The reason that peole are pissed is the over the top constant piling up of fish. It’s called raping. Plain and simple. I see this same type of thing go on in my area. People fish day after day, keep limit after limit. Yes, it can be legal, but is it right?
Honestly, posting a limit pic once in a while will not get guys fired up. Posting one every day or so will. Going back to the well constantly when the fish are on is not sportsmanlike. Sometimes ya gotta give em a rest. 
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The internet is just to powerful a tool and reaches to many people where images again and again of stringers full of dead fish
If you’re going to go that route I say posting anything about fishing a specific piece of water harms an area catch and release photo or not.
For selfish reasons, I admit, I won’t mention a lake on the internet because I don’t want to bring attention to it. Catch and release all you want, it won’t stop meat hounds from keeping the fish on your body of water.
I’ve been burned too many times on that. You want to wreck a good thing, post about it on a fishing site.
I’m guessing that’s why you don’t see as many fishing posts on these site anymore unless they are from guides trying to drum up business. Not a rip on guides, to each his own.
I agree with a lot of that. Kinda a 2 edge sword. Guess my solution is being selective to a point on info shared. Even with that there is always someone that thinks you shared to much and someone else that its not enough.
To the poster asking about my guide services we do not keep any fish. Prices are very typical of what you would find any guide charging. Yes I try to be helpful to other fishermen in my posts but guess that would be a better question for other fisherman. Not sure how this fits into this post.
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i believe you (VIKEFAN) are missing the point here. ITS NOT ABOUT THE FISH HIS CLIENTS TAKE!!!!!! Its his own, personal consumption/gifting of fish that is being debated.
Actually, todays debate is about the fact that people have bad mouthed him on this forum and in PM’s. That is wrong! And others here have noted they’ve had similar experiences.
It’s been debated for the last few weeks on whether he should/should not keep fish everyday.
ET
As a outsider, 1) I have kept a limit of fish
2) Would I do it if I fished daily ? No
3) Pictures of released last forever
4) You guys got a good thing going on this
site don’t screw it up. Re: my signiture
This whole debate has evolved over a few weeks. At first it was an issue of day after day showing pics of piles of dead fish laying on the ground without mention of whether or not they were guide clients, buddies, etc…
Then RD started posting pics of people holding up the fish (which was an improvement).
Lately, the reports have been of RD fishing solo with pics of fish laying on the ground again. I understand that it’s hard to take pics of yourself holding fish, that’s not the real issue here. Honestly, I don’t think that anybody cares if somebody keeps a fish or not, until it gets to the point where you see it so often from the same people. People really don’t even need to say whether or not they kept fish. Just say what you caught, how many, how you caught them etc…
People were upset because of the frequency of the posts, without mention of people being guide clients, buddies etc… IMHO there is a HUGE difference between taking 2 buddies out 5 times a week to keep 18 fish per outing, and taking two guide clients out and letting them keep their legal limits.
If it’s not laid out for readers whether those people are clients or not, is it the readers fault for assuming their not? I think not. Look at the reports from other guides, they specifically say they had clients out, show their clients with the fish etc…
I agree with others, if the reason for the posts is to advertise for a guide service, the guides number one priority should be showing how their clients are having a good time and what they got out of the experience (no I don’t mean how many fish they kept).
I have no issues with RD, I do however feel that many are blindly defending him because he’s a buddy. Some better public relations can only help his business. I wish him the best, and hope he takes to heart the thoughts of those of us who think he should be held in higher regard because of his profession and the amount of time he has to enjoy the resources the rest of us share with him.
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I agree. My vote for the rule is no pictures with more than 2 fish in it.
I don’t have a horse in this race but………..”Picture Nazis'”???? Really????
As a fellow guide I can truly say that I have been in River Dan’s shoes. Been there and done that so to speak.
I’m not against showing a stringer of eaters from time to time. Having said that, I also “strongly” believe we as guides should not do that to often and we as guides should also provide plenty of balance to go along with that.
Here’s an idea for River Dan:
Maybe instead of posting every day, post once a week instead. Include a stringer of eaters if you so desire. Along with that, include some more of those pictures of your clients holding up a single fish with big smiles on there face. (like one of your recent post did)
Also include some pics of bigger fish that were released. Adding a pic of a release shot can be a good idea as well.
I’ve learned from years in the business that it doesn’t require photo after photo of limits of fish to bring in clients. A few “board” shots here and there mixed in with plenty of happy clients and big fish will go a long, long ways toward bringing in more clients.
Just saying, from another guide who’s been there…take it for what ever it’s worth.
actually, what this really comes down to, is if you are willing to post up your opinion on something, or a picture of yourself, or something you took part in, on an internet forum, you need to be prepared for comments – good and bad.
and this is what we are seeing. people from both sides of the fence.
this is exactly why i treat internet forums as entertainment first and a source of information second, because everyone has an opinion and a lot of times, it may not mesh with yours.
And with that, i leave you with this…
Happy friday everyone, and good luck on the river tomorrow for those I will share it with.
We had a state record walleye caught here in ILL on a small river near my house that I fish a lot.Since it was published where it was caught,we are seeing a vast amount of new people fishing this little river.Big fish pictures,limit fish pictures and postings of reports all bring fishing pressure.The pictures of guides holding up big fish even though released,make people want to go there themselves.James videos catching those nice fish on those lakes and rivers he fish,s sure make me want to go there just as much as RDs posts and reports do.Stuart and Mike give reports holding up nice fish to bring clients to them and RD shows pictures of legally caught and kept fish.Even though some are cpr and others kept does one not contribute the same as the other to the takeing of fish and more pressure on a area.I think not.I do agree that a picture of a client holding up a fish or 2 does a lot better than a limit shown laying in the bottom of the boat. 
Really ??? All this over some pictures of legally taken fish ? 
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Really ??? All this over some pictures of legally taken fish ?
trainbridge smallies…
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Really ??? All this over some pictures of legally taken fish ?
For me it was the day I watched him fish the scour hole and feed the eagles down stream the little floater saugers for 6 hrs with 3 guys in the boat!
I do not post alot on this site but I do look at the forums almost everyday. If people want too keep the fish that they catch to eat they should have the right and no one should be telling them that they are wrong. This is America that we live in where you have the right to do what you want as long as it is legal. My time fishing is catch and release which is my right but once in a while I catch fish to take home for a fish fry. So give the people the right to catch fish to eat with out telling them that they are wrong. If you do not like the post of certain people do not look at their post.
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Really ??? All this over some pictures of legally taken fish ?
For me it was the day I watched him fish the scour hole and feed the eagles down stream the little floater saugers for 6 hrs with 3 guys in the boat!
Different subject Stu.
But I agree with Jesse, on the other hand, if your not part of the inner circle, you stand a good chance of being a target.
imho
Al
river dan, it’s 2 bad the cyber bully’s got the best of u. In my opinion, if you have a problem with him keeping his legal limit of fish… call your state representative or the dnr they make the rules 
OK here is something I want everyone to think about. How many walleye tournaments, local and professionally organized, are held each year on Pool’s 3 and 4? I counted over 30. Now take the drive of each fisherman in these events. Getting the most weight and most fish, right? And some of these tournaments are held at times when big fish are common, springtime and fall. If each tournament averages 50 boats and each boat averages 3 fish per day each day for the event, you do the math. Dan, when he elects to keep fish NEVER keeps fish over 18 inches. I know, I fish with him alot. His personal harvest is a drop in the bucket compared to the mortality of LARGE ADULT walleyes being kept by people for wall hanging, bragging or during these tournaments that are mature for spawning. Couple that with others that we all see on the water regularly that are always putting fish in their live well, and on back to back days. I have seen it and so have most of you, especially in the spring. So please let’s rally around Dan for the sportsman and Christian that he is. NUFF said ! 
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You missed my point all together. No comment on tournaments etc? I guess some of us do live in glass houses, hmmmmmmmmmm
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So please let’s rally around Dan for the sportsman and Christian that he is.
I’m not much of a christian but isn’t gluttony one of the seven deadly sins?
Pretty sure that just crossed the line
After a completely inconsiderate statement questioning someone else’s faith, perhaps its time this thread gets locked…
Just for the record, many of the tournaments you speak of are catch and release. They do bring them in to weigh but they are released afterward.
As for the “as long as it’s legal argument” ……How did that work our for Joe Paterno?
Sometimes because of the position we are in, it can be in our own best interest to take all considerations into account.
As for posting on IDO, it’s probably the best possible place RD will ever find to get his name out there.
And it’s basically free!
So who are you really going to be hurting by no longer posting reports?
Joel I mentioned post tournament mortality of released tournemant fish. If you search for results you will see some studies estimate it to be near 80%. these fish die after all the boats and people are gone……………..
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——————————————————————————–So please let’s rally around Dan for the sportsman and Christian that he is.
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I’m not much of a christian but isn’t gluttony one of the seven deadly sins?
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Pretty sure that just crossed the line
After a completely inconsiderate statement questioning someone else’s faith, perhaps its time this thread gets locked…
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I apologize… I shouldn’t have posted what I did. I get irritated when people use religion to expect favor. RD’s faith has nothing to do with this post or his fishing ethics. Again I apologize.
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Joel I mentioned post tournament mortality of released tournemant fish. If you search for results you will see some studies estimate it to be near 80%. these fish die after all the boats and people are gone……………..
I’ve seen that too although I don’t remember where. I do believe those tournaments with high mortality were held doing warm weather times of the year. Cold weather tournaments didn’t have high mortality rates.
It should also be pointed out that because of those high mortality rates, many tournaments were forced to change the way they operate. By DNR rule, some are now forced into holding “kill” only tournaments doing the warmer months of the year.
I can find you studies that show less than 20% mortality rates of released fish. I have yet to drive my boat on pool 4 dodging 8lb walleyes every few yards in the scenario you’re trying to portray. Do you have studies done on Pool 4 during tournament months with those same numbers? If so, I’d love to see them since you state them as fact.
Here’s a perspective you may not have looked at. RD is by his profession an ambassador of the sport and the fishery. If everybody that fishes keeps the amount of fish that RD has been portraying himself as keeping, the population will be hurt.
My objection has less to do with how many fish RD keeps than it does with posting it for the world to see on a daily basis. A simple post stating how the bite was and what was working for a person can have as much or more impact than looking at dead fish pics every day. If somebody calls you out, then post a pic.
Like others have said, pics of happy clients, and pics of released fish show how much you care. Saying that you don’t keep fish over 18″ is good, but when one person keeps hundreds and hundreds of fish 17″ and less, that’s that many less that make it to that magical 18″ protected slot.
Keep what you want, but continuing to post pictures of dead fish without mention of guide clients would setting yourself up with a big old bullseye on your face.
You obviously struck a nerve, and that is good! People don’t like to confront the brutal truth when it puckers their cloaca!! Something about hitting too close to home?? 
BOOYA !!!!Here you go. Also keep in mind guys not all fish float when they die.
On the Mississippi River, another study involved analyzing the data from a total of 32 walleye tournaments that were held on the Upper Mississippi River bordering Iowa during the late 80’s to early 90’s. The total number of fish caught during those tournaments was 6,349 with a combined weight of 10,945 pounds. The weigh-in mortality varied from 0.5% to an under estimated high of 24%. The delayed mortality of tournament caught walleye was estimated from four of the fishing tournaments. A total of 525 walleyes were held in hoop nets (5-feet diameter x 16 feet long) in approximately 10-14 feet of water in a Mississippi River side channel near the weigh-in site. The 5-day delayed total mortality estimated from the net held walleyes from the four study tournaments averaged 55.8% and varied from 37% to 78%. An adjustment for delayed total mortality for fish not released due to poor physical condition, increased average moralities for walleye to 72%. Major factors affecting mortality and survival were attributed to low oxygen concentrations in live wells and water temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
I’m sorry but keeping 500 some walleyes in hoop nets and noting that a lot of them died isn’t fact to me. This same thing happened in LaCrosse a few years ago. The researchers put hundreds of bass in pens in the middle of summer and basically cooked those fish alive.
Tournaments took a huge hit for that. Technology has also come a long ways since the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. With advancements like the water weigh in systems of the FLW, the Catch Photo Release systems of AIM and more, mortality is dropping. Not to mention that livewell systems are much better than in previous years.
I don’t know when this became a personal vendetta against tournaments. That debate has happened thousands of times. The difference is, we can all see the fish that RD is keeping, you claim thousands and thousands of fish die on P4 from tournaments, with no physical evidence.
On a side note, this very “SCIENTIFIC” study states that those fish were held in a side channel for 5 days. So, do you think there was any chance that 5 days without food could contribute to some of the mortality?
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BOOYA !!!!Here you go. Also keep in mind guys not all fish float when they die.
On the Mississippi River, another study involved analyzing the data from a total of 32 walleye tournaments that were held on the Upper Mississippi River bordering Iowa during the late 80’s to early 90’s. The total number of fish caught during those tournaments was 6,349 with a combined weight of 10,945 pounds. The weigh-in mortality varied from 0.5% to an under estimated high of 24%. The delayed mortality of tournament caught walleye was estimated from four of the fishing tournaments. A total of 525 walleyes were held in hoop nets (5-feet diameter x 16 feet long) in approximately 10-14 feet of water in a Mississippi River side channel near the weigh-in site. The 5-day delayed total mortality estimated from the net held walleyes from the four study tournaments averaged 55.8% and varied from 37% to 78%. An adjustment for delayed total mortality for fish not released due to poor physical condition, increased average moralities for walleye to 72%. Major factors affecting mortality and survival were attributed to low oxygen concentrations in live wells and water temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
This is data from over 20 years ago, Boats, livewells, tournament formats, anglers, nets alot of factors have changed since then. Also, were those fish able to get back to there normal way of life while stuck in the nets, were they able to chase bait fish and continue feeding, retreat to cover away from the sun and other factors?
Wallster ><((((>
I’m done. Not a tournament vendetta at all, but I just gave another viewpoint of ethical fishing. And by the way I guess bouncing around in live wells at high speeds, being handled numerous times by anglers and tournament officials, being put into bags or plastic bins, being held in intermediate tanks until getting to weight in has NOTHING to do with mortality. 
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