What to you keep?

I was just wondering about what size fish do most people keep? (Barring slots et.)I fish Muskys 80% of the time and have never kept a fish in 20+ years. Maybe that makes me lean a little harder towards conservation? I never keep walleyes over 18″. I see many fish dead that are clearly 22+ inches and I cannot believe people are mounting a 4 or 5lb fish?

For panfish I like to at least have an 8″ or better for gills and 10″ or better for crappie and perch.
Pike-Try not to keep any of the slimy things.
Bass-All catch and release. Except I do have 1 on the wall
Walleye/sauger-Anything over 20″ goes back. I am happy with eating 15-19″ eyes or saugers. Even then I do not keep many.
That is about all I fish for. I keep more panfish than anything, partly because the eyes still leave me scratching my head

I have no problem with keeping fish for the most part, but I have a hard time understanding people who keep multiple large fish. My personal policy is if you want to keep a monster for the wall, fine, but try to make it a fish of a lifetime and do it once or twice. Those are the most valuable fish in the system to anglers and should be released whenever possible.

For eating I think keeping fish in the mid-size range (example: walleyes 15-20″) is a great idea. Personally, I rarely freeze fish and try to only keep what I can eat fresh. Occasionally I’ll keep more for friends or family, but not very often. No walleyes over 20″ or that look like females get killed in my boat. Also, I don’t kill pike over 25″. I try to keep mid-sized panfish as well, and usually let crappies over 14″ or so go.

John

Well because I am labled already, I like to keep what the law per person allows. So if there is a slot I will abide by the rules but if the laws says ” 1 over 30″ it is coming home to eat, mount and/or sell.

Just like all the pelts and hides I harvest and sell.

Most if not all of the fish I catch get kept, on a picture . A meal now and again of “eater” sized fish, preferable panfish or 15-20 inch walleyes, but the rest go back to their homes.

I have no problem with people who keep everything they catch because that is their right, but I don’t want to hear those same people complaining about not being able to catch fish, or that the DNR has screwed it up by not stocking more, etc. etc. There is a finite amount of fish, and we need to manage that. No different then how well the Native Americans managed Red Lake . Just my $.02, don’t want to start an argument.

For crappies and perch I like to have at least a 10″ or better.
For pike I try to keep any up to 4-5 pounds.(they’re great pickled!!!)plus I think it helps keep the numbers down a bit.
And walleye I like anything up to 20″ (or within the lower slot).

I like pan fish For me they seem to be abundant. No need to stock pile fish I like gills to be at least 8 inches. My crappies and perch 10 plus.

I like a fish fry of sauger/walleye in the freezer. I keep them in the 15-19 inch mark.

I also like to take 2 pike between 32 and 38 inches a year.

Alot of the time I like to just make fish smart, get a pic and dump em back in. All big flatty’s have no reason to fear me

Good luck fishing people