02-07-2010, 10:09 PM
I'm not sure I agree with you when you say, 'Everytime you take it just 1 less fish u can't catch." That may be true in the short run, but fish do reproduce (either in the wild or with DWR help in the hatcheries). That means that fish that are taken out are eventually replaced in the long run. In fact, many of our waters (such as the Provo River, where "catch and release" is practiced religiously by most anglers) have so many fish in them that they don't have room to grow to full size. Taking some out is good for the overall population. That's not just my opinion. That's what the fishery experts say.
Also, I'm not sure that releasing every fish you catch ensures that it lives to be caught another day. Even fish that seem to be uninjured do not always survive the trauma of being caught and released. And then there are those that are bleeding and swim slowly away. Are you sure they are going to live to be caught another day? The statistics reported by those who study such things show that a good percentage of released fish die--even when they are properly handled. In my book, "releasing" an injured fish to die out of sight is just as big a waste as taking a fish home and putting it in the freezer. Of course, I recommend eating them sooner or later. I don't know why people who don't eat fish take them home.
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Also, I'm not sure that releasing every fish you catch ensures that it lives to be caught another day. Even fish that seem to be uninjured do not always survive the trauma of being caught and released. And then there are those that are bleeding and swim slowly away. Are you sure they are going to live to be caught another day? The statistics reported by those who study such things show that a good percentage of released fish die--even when they are properly handled. In my book, "releasing" an injured fish to die out of sight is just as big a waste as taking a fish home and putting it in the freezer. Of course, I recommend eating them sooner or later. I don't know why people who don't eat fish take them home.
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