Dichotomy among njfishing members

[bulletbob]

Noticed something here that would make an interesting discussion topic..
Not arguments, not anger, not accusation please..
I am NOT trolling, just interested in a good discourse..
I have noticed that the guys that post mostly in fresh water are adamant C&R advocates,all about not keeping fish, and discourage it for the most part. They sometimes complain bitterly about guys that make a habit of keeping most of their catch to eat, and often use the term "bucket brigade".. I understand their consternation, and often [not always] agree.

however on the salt water side of this same excellent forum, we see pics of "mass slaughter", decks full of fish, and most [not all] keeper size fish are taken home to eat.
If anything is said to those that catch lets say their limit of big stripers every day for a week, there is a lot of defensive and offensive banter back and forth among the advocates of C&R, and those of Keep it to eat..

I often wonder which side I am on.. I do take some fish home to eat, but often release everything as well.. This year I caught my personal best SMB, and wasted her by taking it home.. I still feel awful, I never should have killed that big old girl.. It was stupid..
Few weeks later i caught my PB Walleye, and never even thought about keeping... I let her go instantly...

Is it strictly a fresh water/salt water thing??
The mindset that FW fish are "harder to replace",and that SW fish are there in such numbers that they are harder to deplete??
I dunno, we have all seen SW fish depleted, and FW fish that are always there yar after year despite heavy pressure...
Again, just want reasonable thoughts and opinions on the topic.. Lots of nice guys here, no need to argue..
Just wondering why it seems more acceptable to kill SW game fish than it is to kill FW game fish... bob

[JBird]

I think as long as you aren't breaking the law or wasting fish than take what you want. Personally, I let most big fish go, especially striped bass but that is my personal choice. I don't see how a guy could justify keeping 2 40 lb cow bass in one day the spring but maybe he has a vacuum sealer and a big freezer and he's going to feed his family for weeks with the meat. Maybe he doesn't have a lot of money and fishes to put food on the table. Just as long as it doesn't go to waste than have at it!

[bunker dunker]

Groundhog Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PeteyHD]

I release all freshwater fish with the exception of a few legal trout for dinner. Saltwater I keep what I am entitled to legally and have NEVER wasted any fish. I package properly and have a stand up freezer for fish and meats. I have many friends and family members that enjoy the fish we harvest and therefore do not feel guilty keeping them because they are never wasted. I never keep small fish or above my legal limit so I abide by all laws. The huge striped bass cows Jbird refers to should go back since they are few to come by and they taste awful anyway!

[AndyS]

I pay $150.00 to catch and release trout on the upper Delaware with a guide.[/IMG]

[chrislars]

i have a feeling some of it has to do with money spent to fish. i believe most people who freshwater fish generally stay local to their homes and can often fish from shore and not spend much money more than on gas, so the release doesn't hurt as much. plus, how many fresh water fish in NJ are really worth eating? I personally don't really care for freshwater fish besides an occasional trout.

saltwater tends to cost more for a lot of us. the cost of gas to and from the boats, the cost if you charter (especially) or go on a party boat or the cost of gas to get to the fishing grounds if you have your own boat. spending all that money makes keeping a catch to eat more worthwhile in my opinion. i personally only get on the ocean 10-15 times per year and my wife and i eat the fish i catch or i am able to spread the fillets to family and friends. i seem to get skunked on half of those trips when i should have been there the day before, haha! so, when i finally catch an edible fish, I'm keepin' it!!

it has really come down to obey the laws and eat what you catch on this site. don't waste killing fish you aren't going to eat. but, there is always debate on just HOW much fish one person can really eat... haha!

[bulletbob]

[QUOTE=chrislars]i have a feeling some of it has to do with money spent to fish. i believe most people who freshwater fish generally stay local to their homes and can often fish from shore and not spend much money more than on gas, so the release doesn't hurt as much. plus, how many fresh water fish in NJ are really worth eating? I personally don't really care for freshwater fish besides an occasional trout.

saltwater tends to cost more for a lot of us. the cost of gas to and from the boats, the cost if you charter (especially) or go on a party boat or the cost of gas to get to the fishing grounds if you have your own boat. spending all that money makes keeping a catch to eat more worthwhile in my opinion. i personally only get on the ocean 10-15 times per year and my wife and i eat the fish i catch or i am able to spread the fillets to family and friends. i seem to get skunked on half of those trips when i should have been there the day before, haha! so, when i finally catch an edible fish, I'm keepin' it!!

Good reply, and its pretty close to what I feel for myself...
It costs me a fortune to fish for lets say Porgies, Seabass, or tog or ling.. Because of distance more than anything.. I take most of what I am allowed.. However, local SMB ,Walleyes, or Lakers cost only a fraction, and are more readily available, and most go back into the drink these days.,,
Stripers??.. IMHO that aren't that great eating, I have caught and eaten them in years past,and always sensed a kind of old burlap sack taste.. Don't know that I would go out several times a week, and always take my limit of big Stripers.. How much meat does anyone need???. After a while it would simply seem greedy to me.. Even with Walleyes which are good eating, the majority go back in.. Typically I keep panfish if i must have fresh water fish to eat.. Nothing better to eat than yellow perch.. I like them as much as Sea Bass or ling... bob

[Mikey topaz]

Thers no wrong or right answer all i know myself evreything freshwater is always thrown back i used to keep my legal limit on trout years ago it got old quick i fish alot upstate for steelhead an browns many i catch trophy sizes they all go back to live another day let them grow and if they dnt grow let them give the joy of someone else to catch them one day perhaps a kid or someones first time fishing etc.... Saltwater wise it depends on species of the fish and size most of the time keepin my legal limit, i dkn myself id rather throw it back let it grow think thats a big problem in the state freshwater fishing wise people not letting them grow i dkn myself personally as long as its not wasted and was legal size /season/ and was killed to eat is one thing but if it was wasted or not sealed right and freezer burnt or whatever is another thing, what kills me is all big fish in all the tca areas stocked in the fall livin through the winter til april then opening day guys are allowed to take 6 so they go in there and clean house lol

[gwl2oneida]

I'd have to say is related to money spent. I can only speak for myself but shelling out a few hundred dollars tends to make me like to have something to show for it. However I'd also be very happy taking pics and measurements and let a trophy go back to water as I can just as easily have a foam replica made if it came to it. I kept all my kings, released all trout. I love blues but they meat turns me off so I don't go much anymore, also most boats gaff their blues which is certain death. That's my 2 cents.

[Fin Reaper]

Grew up on lake Musconetcong and fished every damn day but we only ever kept / ate perch caught thru the ice. Everything else tasted like the lake smelled which wasn't always a good thing (especially in August). We also had family with boats in Point P so we did a lot of Fluke fishing and kept everything we were legally allowed to...I think it comes down to not just taste or an investment of time / money I think there is this subconscious thing that a bunch of fish from the ocean wont be missed but a bunch from the lake will...can't defend it, just saying