Consider Releasing Your Big Trout

[Texans42]

You were one of the 2.

1. Not a collegiate athlete

or

2. An NCAA athlete who just happened to not play select ball

Lol

[zztex]

Seems it's time to mix up where you look for a wife

Not sure I understand what you are saying, but I do know this. His wife is one of the finest human beings I know.

[Texans42]

If the conservation groups really want to help conserve the trout populations, ban croakers as bait at any time everywhere in the state.....

Well cut bait and shrimp hasn't exterminated the Redfish
, nor has stabbing exterminated the flounder.

Majority of the coast has to stop at 5. If you have a mandated stopping point, who cares how you get there.

On top of that most croaker peeps are fishing post spawned fish.

I'll never under stand the fear and hate of croaker. Before croaker it was piggy's, before that shrimp and popers. Before to long I'm sure someone will one corkies banned.

[panhandlehunter]

And corn feeders for deer hunting? It's not the croaker, it's the fisherman. Geeze, that's like saying we should ban guns because they kill people.

It's definitely the croaker, not the fisherman. My wife is a terrible fisherman who would never catch anything if it wasn't for croaker and live shrimp. When you can take kids and newbies fishing with croaker and they catch limits, it's not skill.

[Leemo]

It's definitely the croaker, not the fisherman. My wife is a terrible fisherman who would never catch anything if it wasn't for croaker and live shrimp. When you can take kids and newbies fishing with croaker and they catch limits, it's not skill.

I think Stickman means by "choice"

[Hawkpuppy 1]

And corn feeders for deer hunting? It's not the croaker, it's the fisherman. Geeze, that's like saying we should ban guns because they kill people.

I say croaker due to the fact that most people that fish them wait too long and the trout swallow and get gut hooked/gills torn up. So yeah, if you only catch your first 5 and then go home, that'd be great. Most however stay and keep on catching fish and do as I mentioned at the first of this paragraph.... I don't care if they are pre or post spawn, you're still gonna kill a bunch of fish.

[bloodtrailer28]

It's definitely the croaker, not the fisherman. My wife is a terrible fisherman who would never catch anything if it wasn't for croaker and live shrimp. When you can take kids and newbies fishing with croaker and they catch limits, it's not skill.

Start doing some guide trips and you might just think a little different **** people miss and lose more fish than you would ever imagine so not just anybody can hook on a croak and catch their limit. Also takes skill and time to figure out where the fish are and the best time to catch em.

[bloodtrailer28]

I say croaker due to the fact that most people that fish them wait too long and the trout swallow and get gut hooked/gills torn up. So yeah, if you only catch your first 5 and then go home, that'd be great. Most however stay and keep on catching fish and do as I mentioned at the first of this paragraph.... I don't care if they are pre or post spawn, you're still gonna kill a bunch of fish.

I've seen plenty of top waters and other lures tear up fish/gills ect. I have had several redfish die in tournament from being hooked in the tounge or hooked in the gills from spoons. It aint just the live bait fishermen. Most people I know aint gona sit there and waste bait once you have your limit of trout either. You either take it to the house or go target something else. You know alot of people that waste high dollar bait on trout when they already have a limit?

[panhandlehunter]

Start doing some guide trips and you might just think a little different **** people miss and lose more fish than you would ever imagine so not just anybody can hook on a croak and catch their limit. Also takes skill and time to figure out where the fish are and the best time to catch em.

It makes it so much easier to catch trout if you fish with croaker. I spend 1-2 days a week on the bay, I put my time in and can consistently catch fish with or without croaker. I don't have anything against croaker, when I bring my wife along we use croaker or live shrimp, but it is a game changer in the summer.

[bloodtrailer28]

It makes it so much easier to catch trout if you fish with croaker. I spend 1-2 days a week on the bay, I put my time in and can consistently catch fish with or without croaker. I don't have anything against croaker, when I bring my wife along we use croaker or live shrimp, but it is a game changer in the summer.

Never said it didn't make it easier...it definitely does but like I said go try doing some guide trips then get back to me on everyone and anyone can catch a limit on croaker. It will change your mind in a hurry
My wife can sling croaker with the best of em and hates to fish with lures and really aint that good at it. That being said I can take her out put her a top water on and she can catch her limit. No different than a croaker besides me having to hear her whine about having to cast so much
Croaker aint some magical bait that you can go throw anywhere and the trout will just hop on it. It is definitely a game changer though and there's a reason why most of the guides throw em.

[Big Mike M]

It's definitely the croaker, not the fisherman. My wife is a terrible fisherman who would never catch anything if it wasn't for croaker and live shrimp. When you can take kids and newbies fishing with croaker and they catch limits, it's not skill.

So you are saying you can give your wife some croaker, let her take the boat out by herself, and she can come back with an easy limit? Unless she knows where the fish are, she will not catch a limit. I've seen several guides that don't catch easy limits on croaker. There is a lot more to croaker fishing then just throwing one out in the water.

[panhandlehunter]

So you are saying you can give your wife some croaker, let her take the boat out by herself, and she can come back with an easy limit? Unless she knows where the fish are, she will not catch a limit. I've seen several guides that don't catch easy limits on croaker. There is a lot more to croaker fishing then just throwing one out in the water.

The trick to all fishing is to find fish, that takes more skill than actually fishing. I'm not saying you can throw croaker anywhere and catch fish. What I'm saying, is it is easier for someone who doesn't know how to fish, to catch fish with croaker. I used my wife as an example. She's an inexperienced fisherman and if I tied a lure on for her, she wouldn't catch anything, she can barely even cast on her own. But I put a croaker on, or popping cork with shrimp and she catches fish. There is a reason people fish with bait, because it is easier to catch fish, it's really that simple.

[stickman]

I think Stickman means by "choice"

You are correct. I know for a fact many seasoned guides don't have limits of trout daily while using croaker. And most once they do have their limits will target another species, it doesn't make business sense to continue to catch trout once you've hit your boat limit. Back to the OP's point, average joes need to be a part of the solution. It's never easy to release croaker that cost $10/dozen back into the water after clients have limits but I personally have done it many times. We then target reds and drum with shrimp or cut bait.

[DUKFVR]

You are correct. I know for a fact many seasoned guides don't have limits of trout daily while using croaker. And most once they do have their limits will target another species, it doesn't make business sense to continue to catch trout once you've hit your boat limit. Back to the OP's point, average joes need to be a part of the solution. It's never easy to release croaker that cost $10/dozen back into the water after clients have limits but I personally have done it many times. We then target reds and drum with shrimp or cut bait.

Why don't you use the croakers for reds? I have caught plenty of reds on croaks after limiting on trout. I just wade in shallow and throw the croaks. I guessing just better odds with shrimp?

[stickman]

Why don't you use the croakers for reds? I have caught plenty of reds on croaks after limiting on trout. I just wade in shallow and throw the croaks. I guessing just better odds with shrimp?

We catch the reds on croaker as well, I just prefer to avoid trout the best I can once we have limits. I'll throw shrimp, cut skip jack, or gulps with popping corks where I usually find redfish if fishing from the boat. Otherwise we get out and chase them in calf deep water or less with plastics rigged weedless.