Just curious, What percent of fish caught do you release/keep

[twahl]

Re: Just curious, What percent of fish caught do you release/keep

The kids love to eat bluegill so when I take them fishing and we catch a bunch I'll keep the nice sized ones. I will rarely keep a bass, I haven't filleted a bass in probably 6 years or more. When catfishing I tend to catch a lot of smallish yellows and they go back of course, but I'll keep any channels big enough to fillet. When I fish smallmouth they all go back. I've got very little experience salt water fishing so at this point I can say that 100% go back.<br /><br />Overall, I'd say (not counting saltwater) I keep maybe 20% of my catches since there are days with the kids that we keep most of our catch.

 

[Scoop]

Re: Just curious, What percent of fish caught do you release/keep

Thanks Roscoe and Catfish1. I am getting them out of the fox river well before it gets to Portage. While it is not the clearest water, there we regularly swim in it so it should be ok. I am going to have to give it a try. I will avoid the lateral line/blood line area.<br /><br />I did see a cooking show from Europe. The woman was talking about this really nice fish she was going to cook. She then pulls up this tray with a carp on it. It had been gutted. She stuffed the cavity with lemon and herbs, the baked it.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Just curious, What percent of fish caught do you release/keep

The Mrs. and I are strictly catch and realease.<br /><br />We keep nothing, and as JB stated, that is a lot of fish that we turn back.<br /><br />We are not fish eaters, just fish catchers.

 

[Fishbusters]

Re: Just curious, What percent of fish caught do you release/keep

Hard to say because when I want to keep some fish I do and when I don't I don't. If you don't count those used as bait later I would have to say I only keep anywhere from 1% to 5% average a year if that much. If you include those used as future bait the numbers jump way up because I do catch and keep a lot of bait but I try to keep them alive and release what I don't use so I could not even guess at a percentage there.

 

[snapperbait]

Re: Just curious, What percent of fish caught do you release/keep

I'm a saltwater guy.. Anything of legal size and open season goes in the cooler untill I have enuff for a meal or two... A mixed cooler full of mutton and mangrove snapper, yummy... Snook, awesome eating fish...

 

[Dman]

Re: Just curious, What percent of fish caught do you release/keep

I have not kept a fish this summer yet. I fish almost everyday in the same lake and same areas. Ice fishing I'm a bit more prone to keep some northerns and panfish. I figure if the fish are gonna swim under the 8 inch hole in the ice, they are coming home with me.<br />Dman

 

[pmueller]

Re: Just curious, What percent of fish caught do you release/keep

Same as most here, release 99.9%. Only fish kept this summer is one Walleye (cause that's all I've caught so far), and one Northern Pike, because my son and nephew wanted to taste one (not bad, I might add). I'm tempted to keep a few bluegills and a rock bass to see how they taste. But for the most part, it all goes back.

 

[JJ57103]

Re: Just curious, What percent of fish caught do you release/keep

I keep enough for my dinner, and since I'm alone now, that aint too much... of course, I fish nearly every day since I'm retired <br /><br />Funny though, I can throw back 50 Walleyes in a day's excursion, 30-40 Catfish, until I plan a fish fry and then I can't hook into enough fish to feed a small boy scout troop. Darned embarassing, I tell ya.

 

[tailgunner]

Re: Just curious, What percent of fish caught do you release/keep

Saltwater fishing only. I keep 1/2 the Bluefish I catch. Smoke those that I do for chowdah. Striped Bass? I keep every single one of legal size.<br /><br />Anything else, Fluke, Tautog, Flounder goes back.<br /><br />Of course I'll be going after some Tuna next year with this new motor......

 

[lund17]

Re: Just curious, What percent of fish caught do you release/keep

Trout 10-15" go in the pan, 1 striper a year, a mess (meal for 3 or 4) of bluegills or perch a couple times a year, one or two bass meals for my wife and I. If I get a couple landlock salmon they go on the grill. Walleye are for eatin'. Really most go back. I eat about 10%. God made fish dumb and willing so we could eat 'em and enjoy 'em! The glory is His.

 

[mountainboy]

Re: Just curious, What percent of fish caught do you release/keep

Keep all walleye, trout and kokanee salmon that I catch. I usually throw back catfish, perch, bass, bluegill. I smoke or grill what I keep and my inlaws love fish as well.

 

[one more cast]

Re: Just curious, What percent of fish caught do you release/keep

The last couple of years I've put them all back unless they are bleeding.

 

[Topmason]

Re: Just curious, What percent of fish caught do you release/keep

Catch and release?<br />Kinda like drinkin non alcoholic beer, aint it?<br />

 

[ED21]

Re: Just curious, What percent of fish caught do you release/keep

The fish have nothing to fear from me. I think I mostly amuse the fish in my attempts to catch them. I fish therefore I have to lie.

 

[Columbia]

Re: Just curious, What percent of fish caught do you release/keep

I keep the legal Chinook and Coho but only catch a few a year. Generally I'll get one keeper sturgeon a year and keep that. Otherwise, when we go camping we keep some dinner fish but mostly catch and release.

 

[AZBoatRookie]

Re: Just curious, What percent of fish caught do you release/keep

I tend to keep 100% of the Channel cats I catch. But only about 25% of the Flatties. I like the taste of flathead cats better but not enough meat to bother with cleaning em'. You get a 15lb Flathead and seems like 10lbs of it is all head. Our bluegills dont tend to get real big out here in AZ so they get used as bait mainly. But we keep all the yellow bass we catch. We just tend to keep the fish stocked in the chest freezer before summer gets here. The temps are too hot from June to Oct to do any real fishin. Not too fond of fishing in 115 degree weather, so you have to have that fish stocked up till November when it cools off.

 

[wikelam]

Re: Just curious, What percent of fish caught do you release/keep

hey AZrookie<br /><br />some of the best times to catch the catfish are in june and july. here in oklahoma when the temp is above 100, i am in the water. do not know if it is legal to noodle(grabble) for catfish in your state. but this is a great way to stock up on meat and cool off at the same time

 

[knobby]

Re: Just curious, What percent of fish caught do you release/keep

Even a better question is what percentage of the time you go fishing do you catch fish...<50% or >50%. Not including the minnows.

 

[rexa1925]

Re: Just curious, What percent of fish caught do you release/keep

Boy Boy the can tell you are talking to fisnerman<br />because they all lie, but not "I" <br />Rex

 

[oddjob]

Re: Just curious, What percent of fish caught do you release/keep

Freshwater-I may keep all the catfish and pan fish I catch,everything else goes back. Prefer salt water fish and keep all legal.