09-14-2014, 09:47 PM
There is absolutley nothing wrong with taking a big fish just to eat. Those that say that big fish don't taste as good obviously don't know how to prepare the fillet. I can't tell the difference between a 1 pound catfish or a properly trimmed 15 pound catfish (and I've eaten plenty of both). A 5 pound laker tastes remarkably identical to a 25 pound skillfully trimmed laker.
My point is? A fishes large size should not exclude it from harvest all the time. Some lakes benefit from protecting the larger fish and some do not, but any decent body of water can sustain a few big ones being taken and others will fill their slot and be able to take advantage of the extra feed available with the last pig out of the picture. It is not a one size fits all argument and I for one am sick of people jumping other fishermans cases because they choose to keep a trophy. If someone decides to turn a big one back for their own personal, ethical reasons, good on them, but they probably didn't make much of a difference in the overall scheme of things.
Again, spear fisherman have minimal impact and should be considered a non issue.
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My point is? A fishes large size should not exclude it from harvest all the time. Some lakes benefit from protecting the larger fish and some do not, but any decent body of water can sustain a few big ones being taken and others will fill their slot and be able to take advantage of the extra feed available with the last pig out of the picture. It is not a one size fits all argument and I for one am sick of people jumping other fishermans cases because they choose to keep a trophy. If someone decides to turn a big one back for their own personal, ethical reasons, good on them, but they probably didn't make much of a difference in the overall scheme of things.
Again, spear fisherman have minimal impact and should be considered a non issue.
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