View Full Version : Do you go fishing?
psariandras
07-09-2007, 12:45 AM
do you keep fish as pets and go sport fishing also? Some people argue that sport fishing is cruel, others that it is okay.
I used to go sport fishing when I was younger, not sure if I am right or not but I feel different about it now.
Generally it seems people assert that using fish to cycle tanks if you know they will die is wrong or not taking care of fish is wrong, so is sport fishing wrong? I mean even if you are catch and releasing the bait fish are going to die.
If you have a tank full of small fish and then when you go sport fishing with minnows or some bait that resembles your pet fish, does it make you feel sorry for the fish you catch or use as bait?
I am not trying to assert a view either way, but I am curious to know what other peeps think about it.
KingOfTheDeep
07-09-2007, 2:36 AM
i go fishing just about every night..most people who keep fish are also fisherman..cant say i feel sorry for the bait or fish i use though..i fish strictly catch and realease unless its a record catch, and i use pre-killed bait and plastics
TropicalNorth
07-09-2007, 4:05 AM
I go fishing pretty often and enjoy it, but I'm not a huge fan of trophy fishing (like marlin). I fish mainly just because I like to eat fresh fish and because I just like being out on the ocean; dolphins, turtles, blue sky, scenery I could go on forever :).
Sometimes I feel sorry for the fish but I figure its no different to a predator, like a shark, killing and eating them so I don't think it's cruel.
J double R
07-09-2007, 5:49 AM
been a fisherman LONG before i was a fishkeeper.
and yes, sometimes, i'll eat my catch. otherwise, it goes back.
well...sometimes I like to hook a toaster up to the cigarette lighter in my car and toss it in a stream.
does that count ?
psariandras
07-09-2007, 9:38 AM
the toaster in the water is good. throwing dynamite into the water is good also
psariandras
07-09-2007, 9:38 AM
I want to go deep sea fishing.
Yes we fish :) I find it to be even more relaxing than watching my tanks:)
We catch and release, unless it is a sizable trout. Then it goes well with steamed veggies and red potato.
Dangerdoll
07-09-2007, 10:42 AM
I love fishing, freshwater, saltwater, anything that involves throwing the hook in the water. I've never eaten anything I've caught though, I always threw it back however, I hear fluke is pretty good and totally in season now.
Coler
07-09-2007, 11:30 AM
I like to catch them small, then keep them and feed them up into a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge fish and then knock them on the head and have them mounted and then tell people I caught them like that.
mcox3
07-09-2007, 11:40 AM
I go fishing... rarely catch anything... :silly:
Its relaxing and I enjoy 4wheeling while im out there aswell.
anyways, catch and release... dont feel bad for bait...
the worms that make it go to my oscars anyways.
and we've also used a minnow trap for feeders.
kuhliloach
07-09-2007, 12:47 PM
no, i think sport fishing is cruel
suepahfly
07-09-2007, 7:36 PM
I like going fishing. I usually keep anything that is a legal size to eat. Can't beat fresh fish.
12 Volt Man
07-09-2007, 8:23 PM
I fish all the time. when on vacation in warm destinations, and here in Lake Ontario and our other lakes in northern ontario.
I am also a tackleholic.
clown-lover
07-09-2007, 9:37 PM
I grew up fishing and hunting. As a child it was more to put food on the table than for sport. Now the fishing is for sport however I do still hunt but eat everything I bring down.
I do sometimes bring home the occasional fish and put it on the Barbi with a little blackening spice..
Slappy*McFish
07-09-2007, 10:32 PM
I love fishing...especially saltwater. Fish that you catch and clean yourself just taste better.
Plecosterone
07-10-2007, 12:02 AM
Nothing beats floating around in a canoe with a line in the water. I haven't been fishing for the last few years, but used to go to Northern Ontario. Man is that country up there. More clear lakes than anywhere else in the world.
Toirtis
07-10-2007, 12:28 AM
I fish every chance that I get...both hardbait casting and fly-fishing...been doing so since I was 5.
psariandras
07-23-2007, 8:30 PM
my favorite tasting fish is crappie. haven't had it in years but it was great tasting. We caught a whole bunch of them near a beaver dam. That was a lot of fun. Seemed like one would bite just about as soon as you threw in the hook, our livewell was full that day. I don't go fishing anymore though. not enough time and money unfortunately.
Toirtis, I have to ask, b/c I am interested in odd fishes - what is the strangest fish you have kept/seen? My favorite sort are eel like fish that are very large, I almost got a dragon goby but didnt have the tank for it.
I like strange looking fishes, I am sure you must have seen many strange fishes in the past few decades of being an aquarist.
KingOfTheDeep
07-23-2007, 10:08 PM
no, i think sport fishing is cruel
:nutkick:
I went fishing this past weekend. Smallmouth B's and Redear Sunfish like you wouldnt believe. Nothing big.
swinneyw
03-12-2009, 11:21 AM
fishing is my favorite sport and tropical fish is my favorite hobby i don't let one interfer with the other
Cheech
03-12-2009, 11:46 AM
I absolutely love fishing... It's more of the idea of getting out of the city and leaving all my everyday issues behind.
All I gotta figure out now is how to actually catch fish.
cellodaisy
03-12-2009, 11:52 AM
well...sometimes I like to hook a toaster up to the cigarette lighter in my car and toss it in a stream.
does that count ?
I like to catch them small, then keep them and feed them up into a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge fish and then knock them on the head and have them mounted and then tell people I caught them like that.
Seriously?
excuzzzeme
03-12-2009, 12:05 PM
I fish as much as I can get in. I use cut-bait, frozen bait, nightcrawlers, artificial - (metal, plastic, or rubber). A bad day of fishing is better than a good day trapped in the house.
Everything is catch, and release (always has been) except for what I will eat.
beeZer350
03-12-2009, 1:19 PM
I love to go fishing. Every summer my father-in-law and I head up to Lake Erie for perch/walleye fishing. Always a good time. I try to get out to local lakes a few times a month during the summer but I'm not always successful at that.
This past winter I tried ice fishing for the first time. It was a lot more fun that I thought it would be.
I quick shot of our set up:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/enriquejcu/IMG00190.jpg
What I landed:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/enriquejcu/IMG00191.jpg
Since becoming a somewhat serious fish keeper I've researched ways to humanely kill the fish once caught, rather than letting them languish in a cooler until I finish my day. One method I've discovered is to puncture them right behind the eye. This apparently yields instant, painless death. There are a few benefits to doing this as well. For one, the fish doesn't suffer and also it prevents the build up of lactic acid in the tissue which can affect the taste of the meat.
Here's an interesting article. It's a scientific study of various catch-and-release methods, with information on which ones are the most effective and/or humane: http://www.acuteangling.com/Reference/C&RMortality.html
It says, for example, to reduce fish mortality rates, 1) you should use artificial bates, 2) if artificial bates are not possible, you should use circle hooks instead of J-hooks, and 3) you should use a Boga-grip tool, not a net, to land the fish.
(I'll be honest--I'm a vegetarian, and I don't fish :). But I was reading this thread and realized that a lot of people who keep fish as pets also go sport fishing. And I figured that, despite our differences, we're all interested in keeping fish ecosystems healthy and treating fish as humanely as possible, which are the main benefits of catch-and-release. So I thought I'd share an article that all you anglers might find interesting and useful. Cheers!)
fancyfishgirl
03-12-2009, 2:40 PM
ok so i haven't been fishing in YEARS! My dad and I used to go out and go deep sea fishing. I liked it...it was nice to be out on the ocean and I loved eating the fish we caught. Do i think it's cruel to go fishing just to catch and release? meh...maybe...depends on the type of hool your using etc.. Do I think it's cruel to catch fish just to mount them on your wall? absolutlly! But I can say that fishing is uber relaxing!
bettagurl
03-12-2009, 5:58 PM
I used to love it, but as I got older I realized how completely cruel it was for me to hook something through it's mouth when I have plenty of food at home, or simply for my enjoyment if it's going to be released.
If you need to kill these creatures because food is too expensive for you, then go ahead.. But I won't fish again, I don't NEED to to live.
I'm the same with hunting, and a lot of people do live mostly on what they kill, so no problem if you need the meat.
red_wall
03-12-2009, 9:09 PM
I really do like fishing... when I catch something.
I just hate how you can never control where the hook goes.
It PAINS me to see a hook through the eye, when I know there isn't anything I can do about it.
But it's only happened once to me, more to people I know though.
I only use bread :]
All hail the mighty channel cat, and brim catcher!