When is enough, enough?

[Bay wolf]

While fishing shad last week, I noticed something interesting that got me wondering. Do we always need to fish to our limit? I mean, is it instinctual to take all that we can (or are allowed)? Is it because if we don't take them, someone else will? Does it go way back in our genes, that we must harvest everything in times of plenty? Interesting. I asked some of the guys that had huge coolers full how they eat. Most said they don't eat them. Garden fodder, crab bait, give them away to that vague friend that loves them. Anyway, I know that shad have no limit, and almost no one cares about them, but it just got me thinking about how many times (like pink season) I've seen people fervently fishing till they reach there limit. I just wonder, how many of those fish sit in a freezer getting burnt, and then eventually end up in a dumpster?

[fishinChristian]

Some people take all they can, some take more, and some take till they wipe out an entire fishery. Of course there are some to whom C&R is a religion, and those who take enough to eat or regulate a species are blasphemers. I take what we can eat with no waste. The carcass goes under a plant, the meat for a meal or in the freezer, always rotated to prevent freezer burn. If there is a hidden package that escapes too long, I cook it into treats for the dogs. There is literally zero waste. It's sad that some people give no thought to balance. There have been folks who destroyed the fishing in Moses lake for years, and Banks has been hit hard, mainly by Russians who took pickup loads of fish and sold them to Seattle buyers, but they are by no means the only ones. There have been many and still are that take everything and sell it to others who never question where the fish comes from, including one in the Potholes area that sank his boat full of dead big bluegill to keep from getting caught. There are humans that overcome our greedy hoarding natures, and those who don't, and those who condemn whatever group they are not part of. It has always been this way.

[Larry3215]

I used to be that way - catch all you can and keep them till they are useless or use for crab bait. When we were kids, thats what was encouraged. A good catch was a great contribution to the family and we were praised for helping out. Plus it was good food. We generally couldnt afford to buy fish for meals, so we only got it when we caught it.

There were a lot more fish back then too and much more generous limits - if any limits at all.

These days, most fish are a lot less plentiful and getting fewer every year. Its pretty much impossible to justify keeping them because I NEED to eat them. I can actually afford to buy fish when ever I want now

Plus there are health risks with eating many of them in many places. On top of that, Im a lot lazier than I used to be. I just dont want to go to the trouble of cleaning, filleting, storing, etc etc - unless its ling cod or halibut or walleye. I love those!

So, for the most part, I would much prefer to do C&R rather than keep any fish - with the exceptions noted above.

My brothers on the other hand are still living the 1950's and wont go fishing unless they can keep them. To them, C&R is a waste of time. I asked them the other day what happened to all the walleye and perch we caught two years ago at potholes and banks. It got tossed - along with some 3 year old salmon and trout - because it got freezer burned.

Turns out thawing fish and cooking it is too much trouble to do all that often. That and my arguments in favor of C&R is not stopping them though

[Onmygame]

I like to think that most people have good intentions - and at the time they are fishing have zero designs on waste of the resource.

Still, people are what they are, and some are forgetful, some lazy, and some lack the ability to prioritize in order to ensure proper use of the resource.

No doubt the reason we have limits in place.

onmygame

[Bay wolf]

Opps. Double post

[Bay wolf]

Very positive comments. Shinna and I have become C&R fishers for the most part. We will keep a fish or two if legal, but if we do, we agree it will not go in the freezer. Stays fresh and is eaten within a day. I find I enjoy fishing much more for the sport than the meat. Perhaps, in time, more fishermen will come around to realize not every fish we land need to die.
Thank you guys who practice sustainable sportsmanship.

[Onmygame]

Very positive comments. Shinna and I have become C&R fishers for the most part. We will keep a fish or two if legal, but if we do, we agree it will not go in the freezer. Stays fresh and is eaten within a day. I find I enjoy fishing much more for the sport than the meat. Perhaps, in time, more fishermen will come around to realize not every fish we land need to die.
Thank you guys who practice sustainable sportsmanship.

Your idea of keeping only what you'll eat fresh is a great one.

We do deviate just a tad though, as we too cook only fresh caught (trout / kokanee) with anything more than that going into the brine same day caught for the smoker the next day. It would easily keep a couple of weeks if it weren't devoured prior.

Only food fish and shell fish (like salmon, razors, shrimp) ever hit the freezer, all vacuum packed - and always treated as high end groceries around here.

We look forward to these meals, in fact,.. ate up the last of the coonstripe shrimp with grilled steaks yesterday with the kids over for Father's Day. The spot prawns never made it to the freezer, they made it straight to the grill (except the few that we had raw )

onmygame