Consider Releasing Your Big Trout

[CaptainDave]

The 18-24" are the fish that carry the population. There are for more fish in that size range than a 25+". The only benefit to releasing a big girl is so someone else has a chance at her. Croaker guides are the ones that are killing the majority of big fish. I throw them back over 25", but it's legal to keep them so I don't get too upset about it.

X2

It's actually the slot under 25" that carries the population. I don't really care if someone keeps a trout over 25" considering you can only keep one over that size anyway.

If you really want to preach conservation and want more big trout, tell people to stop boxing limits of the smaller fish.

[150class]

Always do

Some need the food more then others so can't bash those people but hopefully everyone is doing their best to help out the fish when they can

[snappertapper]

Over the years I've found that most of the people that get upset about a big girl getting put on the stringer haven't ever caught one either. Pretty easy to preach CPR when you don't have the opportunity.

[Smart]

26 and over I will release unless hooked in the gills and you know they won't survive.




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That's easy to say when all you catch is 14 7/8" trout and hardheads......

[Mayhem]

That's easy to say when all you catch is 14 7/8" trout and hardheads......

Even easier when you don't catch any at all like you.


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[jerp]

At the other end of the spectrum I've always wondered what the survival rate is on undersized trout that have been released. There are times under the lights that we might catch 5-6 undersized for every keeper. Even when lip hooked some of them are pretty torn up - I'd like to think they heal and survive but there is no way to know.

[Ironman]

In public? My wife would kill me!

[KevinAndy]

23" is may cap. I released a 31.5" few years back, the thought of putting her on the stringer never crossed my mind. Typically I will also stop 1 fish short of my limit. I'd rather not feed the crabs with a trout that swallowed a lure if already have a limit. Same goes with redfish, it would suck to have 3 in the box and land a tagged one during the summer.

[Rack Ranch]

Speaking from a point of view of someone that lives on the coast and not only fishes a lot but knows a lot of very good fisherman I think the opposite of this is actually true. I think the people who live here and catch them more frequently are a lot more likely to release a big fish than someone who only gets to go a on a limited bases. I see proof of this in post made this time of year on here and other fishing forums.

Over the years I've found that most of the people that get upset about a big girl getting put on the stringer haven't ever caught one either. Pretty easy to preach CPR when you don't have the opportunity.

[Mayhem]

BTW, if the fish is big enough to win the STAR Tournament, I'm keeping it.


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[Rack Ranch]

Life History
Small trout feed primarily on small crustaceans. Medium-size trout feed on shrimp and small fish. Large fish feed almost exclusively on other fish. Predators of the spotted seatrout include alligator gar, striped bass, Atlantic croaker, tarpon and barracuda. Spotted seatrout swim near seagrass beds of shallow bays and estuaries during spring and summer, looking for prey. As water temperatures decline during fall, they move into deeper bay waters and the Gulf of Mexico. As water temperatures warm in the spring, the fish return to the shallows of the primary and secondary bays.

Spotted seatrout reaches sexual maturity at one to two years. Most large spotted seatrout caught are females and commonly live to be nine or 10 years of age. Anglers long ago recognized that very large trout were usually female and appropriately called them "sow" trout. A female spotted seatrout may spawn several times during the season. Younger females may release 100,000 eggs and older, larger females may release a million eggs. Recent studies indicate that spotted seatrout spawn between dusk and dawn and usually within coastal bays, estuaries and lagoons. They prefer shallow grassy areas where eggs and larvae have some cover from predators.

Some trout caught may have worms embedded in the flesh along the backbone. These "spaghetti" worms are larval stages of a tapeworm that can only reach maturity in sharks. The worms cannot survive in man even if the seatrout is eaten raw. The worms can easily be removed when the fish is cleaned to make the meat more appealing. The spotted seatrout is a member of the croaker family (Sciaenidae) and is a first cousin to the Atlantic croaker, red drum, black drum, and sand seatrout.

[Smart]

Even easier when you don't catch any at all like you.


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Hahahaha.....brother got a new Stoner this weekend. I need you to come down to fish with us in Aransas and see how we don't catch any..

Hardheads are all yours my friend..

[Mayhem]

Hahahaha.....brother got a new Stoner this weekend. I need you to come down to fish with us in Aransas and see how we don't catch any..

Say when.


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[Killer]

At the other end of the spectrum I've always wondered what the survival rate is on undersized trout that have been released. There are times under the lights that we might catch 5-6 undersized for every keeper. Even when lip hooked some of them are pretty torn up - I'd like to think they heal and survive but there is no way to know.

This
I have always wondered what the survival rates are on released fish. I think size limits and slots are a revenue generator for the state. Most people that fish are two ways: release almost everything they catch or people wanting to catch fish to eat. Why not lower the number of fish you can keep and remove the size limits? Seems like you would "kill" less fish that way. It would be a lot simpler. I don't think the state would write as many tickets either.

I have fished deep water for crappie and released lots of 9.5in fish that floated off and caught 15 or 20 13" or 14" specked trout under the lights to catch one 15" keeper.

[Johnny]

Not gonna happen. Any legal fish I catch is going in the box. I go a handful of times a year so I'm not hurting a thing.