Consider Releasing Your Big Trout

[Smart]

so catch and release fishing IS a financially sound decision?

Hahahaha .... good catch ....no pun intended..

[muzzlebrake]

Be careful where you release your trout.
Seen an old redneck boy get throwed out a bar one night for doing that.

[Buckley99]

so catch and release fishing IS a financially sound decision?

I've yet to see someone say they hunt/fish ONLY for the meat. The meat is one of many reasons I hunt and fish, but I ain't throwing back keepers unless I'm having a great day and catching a lot. Which is exactly what the OP is saying.

No, but be honest about why you fish. Saying you fish for meat, paying $500 for a guide or out of a $50k boat, doesn't make much sense.

[rattler7696]

I release everything over 23" The best eating fish is 16-"-18" trout. Firm fillets.


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[BLACKFINTURKEY]

I'll never keep another over 25" only have kept one over that size.

[Buckley99]

Interesting made up analogy. I'd like to see the numbers behind that..

"Made up analogy" is a little redundant but that being said, my point was to highlight those who say they are making decisions for financial reasons even though they make ZERO financial sense.

I'll let you get back to watching your high school football highlights and your internet trolling.

[Bowtech Shooter]

i catch them and release them into my belly. only get to go a couple times a year. nothing going back in unless my limits are full.

[glen]

I don't like trout once they have hit the freezer so when I feel like eating trout we keep them in the 17-20 inch range. They fit my camphouse skillet perfect. If someone is fishing with me I don't really care what they keep as long as its legal. I don't like measuring fish that is why I say 17. I think most would rather eat smaller fish and most sows get put back in the water.

[Smart]

Consider Releasing Your Big Trout

"Made up analogy" is a little redundant but that being said, my point was to highlight those who say they are making decisions for financial reasons even though they make ZERO financial sense. .

Well considering nobody suggested they were making fishing keeping decisions for it solely feeding their family, it was an odd add...sorry

And the "most" reference was what I was referring to as made up....

good talk Russ..

[ram04]

They need to change it to a set number of 25" tags a year like we do redfish.

[hammer63]

In public? My wife would kill me!

especially an upper slot trout..get it? upper...slot...n/m

[stickman]

Just got off the water and seeing this. I agree 100% with Walker. I don't kill many fish over 25" unless I know they will die from swallowing the hook. Kevin Cochran has a good book out talking about that specifically. Changes in limits did help but changes in attitude towards releasing trophy fish will allow many more fisherman to enjoy catching and releasing fish(trout)over 30".

[Captain C]

If you having a good day on the water and already have plenty of fish, or the bite is good enough that you will catch plenty of eating size fish, please consider releasing your big trout. It differs among my friends but 22"-23" is as big as we keep. Research shows that anything that length or larger are female fish possibly 8-10 years old. Keep what you want but please consider C&R on those big girls when your having a good day.

Great post. Obviously not everyone thinks this way but it is a good topic to discuss and hopefully makes people think about it.

So what are your thoughts about making the Upper Coast a 5 trout limit?

[HNT ETX]

I will personally do whatever I feel like doing within the law. In an average yr I come in contact with a very small percentage of fish compared to MANY guides who are each responsible for thousands of trout a yr pulled from the very same waters I fish. Those individuals make a living off the bay 24/7/365.....or at least they try, and they play by the same rules as average Joe fisherman....hmmmm?

Fun fact of the day:

1,000 guide fish x 200,000 young trout eggs = 200,000,000 eggs
1 average joe 25" trout x 1 million 25" trout eggs = 1 million eggs

The problem is not average joe fisherman, I promise you. You may be barking up the wrong tree? But what do I know?

[Rack Ranch]

I think they should have done it when they did the lower coast. Is there any real reason the Galveston Bay complex with the amount of fishing pressure it receives would not benefit from the same regulations? I crinch when I see the post on 2cool with 40 trout laid out on the cleaning table. Why do you think Matagorda is producing such nice fish? No Pressure compared to GBC. What are your thoughts?

Great post. Obviously not everyone thinks this way but it is a good topic to discuss and hopefully makes people think about it.

So what are your thoughts about making the Upper Coast a 5 trout limit?