Catch and Release

[Ryan]

How many of you out there practice strict catch and release. Personally i throw every single Bass back. Maybe after a quick picture if it is a nice one. Out of curiosity how many others out there fish the same way on Marsh. For those of you who take them home how many do you typically take per day. I am just curious as to how many fish our being taken out of Marsh per weekend. It seems so crowded that i wonder if down the road it will not be producing the same amount of quality catches.

[Midnitebasser]

Ryan, I assume your referring to bass fishing, although I release all bass I catch I don't believe taking some home to eat is going to hurt the fishery. You also need some mortality to make room for the next spawn. I don't like to see the bigger bass killed to be mounted when you can get a really nice replica of it and still release the fish. I think a lot of fisheries go though up cycles and down cycles and bass fishing at Marsh Creek is as good as it's ever been and with most of us practicing C & R hopefully we can keep it that way.

[Bob Dole]

Good question. This season we only took one bass home. Last season probably less than 3 and we fish quite a bit (more last year than this year).

I think there are alot people fishing Marsh for "food". Personally if I was fishing for "food" I would go for stocked trout instead. You can catch them easier and alot more of them too, hehehe

bob

[tunnels]

I never got a "taste" for bass so I never keep any. I consider them sport fish. On occasion I'll take enough crappies for a good meal or maybe even some bluegills. And yes, i've seen people leave the lake with stringers of bass (some of them look just a little small, also). Some thinning is good but I also wonder about the future health of the lake.

[teb67gt]

I haven't kept a bass since I was a kid...and then I didn't catch too many to begin with! If I want something to eat, I get a trout or 2 or some crappies. If I am lucky enough to get a decent walleye though, that puppy is coming home for dinner!

[Grim]

100 % C & R

[TomM]

I'm with tunnels. I much prefer salt water fish to eat. I haven't kept a bass in years....

Tom

[Gary]

Now if I thought I could get a stringer of sunnies, I might just be tempted to bring 'em home. :-)

As for bass, I not only do catch & release but I also fish barbless hooks. I use my pliers to flatten the barb on all my hooks - both worms and lures. Have only lost a couple this year doing it that way but the harm to the fish is greatly reduced and once released they have a much better chance of surviving. This is especially true if they managed to really get the bait back in the gill area.

I've read that barbless hooks are mandatory in many Canadian fishing areas now and starting to be popular in many the States.

Now, if I could just catch some more :-)

Gary

[Ryan]

I had a great day on Saturday with 10 large mouth over 15 inches. Obviously since i posted this topic i am big into letting them all go. unfortunately I did hook one deep down into it's stomach and the guy didn't make it. My question is, it that situation am I better off just cutting the line and leaving the hook inside hoping it will rust itself out or am i better off taking the chance of hurting the fish trying to get it free? I do not like killing these fish. I would rather put them back to gett bigger and make more fish. I did put him in my cooler and gave it to my neighbor who does like to eat them, so he was not waisted. Thanks for the info

[Grim]

Ryan --
I've always believed that if you are careful not to do further damage by tugging on a deeply embedded hook, and if the fish has spunk enough to swim away, then it probably has a strong enough chance of survival to justify a release. Cut the line as close to the hook as possible and give it a chance.
If it rolls over when you try to release it, or if it bleeds from the gills, it's as good as dead.