Too Many Fish

[Al]

Well this should be a good thread, I am no tree hugger or anthing like that but dont you guys ever throw anything back. Remember there were lots of Buffalo and Carrier pigeons for everyone too. When you guys wreck lake Erie you will try to blame everyone but yourselves. Perhaps a good rule is to take home all you can eat in one sitting only. that way you always have an excuse to leave the house and go fishing. Not only that you will actually catch something when you get there. The guy who complained about perch limits that goes for him too, 15 perch per person is plenty.

[ErieAngler]

You must be a chef............(stirring the pot)

[12# HUNTER]

I think most on this site throw alot back. From what ive read on this board, most here want a healthy fishery for years to come. The people here arent the weekend fisherman, they are the people that have a passion for the sport and try learn and understand better. The saying is true that 10% of the fisherman catch 90% of the fish, and if us 10% didnt throw back fish it would make for alot of short days. Besides, there's nothing funnier than throwing back a 9-10# fish and listening to the guy that just drove 8 hours call you the craziest fool he has ever seen!

[Fishtracker]

Your just another trouble maker, not worth commenting any further.

[rh]

I have to give Al two thumbs up. If people are complaining about driving "10 days" to fish Lake Erie and can only keep 30 fish then what the h#ll are they doing here, do we drive "10 days" to fish at their "spot" and say "Man, they should lift the limit because i had to drive forever to get here, and i can only keep 30 fish". I'm not trying to start anything here but what the heck are they complaining about driving here and saying that "our" regulations don't let "them" keep enough fish!!!

[Huntntky]

I believe the philosophy of ( I have put this much out therefore I deserve that much resource in return ) is held by far too many fisherman. The truth really is..if you want fish to eat and are going to be counting the dollars it takes to eat them......go to the supermarket.

[Buckeye]

Al I think the majority of us are intelligent enough to know we can't overbag every day as a whole and expect to keep the natural production going on the lake. I'd be quite surprised if more than 1% of the people that fish Lake Erie are guilty of exceeding the former 10 fish limit at any time.

I haven't heard one selfish complaint yet about the limit going to 4 fish during the spawn and it is no surprise. Sportsmen and women have always done what it takes to keep our wildlife populations healthy. It's called conservation. I have heard plenty of the other side's emotional cry to "leave them alone during the spawn" though. The DNR eliminated 6 fish per day out of the limit during that time period and 4 the rest of the year. Apparently that's still "too many" in some people's opinion.

Your opinion is exactly that......yours. We all have differing opinions on how much is enough but ultimately we all abide by the laws and regulations set forth by the managers of the lake. If your opinion is they are going about it all wrong then, well.....it's your opinion.

They use science and math to come up with a sport and commercial harvest rate, apply it to the estimated numbers of angler hours, use the same science to estimate the current population and adjust the TAC accordingly. Nowhere in the process do they sit down and pass emotional judgement on how many fish they think is enough for Joe Angler's family. Nobody's opinion is incorporated into that formula and that's the way it should be.

[bob oh]

Al, you're a good troller, but not that good cause I can see your bait ;-)
Bob

[jp]

I agree with you AL. I fish a lot in Minnesota and on the Mighty Mississippi. When I am on the Miss I think that I am the only one out there most of the time that throws them back. I keep them when I need them. Some guys have deep freezers full of fish that they will not eat in a year. I think everyone should only take what they need. I have as much fun catching them and releasing them as I do catching and keeping them. Everyone complains about limits, just because you have your limit does not mean that you have to stop fishing fellas.

[Eyez]

Anyone getting the feeling that rh and jp are Al?


trollin, trollin, trollin......

[cantgo]

I agree with the comment about t"limits" but I think many of us do release many of the fish caught (I hope). One concern I have is the misinterpretation fo the rules for a limit. I have not been able to get out yet this year so I do not have my license for Michigan, Ohio, nor Indiana yet, but if you look closely at the limit I do believe their is information what a limit is.

Does not the limit include what is currently in your cooler back at the camp or in your freezer at home. The last I read we were allowed a two day limit in most places. Would this not mean that if you have four walleyes in your cooler and you planned on fishing for three days during the remainder of your trip you would only be able to keep four fish. Many of the "meat-seekers" overlook this since, not just Ohio, but many of our states do not check what you currently have in "possession".

The possession limit is where we really need to look at ourselves with good conscience. If the possession amount is equal to one or two day limit then we should abide by that ruling.

This is just my two cents worth, but I have no problem with limit changes, catch and releasre, or even keeping a few for the daily meal but we need to understnad and follow the guidelines a little better.

[Al]

RH and JP are not me. I was not trolling and am encouraged that there are many like minded folk out there who care about the resource. Remember that the government scientists were looking after the cod as well and the Pacific salmon. All I was trying to point out is that sometimes we should be responsible for our own actions and take take take is generally not beneficial for a resource. Most fishery extinctions like Cod can be blamed on too much take not enough conservation.

[ErieAngler]

Al,
So are you saying high sport fishing limits are responsible for the condition of the cod and Pacific salmon fisheries? If so you better rethink that. I think the overiding tone is that sportmen in this day and age are sensible and conservation minded enough to support and abide the limits and regs set by the DNR people. The limits aren't set to deplete the stocks and the numbers that are used to determine them aren't pulled from thin air. Look at the deer herd, fall flight of ducks and geese, doves, turkeys, etc. and thank the wildlife managers for their ability as scientists and sportsmen for funding and supporting all of it.

[AGT]

NEVER HAVE THESE PROBLEMS WHEN I FISH, THE GUY I FISH WITH WONT KEEP A FISH OVER 18-19 INCHES AND ONLY GETS ENOUGH TO KEEP HIM EATIN GOOD TILL HE FISHES AGAIN,WE NEVER EVEN GET CLOSE TO LIMITS

[bio]

and your point is?

[Eyez]

Sorry, but your original post can only be described as inflammatory. When you say something like --"When you guys wreck lake Erie you will try to blame everyone but yourselves."-- you take a shot at everyone who fishes Erie, automatically lumping everyone else into a group of greedy game hogs. Do you really think that you're the only one that cares about the future of our fishing resources? I can assure you that you will not find a group of fishermen and women anywhere who care more about protecting fisheries for future fisherman, than the folks that frequent this site.

I agree with your point, just not your method of presenting it.


Eyez

[Tracy]

Al,
I have just 1 thing to say; sportfisherman account for less than 25% of the annual harvest of walleye, and perch on Lake Erie each year. The other 75% is harvested commercially, most all of these fish are killed whether they are kept or released by the netters they fall victim to.
Now there may be a few over zealous anglers out there who may not feel that they are getting their fair share, but don't try to say that sportfisherman will cause the dimise of the Erie Eyes. That just will not be the case.

Tracy

[FISHCRAZY]

If the only way to catch walleyes in Lake Erie would be with a rod and reel, then I can guaranty you that there would be no problem with the walleye population what so ever, even with no limits. These regulatory groups have good statistics of what the normal walleye population should be for Lake Erie. What I don't get is that if the walleye population is so low, whay is netting still permited. I have nothing with the right of commercial fishing, but when these pactice does so much damage, then you've got to go. Come back when the species replanished. We, the anglers, can go at each other back and forth for ever, the problem is the large scale slaughter done by netters. How many times have you limited out, then how many times have you not? And what's the difference between the guy that goes out every day and the one that goes out once a week, wouldn't it be more fair to have a limit per year not per day, the licence costs the same for either one. My point is, you can roll this around all you want, but the real problem is not getting fixed. Put a complete stop to anglers and let the netters go on, the walleye population will be destroyed and then they will move out to some other place. Put a complete stop to the netters and let the anglers go on and the walleye will be back on top in no time. So make up your minds, look at facts not opinions.