This site needs to make it

The board over there in General sucks...but I will tell you, I have spoken to Capt Nemo a few times over PM in the past and seems to be a good guy. He has helped me out in the past, and it's a shame the post was turned into a fight. It could have been approached from a much better way, or via PM. I have argued with many people via PM and usually it turns out pretty well.

I see the fight from both sides. Being a guy that doesn't keep a fish at all (unless someone on my boat wants it), I wish everyone would release all their fish, but again I fault noone for doing anything that is within the law. I don't care if you keep a 24" fish, or a 50" fish as long as you are doing it legally. I applaud anyone who releases any fish. My problem is that everyone interjects their opinions on that other site and everyone thinks that noone else can be right. Why do so many over there think there has to be a right or wrong? This site is nicer because it is judgement free (for now), let's hope it stays that way.

Mark

[drichitt]

Originally Posted by Baldzilla

The board over there in General sucks...but I will tell you, I have spoken to Capt Nemo a few times over PM in the past and seems to be a good guy. He has helped me out in the past, and it's a shame the post was turned into a fight. It could have been approached from a much better way, or via PM. I have argued with many people via PM and usually it turns out pretty well.

I see the fight from both sides. Being a guy that doesn't keep a fish at all (unless someone on my boat wants it), I wish everyone would release all their fish, but again I fault noone for doing anything that is within the law. I don't care if you keep a 24" fish, or a 50" fish as long as you are doing it legally. I applaud anyone who releases any fish. My problem is that everyone interjects their opinions on that other site and everyone thinks that noone else can be right. Why do so many over there think there has to be a right or wrong? This site is nicer because it is judgement free (for now), let's hope it stays that way.

Mark

Agreed....but what did I say within my 3 line report that provoked 'Ric' enough to dump on my post? Only good part about it is CBAngler.com got some free advertising and we know he is a lurker here as well...Don

[der Fischadler]

As a casual bystander, here's my take on this topic;
Several of you were very vocal on TF when the pre-season C&R issue was presented. A couple weeks later, the same individuals are posting pictures of dead large cows which were full of roe and would spawn in a couple of months.
It comes across as hypocritical to some. It gives the appearance that certain people only jumped on the C&R bandwagon after they thought that their particular type of pre-season fishing was in jeopardy. Practice what you preach if you don't want to be criticized and lose credibility. For example; don't tell everyone to release all 40" fish and then post a report with a 44" fish that was killed.
I believe that no one should be chastised for posting fishing reports (i.e. do what you want as long as it is legal and moral). However; keep in mind that C&R means more to some people than just some type of regulation, it is a philosophy and approach to fishing that is practiced year round.
Shoot the messenger if you want, but that's the way it looks from my perspective.
Mark

[Fish Nut]

Convenient Conservationists ?

I had to look this up in the Dictionary. All I found was a refrence to the MCBA.

[5th Tuition]

Hey a good chance to practice the new technique. Mark, thanks for your comments. Now let it go (let the thread die). 5th (Marty)

[B-Faithful]

der Fischadler, Thanks for your comments. I always appreciate honesty so positions can be clarified. I think something may have been lost in the whole C&R debate and that is that i believe most fisherman like to be able to keep fish too. I know I do and actually enjoy hunting for the largest fish I can catch. I even enjoy fishing tournaments. To me the C&R debate was about some on the SFAC wanting to reduce or restrict fishing access without scientific justfication. Given that there are known aspects of the fishery, such as the catch and keep seasons, I believe that adjustments to when and how many fish a person keeps should come prior to access reduction/restriction over anecdotal concerns. To me it just makes sense for sound management policies and would have been a bad precedent for DNR to reduce access given the unknowns on C&R and knowns on the keep seasons.

I also believe many recreational anglers believe the practice of catch and release fishing to be a way to sustain the stock and keep access to fisherman open. By preserving the practice of catch and release it at least gives dnr the option to keep fishing open while taken tough measures should they be needed for conservation issues. Lets face it, if C&R is regulated and accepted as a bad practice for sustainability without science, then total access to fishing can be taken away when stonger measures are needed. In my mind sport and recreational fishing is about being able to fish and not how much we can keep. As stated before I dont think keeping fish is wrong when done legally. However the sport is about being able to fish regardless if we can keep 10 per person, 1 per person, or if we have to catch and release to sustain the resource. I believe a sport fishery should be managed so that people have the opportunity to catch a fish, keeping it should be secondary.

While conservation is important or should be to most fisherman, I do believe some that wanted access restricted or reduced during the C&R only season were wanting to do so only to protect Marylands trophy season. Given that there are so many knowns to this season, i do like the term convenient conservationalist to those that supported making C&R the red herring in an attempt to preserve the trophy season. I will say that their positions may have bit them in the butt as they didnt even wait for the DNR to come out with their final position on C&R before asking for an extention of the fall season. While I cannot say for sure, I am sure it helped in DNR not making access restrictions part of their final proposal on the C&R only season.


Again, There is nothing wrong with catch and keep within the law. However, if there is a conservation issue that needs to be addressed through public policy, I believe DNR has an obligation to address it through scientifically known measures and not through reducing access based on anecdotal conerns.

Thanks again for your honest post and I hope you continue to contribute here, Especially fishing reports as that is what many of us here are most ineterested in sharing.

[drichitt]

Originally Posted by der Fischadler

As a casual bystander, here's my take on this topic;
Several of you were very vocal on TF when the pre-season C&R issue was presented. A couple weeks later, the same individuals are posting pictures of dead large cows which were full of roe and would spawn in a couple of months.
It comes across as hypocritical to some. It gives the appearance that certain people only jumped on the C&R bandwagon after they thought that their particular type of pre-season fishing was in jeopardy. Practice what you preach if you don't want to be criticized and lose credibility. For example; don't tell everyone to release all 40" fish and then post a report with a 44" fish that was killed.
I believe that no one should be chastised for posting fishing reports (i.e. do what you want as long as it is legal and moral). However; keep in mind that C&R means more to some people than just some type of regulation, it is a philosophy and approach to fishing that is that is practiced year round.
Shoot the messenger if you want, but that's the way it looks from my perspective.
Mark

Mark - Let me very clear about my position so it is not misunderstood as being hypocritical or convenient. I very much enjoy the preseason C&R, and in-season C&R and C&K. I love to catch, kill and eat rock fish when it is legal. I prefer to release the over 40" fish during C&K season, but have no problem with others not doing it; it's a personal preference only and not an agenda item. I am very unhappy about the DNR placing restrictions on preseason C&R, in the name of conservation, when any single day's activity during the Trophy season kills abundantly more fish than all of the preseason C&R activity. I am upset how one man representing approx. 200 members was able to have these restrictions put in place, to protect their precious Trophy season. But again, I like to catch, kill and eat rock fish when it is allowed by law. I am glad to see that you disapprove of others crapping on those who put up legit fishing reports; thanks...Don

Have I pissed you off somewhere in the past?

[goinsfishin]

I've carefully stayed out of all this C&R vs C&K BS on the "other" board......but to clarify for the record:
If it's a legal activity I'll do as I please......
If others disagree.....too bad.
Opinions are like a$$holes, everybody has one.

[ericmagsamen]

Originally Posted by goinsfishin

Opinions are like a$$holes, everybody has one.

Perfect statement!

[knothard]

Originally Posted by goinsfishin

I've carefully stayed out of all this C&R vs C&K BS on the "other" board......but to clarify for the record:
If it's a legal activity I'll do as I please......
If others disagree.....too bad.
Opinions are like a$$holes, everybody has one.

By the way, is this legal ?