Bragging Rights Do I or Don’t I ?

[davetclown]

[center][black][size 3]Bragging Rights[/size][/black][/center]
[size 3][black][/black][/size] [center][black][size 3]Do I or Don’t I ?[/size][/black][/center]



[black][size 3]I hear what ya mean about the bragging becoming a detrimental to a lake. I have seen this mostly on privet waters. Many of the public waters are managed by wildlife management “DNR in Michigan TWM in Tennessee” your state or providence may have a different title for the office but are basically the same. They have the same goal in mind, providing desirable game fish to keep the privet fishing market stable. [/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]Keeping this in mind consider my expressing of a simple fact below with an open mind.

Bragging dose have its place, It is actually a tool used by our state as a way of wild game managers measuring the success of their plantings. [/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]What happens is if no one catches sizeable fish that have been planted there then the state will say the lake cant support plantings and will never restock. Then when it gets fished out of lets say of prized walleyes then there won’t be any more planted in the future. The only way our wild game managers know if their plantings were worth their efforts is by anglers bragging. It cost way too much for them to hire some one to go out and search the entire lake to see if walleye have taken hold.

I used to work for the wild game management here so that is how I learned about it. I don’t know if you have public lakes up your way that are managed, but if you ever do get in to one and you catch something be sure to give out a hoot and a holler, at least to your wild life department. I have been asked to report any catches of planted species in managed areas by our DNR directly to them as a metered datum. I am not a pro angler whom gets paid for doing what I love, just one who understands that fish plantings are now part of the norm of game fishing in my area and will not survive with out it.[/size][/black]
[size 3][black][/black][/size][black][size 3][font "Verdana"][black]This way I am part of a tool in which they can measure that the species dose well in said lake or river and when it is time and is it worth the effort and expense to restock to keep anglers coming back. These places usually have areas that have pay for the day entrance or seasonal entry passes to offset the cost. If the waters do not produce sizeable fish and there is a great survival rate of the plantings then there is not much of a chance of the lake being restocked[/black][/font].[/size][/black]

Any one have thoughts on the subject?
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[gdn443]

Seeing as all the lakes I fish at have public boat ramps, I see no problem with bragging away. You still have to find the honey hole and the right bait. Your right if the state doesn't know the program is working then whats the sense of them stocking.
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[tomc]

i have no problem about bragging,its just like gregg said,you have to find them,they never stay in one spot.what work today might not work tommorrow.i gives the management an idea on how things are going
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[aku94]

Those fish know what they like, and there really isn't anything wrong with letting anybody know what you caught. Chances are, if the person is local, they would be planning on trying that waterbody any way!
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[Dryrod]

[font "Poor Richard"][green][size 4]How about one just reporting their catches to the gate keeper, dock hand or whoever, verse Bragging about the fish they caught. Nothing is more distrubing then watching pro ball players boasting about their play like IN YOUR FACE. Doesn't set a good example for our children. Sharing one's experience is certainly acceptable verses my fish is bigger than yours.[/size][/green][/font]
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[davetclown]

I didnt realy mean bragging in that context. That truly is a negitive form and hurts all of us. nor do I beleive becoming a closet fisherman is healthy eather, that is just as damaging as being an ugly angler.

I have been fortunate in my catching fine examples of several species, and some years I have gotten lucky enough to be in the top three for the state for said year. If it wasnt me it would have been some one else holding those records for public waters. I do admit there is one record I realy want and that is the one for world record small mouth bass. It gives me something to work for. even if I only hold the record for a year. but no, I am not an in your face kind of angler nor would I ever want to be.

now I am not saying I dont get excited, I get just excited today when I get a big fish as I did when I was 10, but no where near as much as I did when I was 5 and I got reeled in to the river by a big fish. [laugh]

what I am saying is on public waters its a good idea to let other anglers, local bait shops, and local lake management know of your success for reasons of plantings of new stock.

our state sees it like this, if the gate ticket sales goes up it is because the fish they planted not only sruvived they flureshed and warents more stocking of the ares, if the gate tickets go down it is because the fish are not surviving or anglers have lost intrest in the area so there is no point in the state planting any more fish there.

the reverse is most cirtianly true on privet lakes. since it is not restocked then letting people know about a hot spot can damage a fishery if 10 thousand anglers show up one day. under these conditions I say no, keeping quiet about your catches is the golden rule. ESPECIALY IF YOU ARE A GUEST ON THAT LAKE.

I was wondering how many other states do fish plantings on a suply and deman the way michigan dose?
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[Dryrod]

[cool][font "Poor Richard"][green][size 4]Glad that you clarified that point davetclown. Hey if you didn't get excited about a great catch you wouldn't be human. Guess that if I caught a 20lb steelhead on a 4wt fly rod I be telling a lot of people of my good fortune and it goes without saying rather skillful at that too.[/size][/green][/font]
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[gdn443]

It boils down to how you say it. And the members here have alot of tac. I know we all like to hear each others big one storys, wether we land them or not.
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[Bluegillman]

Never knew about that, learned something from you. I always thought they went ahead and did it anyway, then they use the system of theirs by traping or shocking the lakes from time to time to see how many or big something is in a body of water. Once in Minnesota a game warden told us one time that we can catch all the walleyes we wanted as no one goes there to fish. Two things about that was one; getting to one of the lakes the road is pretty much flood all the way in, you need a four wheeler and high off the ground, two; winter time that lake freezes over and then the fish would die off. They do trap them and trasnfer the walleyes to other lakes around there that needs them the most where fishing pressure is higher.
Bragging Rights...Do I or Don't I? I don't see nothing wrong with that uniless you're within the limits and the rules.
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