Catch & Release

[Madd Matt]

Under no circumstances have captains classes had anything to do with fishing and fishing laws. Captains classes are about boating, navigation and safety of paying passengers on a vessel whether inspected or non-inspected. Setting the record straight.

I have never been to a captains class, and I believe you that it has to do with navigation and not fishing laws.

However, what I said is that I have talked to 3 captains that have all said that a discussion on culling was had at their class. As to it being part of the curriculum, I don't know. Maybe they all had the same instructor and maybe a couple of them where in class together. All of them are members of this forum and I am not going to name any names.

My point of the post was not to infer that it was "taught" in the curriculum as a fact. My point was that I had a discussion with a group of captains who said that it was a discussion in their class.. maybe it was over cigarettes outside... I don't know. I apologize for mentioning the class.

In the discussion they all seemed to agree that if the fish where alive, then there didn't seem to be a law against it. They all agreed that you can't throw a dead fish back, and they all agreed that with walleye unless you have a good live well then almost any fish that is in the cooler for even minutes has a small chance of survival.

Secondly. Regardless of that discussion taking place, it does not establish the law. If fishing regs are not part of the curriculum then it would appear to be either an instructors opinion or a common discussion between captains. Either way, that doesn't make it the law.

I don't cull... So I don't care. However, I am curious as to the actual legality of it. I used the fact that the captains had told me that they believe it to be allowed (none of them agreed that it was a good practice and none of them where promoting it nor doing it) as enough to peak my curiosity.

-Matt