Catch and Release or Keep

**Anniegump** · 10-05-2009, 12:16 AM

I love to go fishing. I never keep what I catch though. Neither does my husband. I don't care to eat fish, don't like it. Even if I don't catch anything it gives me a great opportunity to get some wildlife pictures

The only fish I have ever kept were the mosquito fish my sis keeps in her 10 gal tank.

**wakingupnow** · 10-06-2009, 1:22 PM

I voted release some and keep some, but if your going to "keep" a fish then it shouldn't just be killed and thrown away. It needs to be put to good use like food.

**Tay690** · 10-13-2009, 9:43 AM

I honestly release about 99% of what I catch tbh

If it's a bass I'll throw it back

at hopes of releasing the piggies to make baby piggies lol

If it's a walleye less than 5lbs, trout or salmon I will keep it

any walleye bigger than 5lbs gets released...and oh boy is that a task in itself...especially if the bladder expands too much from being taken out of such deep water...usually takes about 2 hours to get the fish healthy again and sometimes they never fix their bladder

and off subject quickly...fizzing swim bladders IS NOT A GOOD IDEA!

it severely lowers the fish's chance of survival ... fizzing a fish's swim bladder gives it about 30-40% chance of survival...fish released with no fizzing have about 60% chance of survival

thought I should get that out there...it seems to be the new catch and release "Trick" for big walleye with swim bladder issues

**froglover007** · 10-13-2009, 10:06 AM

I catch and realease most of what I catch. I do keep the occasional fish if i am out with my grandpa or something.

**Star_Rider** · 10-13-2009, 3:29 PM

Originally Posted by Tay690

I honestly release about 99% of what I catch tbh

If it's a bass I'll throw it back

at hopes of releasing the piggies to make baby piggies lol

If it's a walleye less than 5lbs, trout or salmon I will keep it

any walleye bigger than 5lbs gets released...and oh boy is that a task in itself...especially if the bladder expands too much from being taken out of such deep water...usually takes about 2 hours to get the fish healthy again and sometimes they never fix their bladder

and off subject quickly...fizzing swim bladders IS NOT A GOOD IDEA!

it severely lowers the fish's chance of survival ... fizzing a fish's swim bladder gives it about 30-40% chance of survival...fish released with no fizzing have about 60% chance of survival

thought I should get that out there...it seems to be the new catch and release "Trick" for big walleye with swim bladder issues

if you can get the fish back to depth the problem should go away. the bladder would go back to normal size

the trick would be how.

**Tay690** · 10-15-2009, 9:10 AM

lol easier said than done I'm afraid
Scuba gear might need to be packed in a tackle box lol

**Kivstev** · 11-21-2009, 3:50 PM

Always let the big Stripers go to procreate - they're the breeders. Once in awhile take a small keeper for the table.

**Siphon1** · 03-13-2010, 7:12 PM

I always release any cow sized striper but I will keep a nice sized one for the table. I only keep bluefish and porgy to give away to friends and family that want them otherwise they go back too.

**wesleydnunder** · 03-14-2010, 9:12 AM

I keep what I'm going to eat:

In FW, large blue gill, crappie and catfish in to 18" to 30" range. I don't care for the taste of largemouth bass so don't keep any.

Inshore salt water, flounder, speckled trout, sand trout, whiting and large sheephead. Sometimes I'll keep the odd redfish but mostly release them as they can taste pretty strong.

Offshore, ling (cobia), dolphin ( mahi mahi, dorado), snapper, kingfish, wahoo, grouper, tuna and amberjack are kept to eat. Any more it's so expensive to go offshore (40 miles or more out in the gulf) that it's an occasion for a party and feast afterwards.

Mark