Why no catch and release on tip-ups?

I posted this on fishthelake also, in case anybody else is interested, here it is again.

I was tip up fishing this morning, had a great morning, 5 bass, biggest was 22″, two northerns, biggest was 37″. A guy showed up a little after we set up, and when we started catching fish, asked why I was throwing them back, I told him I release everything I catch. The guy told me he would keep the ones I caught, I politely told him that I prefer to release them, it really seemed to bother him when I caught my biggest bass, and biggest northern of the day, he walked over to me and said “your not going to let that one go are you?” when I said yes, he looked at me like I just kicked his dog, and walked away. I don’t get it, you can catch smaller northerns and bass, not to mention panfish, all day, and eat fish every day if you want. I have only met one other group that practices catch and release ice fishing, I just don’t get it, why is the mentality so much different ice fishing than at other times during the year. I don’t eat fish, but doesn’t a 14 inch bass taste better than a 6 pounder, and doesn’t a 5 pound northern taste better than a 15 pounder?

On the ice you’re going to get a lot of people who don’t own boats and are shorebound for most of the year and many are not skilled anglers. The guy you met is probably a meat fisherman who doesn’t normally see fish of the quality you are catching

I know a hadfull of guys who work in constuction(or other seasonal occupations). Winter is a slow work time and the only time to get out and fish. They want a fish fry now like I want one in the spring!! Nothing wrong with keeping a few fish to eat. Nothing wrong with letting a strong fish go. Personally, I prefer to catch, clean, cook my own. I have never had the situation you describe happen to me. I would have done the same thing.

J.

Before I say anything, I will say that I will always practice catch and relese, to include trophy size fish.
Anyway, last summer I had a couple of spots in the back waters where I caught a few 30 to 39 inch Northerns. I let all but one go. My wife and I ate 4 meal from that one Northern. In the days of old I would have kept them all. Last week a local guy went to one of these spots and kept 5 northerns over 30 inches. Said he was going to pickle them. I wasn’t so glad that I released them any more. On the other hand, this past summer I caught a 18 inch smallie a couple of times. I named him fred. He had probabally a dozen holes in his lips. I guess people just think that northerns aren’t for relesing.

I to have had similar situations where others have asked for fish that I was catching. With all but a very few exceptions, I have declined. One time, however, I gave an old timer a 14 inch bass. He had been on the ice all day half-frozen and only had a couple small panfish. He said he was trying to get enough for him and his wife to eat. The way I figured, one little bass didn’t hurt the population. He thanked me several times and was on his way shortly thereafter.

On a side note: as far as tipup fishing, please make sure those big northern and bass are ready and able to be released. Hate to see those fish that aren’t releasable set back under the ice only to end up as eagle food at ice out.

Thanks for the replys, I don’t want to give the wrong impression, I’ve got no problem with people keeping fish for the frying pan, I just don’t believe in eating the few trophy’s that are out there. As far as gut hooking fish, I always stay close to my tip-ups, and set the hook as soon as I get a flag, so the fish doesn’t have a chance to swallow it. I hook the shiners right through the back, so when a northern attacks them sideways, I get a good lip hookset, just like on a spinnerbait, or stick bait. I also generally get a good lip hookset on bass, I haven’t had to kill a fish yet this year, and I wouldn’t hesitate to give one away if it was hooked bad. Oh, and the bigger northern I caught the other day had some poor guys hook and leader, along with about 3 feet of broken dacron hanging out of his mouth. I’ve found the Mason tip-up line that’s plastic coated to be the best, doesn’t fray, doesn’t tangle, and wont break when it runs along the bottom of the hole with a big fish.