Catch & Release

[Knute]

What are your thoughts on catch & release ? I've read many reports on guy's catching their limits and continue fishing the remainder of the day, claiming to catch 30-40 or more fish for their group. Do you think this is wise to do with pre-spawn fish ? Handling, throwing them on the ice, rubbing protective slime off of them. Holding them by their gills to take a picture to show their buddy's. Please Respond !!!

[MasterKraft]

You can expect a big debate on this one. I once posted my thoughts about keep females prespawn on a maumee river run forum. Hell, I was looking over my shoulder for a lynch mob. The way I accept the lashing I got was.... if people are obeying the laws and regulations then leave italone. Our opinions on this one are typically very strong one way of another.
I'm sure you're gonna see facts and statistics on the issue for both sides. Sounds like there was a good hatch last year so I put my faith in our dnr lawmakers and catch my limits and go home. Fish On

[Jawbreaker]

This is just like the shooting hens debate in duck hunting. Studies show it doesn't matter, but many don't believe the studies. Everyone has their opinion, and you know what opinions are like.

[Madd Matt]

Lol....hahaha....

Someone needs to just lock this thread.

Knute, that is an interesting first post for a new member... makes me think either you aren't new and you are just one of us regulars having fun or you really are a new guy that is looking for a battle right off.

If you are new. Welcome. Have fun...

By the way. I know the correct answer to your question, but I'm not going to tell you. That would be like me giving my GPS coordinates to my favorite "honey holes" in a public forum.

Enjoy,
-Matt

[MasterKraft]

I was wonderin the same. Seeing the identical post on another forum I am a member of got me thinkin maybe knute wants to get a bunch of people fired up. Have fun with it, I'm outta this one. Keep it civil, guys.

[Jawbreaker]

I see alot of talk on this forum about trolling, but usually of a different kind.

[chumthrower]

The science on this is all across the board. Personally, I quit killing those big females a long time ago.

[mkalink]

Explain to the DNR that you are playing catch and release with your limit of walleyes in the cooler your sitting on. This topic has been beat to death over the years. Here are a couple of things I have learned over the years.

1) There is no such thing as a boat limit. If you caught 3 walleyes and I caught 9 I am 3 over the limit. It is really hard for them to track this but you never know. A couple years ago on a head boat out of Port Clinton. ODNR had agents on the boat and cited people for over the limit. A father was hooking fish and allowing his son reel them in, father was cited for over the limit. A couple of other gentlemen were all together and one of the guys caught 8 or 9 fish that they kept between the 3 of them. The one that caught the most was cited.

2) When trolling take turns reeling in the fish, you never know who's watching.

3) If you limit out in the morning don't go back out in the afternoon. (refer to #2) A buddy of mine went out with friends and were back with limit #1 for the day by 9:30 am. Put fish on ice, had breakfast, and back out by 11am. Back in by 2pm with second limit, ODNR at dock. How did you guys do? Great got our limit. ODNR How did you do this morning? They had pics and video. Everyone on the boat lost their license for the year.

4) I asked a game warden about catch and release after I have my limit and he told me once you have your limit in the cooler you are done with that species for the day. If you can keep walleye alive as bass fishermen do then you may cull your catch. Walleye don't fair well in the live well.

5) ODNR Biologist told me that there are not enough females caught through the ice or during the spawn to effect the spawn. He said only about 100,000 walleyes caught through the ice and during the spawn.

[Bggeary]

Knute, EVERYONE on here so far has been very polite and firm on they're thoughts to your question. There has been a few times when I have caught a big female early on and nothing else the rest of the day.....awful glad I keep that one! Please don't try to stir up trouble.

[Madd Matt]

Anyone who says that it is illegal to continue fishing once you have a limit of walleye in the cooler isn't thinking too clearly.

If you have a limit of walleye then you can't keep anymore. Now if you want to argue culling... that is another story.

However, if the DNR checks me while I am out trolling and we have our limit of walleye... then obviously I am no longer fishing for walleye... I am fishing for white perch, sheephead, yellow perch, catfish and steelhead. Duh!

If I am fishing for sheephead and I catch a walleye is that illegal? No. As long as I don't keep the walleye.

There is no law that even remotely comes close to saying that once you catch your limit of one species then you are done fishing for ANY species the rest of the day.

There are MANY days where we have limited on Walleye, and then gone and anchored and perch fished.. While fishing for perch we caught a walleye. We threw it back. No laws where broken.

If I catch my limit of walleye through the ice and continue to fish, then its pretty obvious that I'm hoping for yellow perch now.