Lindy Rig hooking mortality!!

OK………Not being afraid (OR LEARNING MY LESSON)about tackling controversial subjects HERE GOES!! Throughout my fishing career I have witnessed first hand hundreds of walleyes killed via “Lindy Rig”. This method of fishing continues to be a very effective way to boat fish, and for that I will not argue. With that being said with restrictive slots being imposed on many fisheries I believe this method of fishing needs to be addressed. Yesterday as an example I personally caught 3 different walleyes with line sticking out of there mouth and hooks embedded in there stomache. Will that fish live?? Who knows?? What I do know is that contrary to supporters of the method….Most often when fishing a crawler or leech 99% of anglers feed line when feeling a pick up allowing the fish to quickly inhale the bait. This method very often has the fish hooked in a bad spot, and has anglers fighting the fish pulling the stomache out of the mouth. I hope in my era of fishing that anglers accept this to be TRUTH, and quit floating fish. I’ve seen many many many floating slot fish, and in the days of keeping all fish NO BIG DEAL as you can just box them. In the modern era of basically cathing and releasing the VAST majority of the fish caught this is very irresponsible, and I believe needs to be dealt with. No slot is nearly effective if this is taking place. I’ve taken the initiative in my boat to BAN lindy rigging (EVEN IN TOUGH BITES). I know many of my friends feel the same. I hope in the modern day of angling we put the future of our fisheries importance level higher than an anglers daily catch. With that being said to this day I have seldom seen a condition in which I have been unable to effectively boat fish without long lining a lindy rig. I challenge anglers to fish a tough condition with other methods. This may involve toning down a presentation, and learning other techniques. I truly believe that this will be addressed in the future, and if so will have 100% of my support. We all strive to catch fish today, and all hope to be able to catch fish tomorrow!! So do these guys!! Take it upon yourself to ensure a prosperous future of our beloved sport!!

I am a fan of lindy rigging and do it quite frequently however I only fish with one hook and do not feed line. If the fish hits and wants that bait I will get him hooked in the mouth if not it’s on to the next fish. Pretty rare I get an ill hooked using the single hook method. I do agree with your point Chris especially on slotted waters.

I think the bigger issue is education and that you don’t have to open the bail, wait 5 minutes, and then rip the hook home.

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Most often when fishing a crawler or leech 99% of anglers feed line when feeling a pick up allowing the fish to quickly inhale the bait.

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I think the above quote pretty much says it all. I started setting the hook when first feeling the bite. Sure I miss a few with this methold but it is better that the alternative. This will still not be a 100% cure all but it has certainly helped.

I have also tried thinking outside the box. I have began using other metholds when finding large schools of fish. I use the lindy rig methold in the seach mode and after finding them I switch over to a jig and a minnow or plastics to work the area.

Sometimes the same can be said for bobber fishing. I know I have fished with guys that believe that you should feed line after the bobber goes down. This leads to the same thing as above. I believe that feeding line with any presentation is not a good thing.

You beat me to it Pete.

Post Deleted by James Holst.

Quote “With that being said to this day I have seldom seen a condition in which I have been unable to effectively boat fish without long lining a lindy rig.”

The areas south of the Canadian Shield may be a little different.

Is it to be assumed that all of the floaters were caught by a lindy rig? I have witnessed numerous large walleyes that were pretty much shot after being played out on light line and jigs, and also witnessed numerous gut hooked fish that returned to the depths seemingly unphased when played out and handled properly. I don’t believe you can pigeon hole one tactic for causing excessive mortality without a scientific study and data collection.

I commend you for your intent to propagate the species and ensure a vital future , but I don’t agree with you and don’t fault anyone for using the technique.

Imagine what this would do to Mille Lacs. Rigging is pretty popular on this body of water and probably puts more fish in boats than any other technique.

Last week we absolutely pounded the fish on Devils Lake using Lindy rigs…. Not many that were gut hooked unless we went brain dead and let them chew.

I think adding another stupid law would be silly and educating anglers to be responsible (similar to how C&R is catching on) is a better answer.

Just my 2 cents. Oh and I’ve seen many jigs swallowed bellow the stomach sphincter as well, should they be outlawed? And what about when they inhale small cranks?

Kind of a slippery slope……

And we had a couple bobber fish that had to be introduced to hot oil as they were overly hungry. No more bobbers!

Interesting idea…….

I honestly believe that the group of anglers that frequent this site are a select representation (BEST OF THE BEST) in not only angling, but in clear minded observations of our future. That is why I chose to be a part of this site. My customers that I receive from IDO are top notch!! Many have become personal friends. It is POSSIBLE that many anglers here will set the hook immediately when feeling a pick up, but I will say from much past experience it is safe to say that especially when fishing a crawler your hook up percentage is DRASTICALLY decreased in doing so. Few anglers that I encounter on a DAILY basis employ that technique. After missing one strike they will stop, drop and feed line to whatever extent necessary to land a fish whether that is admitted or not. I completely understand that it is within an anglers rights to do so, and hope that philosophy can be changed. I ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTAND THIS IS AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO CATCH FISH, AND MANY MANY MANY MANY MANY anglers rely on it to catch fish. I also understand that other methods of fishing can kill a fish on occassion. I feel it is turning the cheek saying there is a more deadly way to fish than lindy rigging. This has received much attention in the pat by numerous writers and publications. There will always be nay sayers. Much like when Rainy adopted its slot restrictions. Many guys freaked out, but few will argue the effectiveness. Now most lakes have followed suite and placed similiar restrictions on local bodies of water to preserve the future of their fisheries. LINDY RIGGING clearly is killing many fish, yet a tough thing to quantify. I know I spend more time on the water than most, and I’m telling you it is a problem that I feel needs to be addressed. I also feel as Pete eluded to education is key, but feel this is may prove difficult unless key people will spearhead this. Many anglers fish a week or 2 a year. They make their UP NORTH journey and feel entitled to put the wood to as many fish as possible with no regards to consequences of their actions. I in no way am saying that everyone is, but am saying the vast majority of those fishing lindy rigs are killing many many slot fish. I suppose I can just start taking pics of fish I catch with trophy fish having guts pulled halfway into their mouths, but I’m sure we all are seeing it. I’m not a big fan of catching a fish with line sticking out of it either. With that being said at least those using the method realize that the fish is in grave danger and are taking at least some steps to hope the fish can live. I feel it is imperative that conservation needs to be in the forefront of anglers minds as anglers become more effective. Their needs to be a fine line between angler efficiency and effective releasing. If not their needs to be more money dedicated to Hooking Mortality in which will likely result in even more restrictions placed on fisheries. I don’t believe there are many anglers that want more restrictions on daily catches or slots, so being cautious with current regulations may prolong our present situation, and continue to help preserve the future hook and line angling for all to enjoy!!

As a catch and release guy I took a look at how I was fishing and experimented with circle hook along with other techniques.

So why not try out circles on your lindies before you propose a ban on the technique. I do not feel we need more restrictions in fishing. That being said I do not fish for walleyes on a regular basis. I fish for every species that swims so to me catch and release is important. when fishing trout I started using circle hooks and found them to be great. I fish them under a bobber, when I drift fish streams, when I bottom rig.

To those that use a lindy rig and feed em line try it out. You may loose some fish before you get the hang of a circle but once you do you will like them.

Aaron

Chris, I respect you as a guide and a friend and I know where you’re coming from, but with that said I have to say the following.

People do kill a lot of fish with Lindy rigs, but if you know how to fish with them or how to unhook fish there is no harm in using a Lindy rig. I rarely hook a fish deep because I fish vertical 99% of the time with my Lindy rigs. If I do by chance hook one deep I never leave a hook in a fish. I use a very small pliers and enter through the gill area making sure not to make contact with them. Then I pull slightly on the line as I grasp the shank of the hook and roll my wrist slowly, then release the hook. The hook will pop right out of the fishes mouth and you have one healthy unharmed walleye.

I’ve killed more fish with Rapalas than I have with Lindy rigs and you can’t tell me that when draggin jigs you don’t get walleyes to inhale them as well? You use bobbers don’t you? There are a ton of people that feel bobbers kill too many fish too. I’m confident in the fact that I have as high of a survival rate with Lindy rigs as anyone has with any other type of presentation. I know you’re just trying to keep people from using them on Rainey Lake, as there are plenty of other presentations that work up there. But on a huge number of lakes in MN the Lindy rig is almost the only option. I think we should educate people on how to handle and unhook fish before we tell them not to use a certain presentation. As proper hook removal and fish handling skills will go a lot farther in preserving our resource than a shoot from the hip comment like, “don’t use Lindy rigs”.

Regardless of opinion, this a great discussion topic.

BTW, I see this a lot with bass on Senkos, especially with inexperienced anglers in my boat.

We use what my buddy has coined, the Stupid Rig, which is basically a split shot rig except we use Water Gremlin’s Bull-Shot sinkers, pegged 6-9″ ahead of a Texposed Senko.

If you’re not quick on your hook set, your bass will be gut hooked.

I don’t think Chris is campaigning for a lindy rig ban. I think he’s asking guys to look for alternatives when the bite warrants and when you do fish them give consideration to when you set the hook, particularly on slot lakes. He doesn’t use them in his boat, that’s a personal choice. I don’t think you’ll see Chris carrying the banner on a lindy rig ban. He’s just asking people to think about the impact the use of a lindy can have in situation where there might be an equally effective alternative.

To me this is a great topic. Putting back a dead or dying fish because the fish needs to be released to comply with a slot leaves a BAD taste in this guy’s mouth and most anglers will go out of there way to avoid it at all costs.

OK OK………MERCY!! LOL!! I can accept that I’m the only one that thinks Lindy rigging by the majority of anglers is killing more fish than most techniques. I also realize that other techniques kill some fish, but feel it is silly to think comparing fishing a jig in which requires a quick hook up is at all the same as fishing a rig. In theory a quick hook set increases hook ups as a fish usually quickly realizes lead is yucky versus a lindy rig where a line feeding increases hook ups as there is no resistance. I also feel it is not accurate in thinking that the majority of anglers don’t feed a fish line fishing with this technique. If you really feel this way than I think your sadly mistaken. I would say when witnessing other boats most do, and that is how the rig was taught to be used for that matter. Whether I take a beatdown or not I feel addressing the subject will still have some impact. I’ll take it for the team. I understand in the world of rules and regulations NOBODY wants anymore. To that I will comment at we continue to put more fishing pressure on a finite resource that is the nature of the beast. Better get used to it.

I’m OK with being in the apparent minority on this topic. I would also like to point out that many local anglers feel that this is the only way to boat fish here, and to that I can prove wrong. I have fished the big 6 lakes here in Minnesota, and haven’t had issues boating fish with jigs or other techniques in most instances. To that I will not say that Lindy rigging at times is the most effective way to BOAT FISH, yet that has never been my issue. Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me, and these fish are not being gut hooked and floating, and yes maybe they’ve been guthooked via jig. I’ll cordially agree to disagree.

I’m suprised instead of the vast Devils advocate responses that there isn’t more support over curbing a proven killer. I guess it goes to show boating fish on a daily basis is king in the immediate gratification world we live in. I eat fish, we cook shorelunches, and I harvest wild game, yet I think it is imperative for the future well being of our sport to continue to progress in ways that best ensure proper catch and release of protected fish. Lindy rigging is one issue in my mind, and by no means is the only one. I guess my questions or concerns should be addressed to fisheries biologists that can use some scientific data to prove or disprove my beliefs.

Until then I’ll drop the hammer on fish with jigs, and RARELY RARELY RARELY have myself or customers gut hook a slot fish. Nobody really knows whether the fish live or dies when it swims off, but I’ll rest easy knowing a lip hooked fish has a higher likelyhood of survival than a guthooked fish.

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I don’t think Chris is campaigning for a lindy rig ban. I think he’s asking guys to look for alternatives when the bite warrants and when you do fish them give consideration to when you set the hook, particularly on slot lakes. He doesn’t use them in his boat, that’s a personal choice. I don’t think you’ll see Chris carrying the banner on a lindy rig ban. He’s just asking people to think about the impact the use of a lindy can have in situation where there might be an equally effective alternative.

To me this is a great topic. Putting back a dead or dying fish because the fish needs to be released to comply with a slot leaves a BAD taste in this guy’s mouth and most anglers will go out of there way to avoid it at all costs.

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AHHHHHHHH………Thank you for a clear understanding of the clutterd thought in the Daze Mind!! Still blowing hard from the Border up here Buddy!!

Yes!!!! Watching 22-28 inch walleyes attempted revival and eventually fed to the gulls freaks me out a bit. Kind of wears on ya over the summer. These fish are trophy fish in my book, and the only way to grow 30 inch fish if for effective catch and release. I personally believe that Rainy Lake has become one of the elite fisheries producing GIANT WALLEYES ALL YEAR!! I also believe this was by no accident. The boys from the Rainy Lake Sportfishing club deserve a GIANT PAT ON THE BACK for promoting an unpopular slot restriction when it WASN’T COOL!! Yesterday I caught 3 walleyes that had hook in their stomache. Will they live?? Who really knows???? But 30 inch fish have likely been caught and released before, and taking personal responsiblity will continue to rank high in my mind. I also think that if an angler is dropping the hammer to active fish there are few anglers that take the time to SWITCH UP techniques in all honesty. Not happening in most instances. Who wants to take the time or risk that HOT BITE window closing as you switch gears??? We all have personal choices, and I commend James for weighing in. As I mentioned earlier I’m OK with a disagreement as long as I feel we all have a common interest or end game in mind. My end game is we have fisheries loaded with big fish for all to enjoy and not 75lb seagulls. I’m less convinced while fishing on a daily basis that this view is a shared one with the MAJORITY of anglers fishing today.

Hey Chris, I think everyone knows you only have the best interest of the resource in mind. You and I have the luxury of being out on the water more than most and in that time we see more than we care of unethical treatment to fish of all sizes. I feel the main problem here is being uneducated and like you said how do you educate these people? In your eyes telling em just to stop using Lindy rigs is your answer. In my eyes people are always going to use them because they are easy to fish and very effective. People can have very little fishing ability and still catch fish. I love jig fishing and I wish it worked all year long better than any other presentation, but it flat out doesn’t on most lakes in central MN. Now there’s only one option left and that’s education. How do you educate everyone? I don’t think we can, but I can tell you everyone that leaves my boat will know how to handle fish big or small and know what to do if a fish is hooked deep. I think if everyone just does there part we’ll be fish ahead. Thanks for bringing this issue up Chris there’s nothing I hate more than a walleye of any size floating because someone didn’t know what they were doing. Keep up the good work

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As a catch and release guy I took a look at how I was fishing and experimented with circle hook along with other techniques.

So why not try out circles on your lindies before you propose a ban on the technique. I do not feel we need more restrictions in fishing. That being said I do not fish for walleyes on a regular basis. I fish for every species that swims so to me catch and release is important. when fishing trout I started using circle hooks and found them to be great. I fish them under a bobber, when I drift fish streams, when I bottom rig.

To those that use a lindy rig and feed em line try it out. You may loose some fish before you get the hang of a circle but once you do you will like them.

Aaron

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Thanks for your post Aaron. I was just thinking of circle hooks..I used them last week (for bass) and I noticed every hookset was in the side of the mouth. My co-angler told me thats what circle hooks do by design… Can someone else elaborate on benefits or drawbacks of circle hooks?

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Quote “With that being said to this day I have seldom seen a condition in which I have been unable to effectively boat fish without long lining a lindy rig.”

The areas south of the Canadian Shield may be a little different.

Is it to be assumed that all of the floaters were caught by a lindy rig? I have witnessed numerous large walleyes that were pretty much shot after being played out on light line and jigs, and also witnessed numerous gut hooked fish that returned to the depths seemingly unphased when played out and handled properly. I don’t believe you can pigeon hole one tactic for causing excessive mortality without a scientific study and data collection.

I commend you for your intent to propagate the species and ensure a vital future , but I don’t agree with you and don’t fault anyone for using the technique.

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I’m with Jetro on this one. The best science out there draws a stronger mortality correlation (at least in walleye populations) with water temperature at release than with angling method or hooking location. This admittedly, has more to do with the variability in hooking location, handling time, handling care, etc., than anything else.

However, I commend you Chris on your concern for the resource, and understand your frustration with the floaters in the summer (which is exacerbated by water temps). As another member posted, education in-general in regards to slots and slot lakes should have anglers taking a more prepared approach to their fishing when mandatory releases are in-order.

Joel

Well It is what it is then. Fish are being killed being guthooked, and lindy rigging fished by most has a much much greater percentage of the fish swallowing a SMALL HOOK than most other methods. The lindy rig system spells out feeding line to the fish by feeding line through slip sinkers, and for some reason we think we’ll be able to re-educate anglers to not utilize slip sinker rigs….I hope that is the case, and am interested in how this might take place?? Not only do I see the results, but witness it FIRST HAND on a weekly if not daily basis. I’m astonished nobody realizes this WOW , and apparently this is breaking news. I’m not sure what water temps role is when anglers are fighting a fish with a hook pulling their insides out. I will carefully document and take pics of fish over the next year. I have to date found zero fish with a jig/line hanging out of a walleyes mouth, and probably close to 30 with small hooks. Now with that being said I have cleaned several pike with jigs in their stomache, but think most would theorize these anglers were likely broke off. Comparing a technique like jig fishing to a technique which Screams for anglers to drop the rod and feed line seems ridiculous to me, and just defensive. Trust me I can soak a crawler, leech, shinner, Rainbow or CORN with a Lindy and boat fish if need be, and so can most 6 year old kids I bring in the boat. I may also assume the quick set lindy rig boys don’t utilize slip sinkers either. Seems that would obviously contradict the claims as their would be no advantage to utilizing a LINDY SINKER, Egg Sinker or other slide sinkers. Might just as well stop producing them as everyone quick sets at a initial pick up, so no need for them. I will make a special point to see how many lindy rig fisherman I see in the next months that are NOT utilizing slip sinkers and long snells with small hooks.

OK I give We’ll have to agree to disagree.

I will pull rigs and throw the bail with a hit…. count to 6 and set the hook. Very seldom do I gut hook them using this technique. From my experience, I believe more fish are hurt/killed on Mille Lacs, when people are trying to take a picture, don’t know how to hold it, you hear a “Thunk” as they scramble to regrasp it off the floor and then get the shot…. then it is played in the water for a few minutes… and you can tell, it didn’t go as planned. Nobody likes a gut hooked fish… but I don’t think anglers, telling other anglers how they should fish, is the way to go about it. I think the gov’t and various depts tell us enough of that already. Your right Chris… touchy subject

Fair enough. At least I know where many seem to stand on this issue. We’re all entitled to our opinions. I’d like to see research supporting that theory. Through some research of my own today through various hooking mortality studies it appears up to 35% of guthooked fish perish if anyone cares, and it tilts to the upside when bleeding or hooking an organ. I’m not sure if there is a more restrictive fishery than Mille Lacs??? It also spelled out that artificial presentations have a much lesser degree of mortality due to instant hook-ups, and offering less time to inhale. Up to 5% of lip hooked or mouth hooked fish will not survive. With that being said here is a brief overview that 1 angler can have on 1 fishery. Lets say my boat averages 40 walleyes a day. I’ll run approximately 100 trips again this year, so fuzzy math will indicate that we’ll boat 4000 walleyes, not counting pike, crappies, smallies….. Lip hooking the fish says I’ll personally kill 200 walleyes if all were attempted to be released. If guthooked that could rise 7 times to 1400 fish . As a full time fishing captain I have the opportunity to negatively affect or positively influence a fishery more than most. I’ll error on the side of caution. I’ll make a bet that the fisheries Biologists worth their weight in salt are concerned, and if we aren’t willing to spearhead movements to protect fisheries they will impose further restrictions in which will frustrate anglers. Those are numbers from several studies taken place on hooking mortality. If anytime to this matter is invested you will find the same thing. I hope the vast opinion even behind the scenes is that people become more aware of a REAL problem, and help reduce it. Much more productive than shooting the messenger. I also would like to know if anyone is doubting what I am personally witnessing?? I’m not sure of many things, but things I see with my own 2 eyes repeatedly needs no convincing. Most articles also talk of the circle hook being a better alternative if anyone is concerned about killing fish we decided as a whole were important to protect.

I’m suprised that if we as anglers witness fish being guthooked by a fellow SPORTSMAN?? and returned to float aside their boat on a continued basis that we don’t feel in anyway responsible to tell that angler that is NOT OK.

I guess if I’m labled as the guy ruffling feathers in the name of the future prosperity of our sport you can put me on the cross for it. No problem here!!

Well said. Then, if it is truely for the health and prosperity of the fish, for arguments sake… would it not make sense to not hold tournaments ? To not have catch, photo and release ??? Do these not all contribute to mortality ? What is more lethal to fish… lindy rigs or tournaments ? I fish tournaments (not big ones, just little ones) and I have fun. I think when you have what I would call “in fighting/arguing” amongst a group, it weakens the whole group and there way of life. Using your math, I figure I fish a max of 30 days or less a year on any water/ice. In order to kill 200 walleyes, I believe it would take me about 4 years, killing everyone I caught. That’s 200 in your boat in a year and 200 in mine every 4 years. Granted, this is me figuring I kill everyone I hook. Do we then look at guiding, as a bad thing ? I don’t, but other special interest groups sure could. I believe maybe you have a little more passion, because of what you have seen and being that you are making a living on the water, but I don’t think it should lead to looking down at fellow anglers that use a different technique and follow the laws. As far as seeing other fisherman drop fish in the bottom of their boat… it is not illegal either. If it was, then something could be done about it.

big G

OK with the understanding that I’m Walleye Challenged and don’t have a great deal of experince fishing for them….

It seems to me that when the Walleyes I’ve caught on bottom rigs decide they’re going to eat something, they eat it. Why fool around feeding them line? Feel the pickup, bang set the hook. Further more, a Walleye has a pretty good sized mouth. Does the hook have to be a #8 ? Couldn’t you use a #2 or #4 circle hook and probably stick as many fish?

Good discusion guys.

Rootski

OK…. I give as long as the law allows who cares as followers we can accept what is, yet as leaders we can change what is to become. I’ll lead even if it is seemingly a pretty small group!!

BTW CPR has been promoted to keep people from killing big fish.

Mercy!! It’s my Birthday, and The Queen insists I break for Cake!!

Cake !!!! Happy Birthday !!!! If you succeed in having less people lindy rig, either through subtle persuasion, or a law change… what is next ??? Bobber fishing…. kids fishing (I see alot of gut hooked fish from my neices and nephews) No hooks smaller than #6 ? One single hook on a rap (why do they need 2 trebles anyways) ? I could go on and on but it would make no sense….. get my drift ??? Go eat your cake !!!

big G

CPR is promoted for that, but I ask, would keeping one and being done, be less harmful, than catching 20, photo and releasing and killing 2 ?

I agree with chris on the subject from what he is trying to explain. There are also other issues than just lindy rigs with fish mortallity. Situation senario, dosnt matter what your presentaion is, your fishing in 30 feet of water and you set the hook into a fish, there is no need to reel it in as fast as you can. I see that all the time, people want to get it into the boat as fast as they can. Take your time and reel it nice and easy. Also when landing a nice fish, every one wants a photo and measurement of the fish. Take your ruler thats sitting in the sun and dip it into the water before measurment, and take a quick photo then realease it. There is no need for more than one photo especially when it is the middle of the summer. If you do get a gut hooked fish you make sure that you cut the line instead trying to get it out with the pliers. This is a very touchy subject and I just wanted to put in my 2 cents.

Aaaaaah………. Thank you Stasney!!! I was starting to think I’d lost my mind thinking pro-active in assuring a future generation with some nice fish. This has been discussed in numerous publications in the past, and I believe there was a big article in the Star and Tribune last year also. I hope the common interest is we all want good fish in the lake for years to come. For the thought process of NO MORE RULES AND REGULATIONS. I’m sorry to inform…..As pressure continues to mount steps will continue to be taken to help preserve finite resources. I also hope we’re all big enough to realize they will be taken not as a penalty to us, but to help us. Anglers have a tough time SELF MANAGING which has been proven thousands of times. Doens’t mean a few can’t, but most will load the coolers if given the chance. You know what yes I do think that many things that have extreme negative effects on a fishery should be looked into. I am not proposing bans on anything!! I am proposing open minds as a group of educated anglers to ensure Bans, Further slot restrictions…are not crammed down our throats.
I would pose the question as to how do you think we’ll educate anglers????? Seems a fellow angler telling EXACTLY what is happening to other anglers hasn’t exactly been greeted with open arms. Do you suppose anyone here has been intriqued, or has the response been more (THIS IS WHAT I DO, AND IT WORKS…..THIS IS WHAT I’VE ALWAYS DID….MY DAD DID IT………Get my drift???)

I believe here on Rainy Lake we have some of the best fishing in the state of Minnesota. ALL YEAR…..Summer, fall, winter, spring…. Trust me it was not always that way. Anyone fish here in the 80’s????? Hmnnnnnnnnnn…….The Sportfishing club stepped in and said we needed to make a change for the future!! There was a lot of bad mouthing going on about slot restrictions, and bunch of BS….. Well you would have to be nearly blind to not see the positive effects that have taken place from them.

With that being said if an organization were to have the Kahunas to suggest another change be taken to once again be the leaders in trophy fisheries…..YES I’ll be on board as I want my kids, your kids and our customers to be able to enjoy catching trophy fish all year for many many generations.

Gotta go gas up boys!! Got a couple boats looking pretty anxious!!

For the record Chris, I agree with you…. guthooked fish are bad for the sport and PR. I also think walleyes with trebles in their eye sockets are no good…. I rarely lindy rig, typically on the opener, for about 4-5 hours and maybe a couple more hours throughout the year. What I am trying to stem, is the idea of one angler telling another one, they are ruining the resource, because of the legal fishing technique they are using. Yes, laws are in place to protect everything, and they will constantly be massaged & changed to protect the resource. Would one call me a visionary, if I said tournament fishing causes undue stress/kills to fish ? No doubt about it, it does. I just think there are enough groups like PETA that are concerned for the welfare of animals (over the top) that we do not need to give them more ammo to use against the sportspeople.

big G