Check this out!! The article below is interesting and makes a lot of sense when dealing with fish or any other animal:

Throw the big ones back, fishing study suggests http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/fishing_dc

Commercial and sport fishing destabilizes fish populations by targeting the biggest, oldest fish and leaving younger fish to proliferate too wildly, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

They said fisheries should in fact encourage the taking of smaller, younger fish instead of requiring that they be thrown back.

Keeping the big one is like a Texas rancher walking out into the pasture and shooting his best herd bull and best cows. That would leave the lesser animals to carry on the species.

Ray

Sure hope you have your flame suit on... Any talk of throwing big fish back is met with some serious hostilities

I guess that would have a bearing if people only kept "big" fish, but people keep many more small fish than they do big ones if you look at it accross the board counting all anglers. And I think you will also find that it is best to take some from every age group to keep from having an aging population of fish. The simple rule to live your life by is everything in moderation. How long have we been having these debates on here... a long time, I am still going to keep and eat big fish and you are still going to keep and eat smaller fish. Nobody is going to convince anyone that the other is wrong so lets just give it up and enjoy some fish talk please.

matt

hey harold ... ain't nobody on here tryin' catch & eat up all the big fish ... blow yer smoke up somebodys hiney that don't have a clue as to what is goin' on

I always throw back larger fish but I don't have a problem with someone who keeps them and eats them. As long as they are not wasted or givin away I don't have a problem with it.

Same ole song different verse. /yawn

Give me 20, 1 lber's over one 20 lber anyday./yawn

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh(yawn)
heck, I think I'll throw 'em all back!

Albert,

You've got a long way to go before you should be turned loose in intelligent company. Until then, why don't you just hide somewhere and be quiet so you won't embarrass yourself.

I posted a study that describes what can happen if you take all or a lot of the big ones. It leaves you with a lot of little ones.

Personally, I don't care who likes or dislikes this report. Studies like this just give you an idea what happens if you abuse a resource. Personally, I much prefer smaller catfish over big catfish anyday, and I have fished for and enjoyed them for over 6 decades. They taste batter to me, about like a 9 month-old calf or yearling compared to the herd bull.

Ray

Keeping the big one is like a Texas rancher walking out into the pasture and shooting his best herd bull and best cows. That would leave the lesser animals to carry on the species.

Ray

LOL I dont worry about it cause most cant catch a 20 lber and you will see them say they prefer 1 lbers . It is just more bigguns for me and the others. I can careless what everyone keeps or not as long as it is legal. None of my business. I worry about me and who is fishing with me only. Some of yall should try it hahahaha. Say and post what you want. I catch and keep big fish all the time. But I dont waste them and there is nothing you can do to stop me unless they change the law

Not a really good argument. I could say the Texas Rancher has 50 best bulls and 50 Best cows in his pasture. Killing one of each will not decimate the population quality, and good ranchers have already stored up the good sperm and eggs from them to implant in any cow. Maybe, the two that he shot for steak dinner were getting too old? On the other hand, maybe is his daughter wedding...so killing two best animals isn't worthy? No? But, I can see your point.

Give me both. I will take a couple of the small 1 lb. fish to take home and fry them in some special mix along with some fried potatos and hush puppies and I forgot, the corn. and let me CPR the 20 lb cat.
Personally I would love it if the fish and parks dept. would say you had to throw back any fish over 20 lbs. But that is just my feelings about it.

Actually, Danny, quite a few people catch 20# and larger cats, so don't get too overcome with how good you are. Possibly you have been fishing with too many people who don't know what they're doing?



That's a good, solid sportsman-like attitude. There are somethings that are truly not the best thing to do, although they may not be illegal. It depends upon the good or great sportsmen to realize and decide what is best for a species. They don't make their decisions based on the fact that there's no law against it, so I'll just go ahead.

So far in life, I have been fortunate to fish and associate with sportmen who think of what is best for the fish and animals, not ones that do whatever they want just because its not against the law.

I hadn't anticipated posting the results of a study researching the affects of catching and keeping different sizes of fish to stimulate any controversy. That comes as a surprise.

Ray