Gallatin steam plant

Originally Posted by txnative

I've refrained from throwing my horse in this race, which has begun to devolve into another meat hunter vs sport angler debate, but certain implied points are not being stated explicitly. Point 1 is that while perfectly legal, keeping "bragging rights" sized fish is detrimental to the quality of a fishery. This is the dividing line between sportfishers and meatfishers. The tired line of "I never exceed my limit" is a poor excuse to damage a fishery's quality thru a slow-bleed reduction in numbers. If you were to keep 100 stripers in one day per year or 2 stripers a week during a year, there is still 100 less stripers in a fishery. One option is perfectly legal, yet at year's end, both are equally damaging to the health of the fishery. If your 100 keepers are 20+ lb fish, you're hurting both health and quality. Ethics SHOULD supersede legality here. Yes, you can keep what the law dictates, but you don't HAVE to.

Point 2 is less fishing-related and more personal. If a behavior or decision places you in a situation where you are defending yourself from the opinions of peers, you may need to rethink your choices. Most people on this site are ethical anglers, and coming under scrutiny is a sign you may need to recalibrate your ethical compass.

I think everyone here has had a trout, striper, bass, etc for dinner before, myself included, but constant removal of large, sought-after fish is unfair to others, and moreso to younger anglers. We all have heard the "ain't as good as it used to be" line, yet here we are repeating the same mistakes. As ethical anglers, we are charged with maintaing the health and quality of our fisheries for others, even if they are yet to be born.


Chris

LOL,you are killing me really you are! You should really keep your horse in the barn where it belongs! The people of the Great Volunteer State have been harvesting large striper's for the table for years and it will continue to be that way. It has not slowed down at all, what has slowed down is the lazy anglers who do not have the patients to go out and outwit the elusive rock fish! God put fish in the water for us to consume and as long as I am alive and able to catch and eat fish I will darn sure do it! And as far as ethics, are you saying that If a person catches and eats a Large rock fish that they lacking ethics? What a bunch of bull!

I think I will stay with my choices and not rethink them at all! And if you or anyone else have a problem with my methods then that is a personal problem..So get over it! Guess where these three fish went?

[txnative]

Tnjugger,

You missed the point. CONSTANTLY keeping large fish to satisfy yourself and/or appetite is detrimental to the QUALITY of the fishery. Your arguments of "everyone's doing it" and "I can keep it 'cause the laws say so" are poor excuses to continue raping a fishery supported by every angler's dollars. Stripers are NOT a self supporting population, they are stocked to provide a number of benefits to the anglers and ecosystem. Yes, a benefit for anglers is as a food source, but the benefit to the ecosystem (control of native, overpopulating baitfish, i.e: gizzard shad and alewife) and the economy (people actually pay to chase our prized fish...TK can attest to that) outweigh your "need" to keep oversized, non-reproducing fish. Crappie, sauger, walleye, bluegill, etc are self-sustaining (though stocking for walleye and sauger does exist), and are widely touted tablefare. I understand the glory of catching big stripers, anyone who knows me can attest to that. However, I am able to temper my need for praise on my fishing prowess because I know fishermen with your (perceived) attitude are looking for the next big fish to take home. If you have no concern for the enjoyment of your fellow anglers, fine. However, it is a sad example you are setting of what stewards of our sport should do. Abstinence is not necessary, but moderation would be appreciated by those of us who do not share your ethics...or lack thereof.

As for people not knowing how or trying to catch large rockfish, your self-perception is overinflated. Using live skipjack is a well-known technique, so much so that the GSP has become a nuisance to fish due to the number of boats that anchor up or troll in the narrow channel, clogging up traffic and discouraging others from using the water as the law allows them to, further damaging the striper's benefit to the economy.

Instead of maintaing your self-serving belief, you should emulate past anglers whose restraint has allowed the fish you haul off to the freezer to be in the water to begin with.


Chris

[bd-]

TNJugger, all I was suggesting on the other thread, with all due respect, is that if we care about the world-class striper fishery we are blessed with in Tennessee, we will keep a few for the table but we will turn the rest of the fish - and the biggest fish - back. As I said before, all I was suggesting was moderation.

So you've responded by posting more pictures of dead stripers on that thread, plus you've started a whole new thread to post even more photos of dead stripers.

I guess you're perfectly within your legal rights to kill every single one you can get your hands on, but don't be surprised if other anglers don't agree with you on that. I personally don't.

bd

[Travis C.]

A 20lb striper which was bought paid for, raised, and released with aid from your sportsman dollars is roughly 8-12 years old. That is a fish that is not going to contribute to anything for its population. It will live until being kept or dying of old age even larger.

You can keep as many as you want and do as you wish even grinding them up for fertilizer. That is why we have our regs to allow for harvesting as well as preventing overharvesting.

I think one aspect they are trying to show is the amount of time it takes that fish to get to that size. It's no quick turn around and definitely something not all states have to our extent. Sportsmen before us have "invested" in this fishery by releasing those 20lb fish to have numerous 30, 40, and even 50lb fish. No doubt there are more than one world record fish swimming between Lake Cumberland and Barkley.

I am not going to tell anyone not to keep a legal fish. True a few here or there doesn't hurt the population but I highly doubt you are the only guy fishing taking his limit of 20 lbers either. Heck there used to be a family that netted more than their limits in that area.

One would suspect in the coming years this reg of (2 per >15") fish would change to include a one over length in the 40"s or close since that is the TARP.

Ok here goes......I personally don't keep any fish other than an occasional catfish or a very few crappie. If you want to document a catch digital cameras and phones take wonderful photos. If you want a "wall hanger" the replica mounts have gotten to be of very good quality. I still regret harvesting an 8 lb. Largemouth full of eggs in March many years ago strictly for the trophy.

However......doesn't the TWRA and fishery experts establish creel limits based on sustaining a healthy population of fish?

If two stripers per day per angler is harming the fishery, shouldn't that be changed?

Also, what about slot limits which encourage you to take fish of a given size?

Are we second-guessing the experts in fishery biology?

I guess I am playing devils advocate, but if you are within the laws established by experts, what is the problem?

[bd-]

You're right about the regulations probably changing in the future, Travis.

And actually I kind of hate that, because like I said, I do like to keep one every once in a while myself.

However, at some point, if you want a trophy fishery, you've got to manage harvest, and some folks will harvest to the absolute limit of their ability as long as it's allowed.

Ralph Dallas suggested to me once that maybe we ought to manage these stocked trophy fisheries (stripers, muskie, big browns on the Caney/Clinch/SoHo, etc) like we manage the deer herd. Give everybody their "tags" for the season and let them harvest up to that point. I kind of agree with him.

It would strike a balance between a rule that says "you can't keep any at all" and one that says "keep a couple a day 365 days a year if you want."

I doubt you could actually administer it in the real world but ideally it wouldn't be a bad system to try.

bd

[bd-]

Originally Posted by randy10357

If two stripers per day per angler is harming the fishery, shouldn't that be changed?

Well, you have a question about whether you want to manage for numbers or quality.

Anyway, by way of comparison, five bass a day isn't harming the largemouth fishery, but if the average bass fisherman saw a guy taking home a sack full of 5 or 6 pounders for the table a few times a month, he'd probably say "Hey buddy, no offense, but why not scale it back a bit?"

I think eventually, TWRA will put a trophy limit on Old Hickory, similar to what is on Cordell Hull and maybe even more stringent. The Commission can be a little slow to act on things like that, but I think we will see it in the not-too-distant future.

bd

Originally Posted by agelesssone
I once saw a guy take home five big stripers from a tournament weigh in. The fish were given to him by the fishermaen who didn't want the fish.

Why do these tournaments not promote catch, weigh, document and release?

Originally Posted by txnative

Tnjugger,

You missed the point. CONSTANTLY keeping large fish to satisfy yourself and/or appetite is detrimental to the QUALITY of the fishery. Your arguments of "everyone's doing it" and "I can keep it 'cause the laws say so" are poor excuses to continue raping a fishery supported by every angler's dollars. Stripers are NOT a self supporting population, they are stocked to provide a number of benefits to the anglers and ecosystem. Yes, a benefit for anglers is as a food source, but the benefit to the ecosystem (control of native, overpopulating baitfish, i.e: gizzard shad and alewife) and the economy (people actually pay to chase our prized fish...TK can attest to that) outweigh your "need" to keep oversized, non-reproducing fish. Crappie, sauger, walleye, bluegill, etc are self-sustaining (though stocking for walleye and sauger does exist), and are widely touted tablefare. I understand the glory of catching big stripers, anyone who knows me can attest to that. However, I am able to temper my need for praise on my fishing prowess because I know fishermen with your (perceived) attitude are looking for the next big fish to take home. If you have no concern for the enjoyment of your fellow anglers, fine. However, it is a sad example you are setting of what stewards of our sport should do. Abstinence is not necessary, but moderation would be appreciated by those of us who do not share your ethics...or lack thereof.

As for people not knowing how or trying to catch large rockfish, your self-perception is overinflated. Using live skipjack is a well-known technique, so much so that the GSP has become a nuisance to fish due to the number of boats that anchor up or troll in the narrow channel, clogging up traffic and discouraging others from using the water as the law allows them to, further damaging the striper's benefit to the economy.

Instead of maintaing your self-serving belief, you should emulate past anglers whose restraint has allowed the fish you haul off to the freezer to be in the water to begin with.


Chris

No I am not missing the point at all and by reading other replies it does not look like all agree with you! You or anyone else have no idea how may striper are in our waters...FISH ON!

[BOB]

Anyone, and I mean anyone, can catch Striper or any fish that are all schooled up in a thermal refuge while fishing with live or cut dead bait. Not exactly bragging material. It's like a perfectly fit person competing in the the special olympics and winning every event,,, then bragging about it.

I'm cool with taking some fish home to eat and wasn't trying to be a jerk with my post at all. However, your attitude and repeated smart *** remarks only reenforce what most here suspected about you in the first place. Good luck with your future endeavors at the GSP. Those hardcore local guys just love guys like you.

[master_cat]

I dont take anything out of the water over 8 pounds when i see a pic of a giant flat head or a big blue and people say mmmm tasty it makes me sick there are tons of channels and smaller blues and flats. Eat those id say the younger striper taste better then the older ones iv never caught a large striper i try but i have no luck

[txnative]

The number of fish is irrelevant, it's about the quality fish. Simple ecological rules dictate that there are far more sub-20 lb fish in any striper fishery. By selectively removing the larger fish, you reduce the quality. By all means, keep all the 5-10 lbers you can handle, but for the sake of a trophy fishery, allow the fish that have escaped predation to reach trophy size to swim away after you've enjoyed the fight and snapped a few pics.

There is a reason that anglers on the forefront of our sport, numerous fishing related organizations (IGFA, for example), and lure manufacturers have been supporting and promoting catch and release fishing. We, humans, are THE top predator in any given environment, and no animal can survive if we are determined to catch/kill it. Fishing has advanced due to technology, and formerly unexploited fish populations are now within reach, like open-water bass, sailfish from kayaks, etc.

You may not care how other members feel about this issue, but realize that this forum is open to non-members, as well. Showing you "hero shots" with the background revealing your location, then listing your technique and bait is an open invitation to invade a fishery and "get it while the getting's good." I have a daughter that loves to fish, and I'd love for her to enjoy what I have now when she is old enough to go on her own. Your attitude is something hardcore, dyed in the wool fishermen complain to each other about. I realize that getting you, tnjugger, to open your mind to the possibility that you are displaying poor ethics and a total lack of respect to the rights of others' to enjoy a fishery is a lost cause, but hopefully someone sees this thread and stops to think about their own behavior.

As for agreeing with me, I do not need the justification of others' to validate my points. Ethics are very simple: respect for other people and/or things should not be discarded to satisfy your wants.


Chris

[agelesssone]

I recently contacted aforementioned club about the keeping and giving away of large stripers.

They told me they have now implemented video measuring (videoing length and girth) and use a standardized scale of length times girth = pounds per inch to come up with a weight system so that more fish could be caught and released where they were caught.

I will stay in touch with the members of this club and see how the system is working and if there are more members catching, videoing, and releasing or if the majority still keep. And if a person is licensed, then I believe he has the RIGHT to keep whatever is legal and whatever he/she feels like keeping.

This is my opinion and I respect everyone who has their opinion, whether I agree with theirs or not.

Originally Posted by BOB

Anyone, and I mean anyone, can catch Striper or any fish that are all schooled up in a thermal refuge while fishing with live or cut dead bait. Not exactly bragging material. It's like a perfectly fit person competing in the the special olympics and winning every event,,, then bragging about it.

I'm cool with taking some fish home to eat and wasn't trying to be a jerk with my post at all. However, your attitude and repeated smart *** remarks only reenforce what most here suspected about you in the first place. Good luck with your future endeavors at the GSP. Those hardcore local guys just love guys like you.

HMMM is that a fact? Well where are your hero pics if it is so easy? Looks like I have gotten under your skin also....LOL. Let me ask you this, do you fish for crappie in the spring during the spawn? If you do tell me what is the difference from fishing for striper's at the GSP with live skips? Nothing! We all take advantage of a fish when they are most vulnerable. That is why Deer hunters kill big bucks, during the rut when they are only thinking of a doe in heat! It is a dog eat dog world that we live in and it is survival of the fittest!

Originally Posted by agelesssone

I recently contacted aforementioned club about the keeping and giving away of large stripers.

They told me they have now implemented video measuring (videoing length and girth) and use a standardized scale of length times girth = pounds per inch to come up with a weight system so that more fish could be caught and released where they were caught.

I will stay in touch with the members of this club and see how the system is working and if there are more members catching, videoing, and releasing or if the majority still keep. And if a person is licensed, then I believe he has the RIGHT to keep whatever is legal and whatever he/she feels like keeping.

This is my opinion and I respect everyone who has their opinion, whether I agree with theirs or not.

Amen Brother!