Nothing against anyone who enjoys catching 50,60 or so fish in a outing. Myself I enjoy trying something new every time out. If I catch 1 fish Its a bonus and anything else is great. Almost every time I go to strawberry I try 2 or 3 new lures or methods. I myself could not get any enjoyment out of sitting in one place catching fish after fish with almost the same method and lure. But again nothing against those who do. There is one thing that comes to mind. That is there is not a 100 percent survival rate for released fish. So how many are being killed by someone who releases 50 fish. Just thought I would start a little talk about this.
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I always like trying new things at the Berry .Anything but bait fishing is good for me . I don't like to anchor down and jigg bait fish for them much anymore . I wish they could outlaw bait all together but I know that will be a cold day in hell . I like a little challenge in my fishing . You do raise a good point about those that do catch 50+ fish a day . It always get me when I drift thru a area where they are catching fish and I see all the bellied up fish around there . If I can't get a fish to swim on its own after I hook it , I'll go home for the day . I realize the pelicans need to eat too but not off from me .
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You're right about survival rates. Although I've watched every lake trout I've released swim away on the Gorge this year, I KNOW that they all didn't durvive. There's no such thing as 100 percent survival. Some we think are just fine don't make it, and some we think are in trouble survive to bite another day. I DO KNOW that if you bonk one on the head or throw it in the "box.", it won't be there to be caught again. That's for sure.
I do think we should consider limiting our catch and release. I have actually done that on ocassion at the Gorge, with paying customers on the boat. A person only needs so many fish in a day, especially big old ones. On rare occasions, I have "secretly" made the bite slow down on my boat because we had enough for the day. I only wish I had that decision more often! Its pretty rare for me on the Gorge.
I know of both guides and individual fishermen across the west that limit themselves on smaller spring creeks and waters where there are just not a lot of trout, though you can catch most of them. There's talk of limiting your catch these days just as there was talk of "catch & release" 30 years ago. It is catching on, and certainly worthy of consideration.
I've only known Piscispursuit for about a year, and have only fished with him once. He's a fish catchin' animal! More power to him. I'm not familiar with the Berry, but I'm sure he's puttin' the hurt on 'em, and keeping the trout-dentist busy. If he wants to sore-lip a bunch, knowing a few won't survive, well, that's fishing. Knowing when to say when is everyone's own decision. If the fishery won't withstand lots of catch and release, then the fishery will need a closed season or limited anglers. That is the case on some of the creeks I was referring to earlier. (None of which are managed by Utah DWR) If the fishery will take it, sore-lip 'em all! If it won't, know when to say when.
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[cool][#0000ff]No responsible angler, who respects his quarry, likes to see fish die unnecessarily. But, as Jim pointed out, there is a whole lot better chance of survival when the fish are released than when they hit the stringer or the cooler. That was the "old" Strawberry.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have attended a couple of DWR meetings in which Strawberry management was discussed. You can be assured that UDWR does factor in the mortality rate of released fish when projecting fish populations and planning their annual fish plantings. The fact that the fish are there in numbers to make 50 fish days possible is a testament to the effectiveness of their management up to this point. And, if numbers drop off, they stand ready to increase the planting to keep the balance up. It REALLY is a well managed program.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That being said, trout are wimps. They cannot survive rough handling or being out of water too long, just so you can shoot twenty or thirty pictures for the folks back home. So...keep 'em in the water for a quick release when possible. Don't net them unless you plan to keep them. Wet your hands before handling them. And, if the fish takes your hook deeply, cut the line and leave the hook. Most lure-caught fish are hooked in the outer parts of the mouth, so that makes it easy to just reach over the side with a pair of long-nosed pliers and quickly twist the hook free.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Yeah, we hate to kill 'em if we aren't going to use them, but it is an unavoidable part of the game. However, we can do our part to reduce the injuries and mortality.[/#0000ff]
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Good on ya.! I've always enjoyed the catching too much and tend to stick to what worked for me the last time.[unsure] However, that being said, I have stoped many, many times when I figured I've caught enough and started feeling guilty about catching too many. Also, I'm into the warm water species that are more hardy, so, that's my excuse. Of late, the only fish I released lately that might have had a problem was a few that were mauled by a Tiger. Hopefully, the Tiger finished the job.[
] They did seem ok though, just a few cuts.[crazy]
Leaky
I know what you mean. My buddies will be hauling 'em in on the same fly, one right after the other. Pretty soon I start wondering if they'll hit something that has worked before or something different. Don't catch as many of them but I like to experiment with other things in other parts of the lake. Every now and then it pays of with the fish of the day, but mostly not. Man I love being out on the water!
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This is a good thing to bring up and, for me, an excellent excuse for not catching a bunch of fish:
Wife:"So did you catch any fish?"
Me: "Well, not really."
Wife: "What was the problem?"
Me: "Uh, well, um, let's see...OH! Yeah! I didn't want to catch to many fish because I was concerned about the impact of catching too many would have on the viability of the fishery; therefore, I conciously decided to avoid catching fish for the greater good."
Wife: "Riiiiggghhhtttt..."
Hey, any new excuse will work for me. As for catching tons and tons of fish, I am against that--if for no other reason than I makes me feel very inadequate when I come here and read the posts, but honestly, I am not a good enough angler for this to ever really be an issue with me. [
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Thanks for starting a thought provoking thread. The great thing about our favorite sport is that it can provide different things for different people, and it is all good! [
] That said, here is my take on the items brought up.
1. Although I greatly love the scenery and the atmosphere of my fishing spots, I do go fishing to catch fish, and the faster the action the better. This often means that I use the tried and true methods I know work at a given spot. This may sound boring, but I don't think that very many of us go fishing to get skunked.
2. Fishing is variable enough that there is always plenty of time to experiment when the fish are in a neutral or negative mode. I personally pick a skill at the beginning of the season that I would like to learn and work on it all year.
3. If one absolutely doesn't want to risk any fish mortality at all, ever, then fishing may not be for that person. I have even had fish take a dry fly in such a way that the gills get damaged and dies. (although it is extremely rare.)
4. Practice in releasing technique and common sense allows one to release an overwhelming number of fish safely. For instance, if a person knows that he will be fishing C&R, then he shouldn't be fishing with power bait (or any straight bait) on a treble hook. Also if one is dragging a trout out of the depths of a mid elevation lake in a 100 degree August day, he shouldn't expect to release it successfully.
5. Most of the guys that are skilled enough to regularly have the proverbial "50 fish days" (Oh to be that good) usually also are skilled at safely releasing their fish. It is usually the more inexperienced anglers that have the greater release mortality. That said, an occasional badly hooked fish can happen to anyone.
6. Anything we do on a fishing trip is profoundly more enjoyable than anything we would do at work. [sly]
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Many years ago I was fishing a stream in Idaho that got heavy fishing pressure. In those days bait fishing was the norm (even with corn).
On one cast I hooked and caught a trout about 14 inches--not bad for that water--but quite skinny. When I went to unhook him, he had four hooks in his throat. One was so rusted that the top part of the hook fell out as I retrieved my hook. The other three were in varying stages of rust. One still had a long snell that I clipped off before I released him.
Other than being skinny, that fish was in great shape, even with all the hardware it was carrying. Since that experience, it has never bothered me to cut my line and let the fish swim away with my hook.
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I kind of feel like this post was targeted at me. I dont like to travel for an hour, spent mega $ on gas, catch a couple for fish and leave. That was my first trip to Strawbeery in about 3 years and it was certainly one of my favorite outings of the year. Most of the fish we caught were released at the side of the boat and to my knowledge we had 0 belly up or what I call "floaters". One reason I dont fish for trout very often is because of the mortality rate, hence I am very carefull. This is the reason I refuse to bait fish. I love bass fishing because they are so hardy. Of course then there are those cats that you can leave in your boat all day, take them home and put in the freezer for a couple of weeks, pull them out and have them still flopping around. OK maybe I over exagerated just a little bit.
I am thrilled that a person can have a chance to take a day off and catch that kind of fish and hope to have a chance to do it again this fall. It makes up a little bit for all of the hours spent without even getting a bite on different trips. You did have some good points though. Next time I go I will probably use some different techniques to try to catch even more.[cool]
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Hey brmblk-
I say savor that day! They are few enough in a lifetime. Revel in all the fish you caught and released!
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Nothing against anyone who enjoys catching 50,60 or so fish in a outing. Myself I enjoy trying something new every time out. If I catch 1 fish Its a bonus and anything else is great. [/reply]
Ah, my good man, i see you have joined us elitists in the "Fine Art of Not Catching Fish"! Nothing ruins a beautiful day of trolling around, tying different knots and trying out all the new tackle you have recently purchased from the bargain bin at sportsman's wharehouse, than being interrupted every few minutes with having to reel in and release a fish. Now i have had those pesky days when you cant even set the rod down long enough to finish the beer you opened over an hour ago and i find that to be irritating, and thats when i made the decision to try this practice of fishing, and i'm glad to see other people joining in on this traditional method. Now, don't get me wrong, i love to see the new lures in motion, and try out new presentations, to see if i have perfected my cast (which usually looks like an old lady trying to sway a fly with a broom handle). And i also love to test my knot untangling skills, especially when the said knot is wrapped around at least 3 or 4 branches near the shore, it is more interesting when a large brown trout is attached to the other end of the line pulling it tighter, but it can also be a nuisance. This fine method of fishing (when perfected) also allows for 100% mortality rate of the targeted species of fish, but also a higher accident rate for those who venture to close to the backlash of the cast of sportsmen practicing this method of fishing. I am very glad that you have started this thread, it has made for some great discussion and i hope may open the eyes of some to a very relaxing and enjoyable method of fishing.
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Great thread - very thought provoking. I'm with others on the board regarding fishing. I'm there to catch fish, I know going in that a few (hopefully very few) may not make it. I accept that. It is a unfortunate but real consequence of the sport. Obviously I have no way of knowing how many live or die when I boat 70 or more in a morning. However, I realize, as most good fisherman do, that you have to take care of them and get them back in the water immediately or - guess what - no more 70 fish mornings. This is another reason I love pointers and other artificial lures- it is extremely rare to get a fish anywhere near as deep as the gills or throat. I am with others who feel that bait should be banned at lakes like the Berry, the mortality rate is just too high. So, whether you go to catch a pile of fish or just for the outing, more power to you, but take care of the fish.
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You and I would get along well. I do have one lure that always gets fish. When it gets a little slow and we are trying something else, I ask my daughter to give me the one with the teeth marks on it. Last time out it got a little slow so we were changing lure. I put one the old reliable and did not even get my line out all the way and had a fish. In the next half hour 3 more. So off it came. As you said I was having a hard time finishing my beer. Over the years though I have found several more lures that work. Some it seems at only certain times of the year. Example I have a red streamer that I drag around that seems to only work in the early spring and late fall. And every year is different. One year every thing I used in black was good, but the next year no hits. One year mepps on top worked great next nothing But for me that is the fun of fishing Not just cathing but trying to find something new or different
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