We always keep crappie and legal sauger. Some of our guys have work crews that like buffalo. Spots are a nusiance, we keep them if somone will take them. Same with white bass.

So, I keep a lot of fish but don't actually eat many myself. No one that fishes with me keeps smallmouth, ever. My partner released the only 10 lb brown fish I have ever seen and one of just a few that have ever been caught. We have set the bar pretty high, but I will keep the one weighing 12 lbs!

[Red]

i dont keep any fish now a days...when i was in MN i would keep MAYBE 1 or 2 walleye a season for myself...and a few for my neighbors if they asked for them...i dont like fish much....but who can resist a walleye!?...when i was younger i would keep bass(smallies) for my parents...along with perch, rock bass, gills....but now looking back i wish i never kept one smallie....oh well...i release everything now and always will.

Cliff

[Olebiker]

I haven't killed a bass in over 20 years.  Dad used to say that bass fishing is like basketball.  If you kill all the losers today, it's hard to get up a game tomorrow.

I will keep crappies and bluegills.

[MALTESE FALCON]

I will keep an occasional walleye, but that's all. Every smallmouth, largemouth, pike, and muskie will be released.

Falcon

[T-rig]

I will keep an occasional walleye, but that's all. Every smallmouth, largemouth, pike, and muskie will be released.

Falcon

x2. I also keep a few perch.

[Bass_Cash]

There's nothing wrong with keeping LEGAL sized fish.  Personally I C&R with bass, but thats just me.  As long as people keep within the limits/size, then you really can't say much.

[ThomasL]

Glad this is brought up,try not to flame it!We have a pond around 3 acres a old mill pond,the other day i went down to pull some more trees from the low water and there was a older man fishing... :-?I asked him did he have permission to be there he pops up and shouts across the pond do you have permission to be here :-?(no i thought i just drive this tractor here for the fun of it)i said i'll be right over there,to make a long story short some guy that owns land next to the pond said he could fish there,i said otherwise and looked down in the water to see a basket full of crappie and a catfish.Sure the crappie could need culling but i always throw them back.Now for the flame part,can we buy chemicals from a ag agent to put in OUR pond that will not kill fish but make them uneatable to humans thus stopping the poaching problem.Can you say add some mercury to the pond!!! :o

[Bream Master]

I never keep any fish unless I'm fishing with my uncle and he takes bream and catfish for eating.  Or, unless the guys are wanting a few trout for dinner.  I always encourage C&R with the guys I fish with when it comes to bass.  

Personally, I don't think the bass fishing in NC is all that great compared to other surrounding states that I've fished in.  So, I always do my part and release.  

By the way, I'm real sensative about people keeping smallies.  I'll throw a rock at you or something.  

Cheers!