Why Bring Them Home???

[50 inch Jack]

Take a look around at the sport shows and internet sites and you will see pictures of hudge northerns in front of camp signs on the beach. Do camp owners really believe that this is a form of advertising? It tells me that "come fish my lake ; we pull out the nice fish and chop them up for pickling.......better hurry though- soon all the big fish will be gone!!!!". Catch and release is coming; it will be here in our lifetime. If its not, we won't be fishing. Nothing bothers me more than leaving a fly in camp and seeing people bringing out whole frozen fish....they are the ones who look like a fool. Next time you have a big boy laying in the bottom of the boat snap a few pictures and let him swim. Camp owners: ever thought of only publishing big fish in boat pictures to promote catch - n - release......I would think its in your best interest??

[Northern Manitoban]

The big fish is good advertising for lodges or any other lakes,most lodges that i know of practice catch and release and have size regulations,and the eaters have to be consumed while you are there nothing leaves the lake.The funs in the catching not the keeping.FISH ON.

[HLLGuide]

I couldn't agree with you more 50" Jack!! As a guide, one of the first things I tell my guests is that all trophy fish whether a walleye, bass, northern, trout,and especially muskie, go back. We eat our fish for shorelunch and that is it. Nothing goes home with them. This tactic shouldn't just be practiced with resorts, rather with everyone! To me a replica looks better then the real thing anyway. I've seen a lot of lakes get fished out because of people taking out their limit day in and day out along with trophies. CPR!


Guide

[Darwin]

I agree for the most part, however, my biggest fishing goal is to put a 30" or better eye on the wall.
I don't keep any fish for eating over the slot and truley think there is no reason to keep a fish ovet 21".
Part of me understands that the replica my look better and is definatly better for the fish population, but I would love to have a 30+" real deal hanging on the wall.
Sorry!

[Jigger1]

50 inch Jack is right on the money. One of the reasons I go to the lodge I do on LacSeul is because of their strict conservation policy. Trophies stay in the lake, pictures last a life time!

I want nothing more than a 30" plus walleye on my wall, but it’s going to be a replica. My largest thus far is 29” and there was nothing more rewarding than seeing that hog swim back down to the bottom. I have two pictures of her with the stupidest grin you could ever imagine on my face. Hopefully this is the year for the 30” plus!

[Lac Seul owner]

I agree with you guys, let the big ones go!! They are the best breading stock and taste like old socks. Our advertizing shows only released fish other than a few small eaters in the pan. If big fish are brought to camp for mounting, they are not rewarded with photos. The only way we can get the fish hog mentality from the old camp owners who sell dead fish is to let them know what you think of there big fish pictures by talking straight with them and let them know where you really want to spend your money. Thanks for the good attitudes and let the big girls go ; it will come back to you many times; as all 30"+ walleye were 21"+ at one time or another.

[Piscatorian]

What do you mean catch and release is coming? It's been around for many years in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. That's why I stopped fishing in Ontario a while back. I want to catch trophies, not eat them.

Ontario has been very slow to adapt, and largely caters to drive up meat hogs. That's fine. I'll go elsewhere.

It's also a very hard cycle to break, since it takes a long time for trophy fishing to return. You can just take a fished out lake and suddenly declare it to be trophy water. No one will come if it can't product meat or trophies and it may take several decades to recover. Lake trout is perhaps the toughest species to recover.

[AVS]

Piscatorian,

PLEASE DEFINE A "DRIVE UP MEAT HOG"!

[50 inch Jack]

There are many lakes in Manitobia that do practice catch-n-release on a limited basis........they have a slot but you still can keep one big one......why?????-check your regs

[Peanut]

Yeah, you're right. The Manitoba slot at LOTP is 18"-28", none in between, and 1 over 28".

In Sask., generally speaking, only one over 55cm (about 26" )can be kept.

I agree wholeheartedly that the big ones should be let go. I'm not sure of the basis for still allowing that "one over".

In my boat, anything over 22" is a picture and a wave goodbye. I'd be embarrassed to have a dead 30"+ fish on my wall, and someone ask "Why'd you keep it?". I would not have an answer. Conversely, it would be with pride to show the picture (blown up big, of course), the replica mount, and declare that that baby is still out there.

You know, I almost feel sick seeing pictures of kept trophies, or worse, being in the fish shack with the guy who caught and killed a big one. What is he thinking?? Invariably, this is the same guy with 3 13" fish right alongside.

I know it's their right, and if they're not breaking any laws it's none of my business. But, if we are fishermen/women in the truest sense, do we not have some duty to protect the fishery beyond the minimum limits prescribed by law?

Sorry for ranting, but 50 inch Jack, you're thoughts are right on in my book.

derrek.

CANADIAN WALLEYE OPEN UP AND SAY "EH"!

"On Sundays some men go to church and daydream about fishing. Others go fishing and think about God."

[2DOGS]

To answer the question of "what is a drive up fish-hog"? Here is an example of what I believe it to be: I was fishing Lac Seul and a couple of Americans in a camp boat were fishing close by and one of the fellows caught a nice walleye. Overheard them say, "wow, over 23 inches, shorelunch" then, WHACK AND INTO THE COOLER!!! I asked them why they would keep a fish like that, it's too small to mount but too big to eat. Reply, "camp owner said we're entitled to one over the slot". True, but by 1:00 P.M. Who is to know they ever had "their one over the slot". One can only imagine how many other big fish were killed that week by just these 2 bozo's. Multiply that by the thousands of us Americans who travel to Canada to fish each year. Hopefully, the vast majority do not have that same mentality. I have caught that 30+" Walleye (24 x 36 picture)and 42" Northern (replica). That's enough for my ego!! Can proudly say both are still swimmin and making babies! If camp owners would emphasize CPR when they give their spiel at these sports shows and perhaps provide disposable cameras to their guests it would help. You've got company 50 inch jack!!

[LK]

The disposable camera is a great idea for camp owners and I see that some are giving conservartion licenses with 7 day packages. To me the best part of a replica is the laminated picture next to the replica of the real fish swimming away as you are releasing it.

[AVS]

Thanks for the definition...
I just wanted to make sure that eating a few 17" ers was ok and mabybe bringing a couple home.
I have to assume that the two guys that you discribed is the exception rather then the rule... I cant imagane to many people out there thinking that a 23" fish is a good eater... at least I hope.
The resort that I frequent has an annual drawing for large fish released. I think the way it works is that any 24 + inch fish that is released gets to put a name in the hat and at the end of the year a drawing is done to give away a week stay at the lodge.
PS.
This is also an "old time" lodge that has changed it's philosiphy(sp?)!

[50 inch Jack]

Is it worth taking any home???

I understand, I'm not a certified "eye" fisherman but; eat em while your there and leave the rest in the lake. Makes sense to me!!! I to might eat a little while i'm at the lake; but does it taste as good frozen in Feb......????? In my brain it's not worth the hassel. Try rolling up to a roadside fish check or the border with no fish...they practically wave you right through. Not that I have anything to hide anyway; but its way eaiser not to take the time to clean, freeze, cook, ect. If you gotta have it it's fresher in the stores anyway. No-one heads north to feed the family; pound for pound beef is way cheaper and tastes much better. I used to haul it home for the relatives or the guys on the trip that love it...no more. Give it a try !!!!

[CANADIAN GUY]

A lot of the old timers in this area of NW Ontario (Nipigon) do not consider Pike as a gamefish but rather a threat to Walleye and trout stocks. I have seen a lot of large Pike harvested because of this. The best thing that OMNR did was place a no harvest slot between 27in and 37in. This has saved a lot of good fish. Attitudes are changing but its hard to get a guy who has fished for fifty years to see the light so to speak. We are catching tons of Pike now just under slot and in the next five years there are going to be tons of fish over fourty in. You can only harvest one.

[Dave Q]

ALL BIG FISH SHOULD BE LET GO why.... THEY ARE TO VALUABLE TO ONLY BE CAUGHT ONCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Reels]

First off, I agree, trophy fish should be let go. But if someone has paid his fees, and the law entitles it, you shouldnt make that person feel like he is a criminal. Maybe try to educate him, and tell him why CPR is important.

Why do I take fish home?
Well, my kids love the walleye that I bring home. They are nine and ten. We all get a kick out of looking at the fishing pictures and having an at home fish fry.

Sorry if you feel that is wrong.

If you think that frozen walleye taste bad, maybe you should read some of the posts on preparing it.


PS-

Do you think the folks from Iowa are wondering why they eat frozen corn up north??

<{{}}><

[AVS]

I don't think anyone is arguing the point of keeping big fish!
I just don't agree that it is wrong to bring four eaters home. Fishing in Ont. hasen't been better in years, because of the slot limit... let the system regulate itself.
I know how to freeze fish and prepare them at home... It's a good excuse to get the guys together, and look at each others pictures.

[RTD]

I had to respond to this one. First of all, I totally agree and follow "catch & release" although as a sportsman it took time for me to get to that point. A lot of it is education and time on the water. I have been fishing in Canada every year since 79 and love it up there. I have seen a definite drop in fishing quality and numbers over the years. We used to kill big Northern because we really didn't know any better and the lodge owners never had any camp policies. We have even had lodge owners promote bringing in the big fish so the word would get around that the fishing was great. A few years ago we went to Reindeer Lake and had guides for a few days. The guide in my buddies boat saw a huge pike sunning by som logs and after fritless casts he ended up getting close enough to snag the fish. To my friends horror the guide grabbed the pike by the eyes to get the fish in the boat and immediately killed the fish. When we got back to camp, the guide proudly dispalyed the dead pike which turned out to be a 35 pounder and the biggest one we have see to date. To make matters worse the lodge owner tried to get one of us to take it home to mount, which we all refused because first we didn't catch it and secondly we don't kill big fish. I also need to mention, we have had several Canadians brag about the huge Northerns and Walleyes they net and feed to their dogs. So it is both Canadians and Americans that abuse this resource that needs to be protected and nurchered. Although the laws have gotten better to protect the big fish much more needs to be done. We always grab the northerns by the jaw or use a cradle so we don't have to use a net. A quick picture, measurement and back they go. My largest is a 25 pounder (47"). My dream is a 30 pounder. I personally do not see anything wrong with bringing back a limit of small northern and walleye. I trust the game management folks to do their job. Sorry to ramble on.

[Piscatorian]

I know the regs very well and you are wrong! Don't just look at the provincial regs. There are more restrictive regs in place for almost all the good lakes. Been there, seen that. Some of these are even implemented by the lodge owners (I'm talking about lakes with one operation only) and aren't even published. Contact the lodge operators if you don't believe me.

Almost all of the good lodges in Manitoba allow zero take home fish for walleye, northerns and lakers. Same is true in Sask. In Manitoba, Ganglers, Knee Lake, Big Sand, Silsby...even places like Bolton that are mid-range. You can keep small fish for shore lunch and that's it. This became pretty universal about 10 years ago, except for a few big lakes, like God's where the fishing has declined and they have finally clamped down on the regs.

Again, I have no qualms with certain regions that target people who are mainly interested in filling their coolers to take home (i.e., meat hogs), but I'm ##### glad that there are still places I can go to catch trophies.

[BD]

I took my wife to the Ignace area this last fall. She had a great time catching nice size eyes and northerns during our stay. We did bring back less than our limits of eyes and northerns. Our grandkids are still to young to go along but they really seemed to like the fish fry and the stories about Grandma when we got back. The fish we brought back for the family gathering were all under the slot (the good eating small ones) but I will say this:
1) If any of the fish we had caught over the slot limit were to badly injured to make it when released (none were) they would have #### well been brought back and not left to the gulls;
2) Someone is bound to say "Don't use live bait and the fish won't get injured". Wrong. I use artificials exclusively and some fish can still be hooked badly;
3) That is why I don't like slots and do like the one fish over a certain length regulation. A sportsman will practice CPR on all the healthy over the length fish but still be able to keep an injured over the length fish;
4) If the fish in the market taste better than the ones you bring back, you are doing something very wrong. Search the archives etc. for tips on caring for and freezing your catch, Ziplock bags, vacuum packing, and recipes;
5) And for lent a quote; "What an idiot is man to believe that abstaining from (meat) and eating fish, which is so much more delicate and delicious, constitutes fasting." --- Napoleon Bonaparte

[50 inch Jack]

Piscatorian: YOU ARE THE ONE!!!!!!

Any other questions I have will go directly to you.

Thank you

[Peanut]

So that I'm clear - my concerns in my earlier post were with keeping big fish - not any fish. I have no problem with those that take eaters home. If they get eaten and enjoyed, great.

If we are having a good trip, I'm the same way - we'll take home a few.

If you store them right, and cook them right, they are very good.

The big ones, let them go.

derrek.

CANADIAN WALLEYE OPEN UP AND SAY "EH"!

"On Sundays some men go to church and daydream about fishing. Others go fishing and think about God."

[THUMPER]

Good post RTD. Myself I am an avid fisherman and spend close to a 100 days on the water every year. I am blessed to live in great walleye waters in NW Ontario and am surrounded by friends who are very keen fisherman. I catch large walleye as a matter of course and release almost all. However a walleye that has poor chances of survival will get put in the fish box. We are practical fisherman who believe in using a resource in this manner. Walleye is a regular on my table as well as wild game. I prefer wild game to store bought. When we go fishing I will take my limit of four each and almost every time. I consider myself an ethical sportsman who enjoys eating fish and wild game.