I’m not smart enough to make these decisions on my own, therefore I rely on the DNR rules book. If it’s legal it’s ethical…now if I keep a legal fish or not, that’s my own damn business and none of your’s.
Cant argue that. Well said.
+1 to that crc
I do not eat fish so it is very seldom any fish do not get released. If I caught a 30+ it would go on the wall. I say that but I have caught other species that I said I would mount at a certain size and took pictures of fish over that size and released them.
I’m not suggesting every trophy fish be kept, but I never feel bad about someone that wants to mount a 30+” fish. The fertility rate of them OLD females are next to nothing compared to those 18-22″
Totally agree. In my high school days I managed two 30″+: one from Mille Lacs, and one from the Snake River, both fish were mounted. These days I would release these fish if I caught them, but wouldn’t question anyone who wanted to mount the fish. They are used up fertility wise in my opinion. Mounted fish are not easy to keep clean as was mentioned before, can’t wait to find out if replicas are easier in that regard for myself.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>castle-rock-clown wrote:</div>
I’m not smart enough to make these decisions on my own, therefore I rely on the DNR rules book. If it’s legal it’s ethical…now if I keep a legal fish or not, that’s my own damn business and none of your’s.Cant argue that. Well said.
X3. I have my own beliefs but will never knock someone that keeps fish according to their own beliefs and what the law says…RR
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>castle-rock-clown wrote:</div>
I’m not smart enough to make these decisions on my own, therefore I rely on the DNR rules book. If it’s legal it’s ethical…now if I keep a legal fish or not, that’s my own damn business and none of your’s.Cant argue that. Well said.
So I’m not singling either of you out that I quoted… but, I have seen this argument countless times. And you’re right in that no one has the right to tell you to stop abiding by the law. What I will say is that many of the same people who’s mantra is “If the DNR says its legal than it can’t hurt the fishery” are the same people that turn around and complain when there are increased rules and regulations about which fish you can or can’t keep. Regulations that are put in place to protect a fishery from overharvest.
It is my belief that we as sportsman have a responsibility to protect what we value. I don’t need a law to tell me what I should or shouldn’t keep. I have my own personal regulations that I follow because I want to continue enjoying our natural resources. Sounds like many people on here have the same thing.
Regulations in general are a reaction to something that is already happening (AIS anyone???) and if its already happening than isn’t it too late? So why wait for the DNR to FIND that anglers are harvesting too many fish out of a given population and then tightening the regs before we as sportsman react. Why not take the time to learn something about fish biology… it will make you a better fisherman anyway… and then decide what is reasonable within the law for harvest. No one “needs” a freezer full of fish. Its nice to eat fish and I do all the time, even have some in the freezer. But just because the rules say I can have a certain amount doesn’t mean I’m going to max it out. If nothing else it gives me an excuse to go fishing if I run out of fish.
Our natural resources are not unlimited… no matter what body of water we’re talking about… and I don’t need the DNR to tell me that. There are countless threads on this very website criticizing fisheries management or mismanagement by the DNR. The DNR is a huge entity with some quality people and some not so quality, AND they have to answer to politicians which really muddies the water. Do we really want to force them to make further regulations for our waters by overusing our current resources? The regulations are very general and for huge geographic areas… when each fishery is unique. So the regulations that are in place are fine but aren’t equally fitting for every body of water. The only way the DNR can figure out there is a problem with a population of a given species is when that species starts to decline in a significant enough way to notice and over enough time that its a trend and not considered an anomaly. THEN, there is a reactionary management strategy put into place.
Fisheries and wildlife have enough problems with habitat loss, pollution, and a myriad of other factors that could cause adverse affects to their populations, sportsman shouldn’t be part of the problem… we should be part of the solution.
I have my own personal regulations that I follow because I want to continue enjoying our natural resources.
Thank God I’m not a very good angler…sounds like a hassle.
If it’s legal it’s ethical… quote]
I’ll disagree with that, but do agree with the sentiment.
Example: It would be unethical to not dump your minnow bucket and exchange the water with tap water when you leave a lake…. I’d say that’s unethical if your minnow bucket infact contains lake water…HOwever, if you minnow bucket contains only tap water – and you don’t dump it…Then you are breaking the law, however there’s nothign unethical about it… That’s just 1 example and AIS was too easy to pick on.
I’m against assaulting fish when they are spawning period. Whether it be nets or boats. That’s why we have seasons here for game fish like walleyes but since the DNR and all the fisherman that support it want that kind of fishery in Red Wing, Rainy River, The Fox, etc then to hell with it. Why should I give it another thought? You made your bed, now sleep in it.
I am not a fan of people keeping big fish to eat or mount but that is my opinion.
I have seen the replicas that are made nowadays. What would be the reason to keep a big prespawn fish if a replica could be made? I am not trying to be an ass. This is a serious question?
Guides have a business to run and can choose their own rules for their boat. If they feel that if a client or the news from a client that the guide didn’t let them keep a legal fish would hurt their business than that is their right to let the client keep it. But I have fished with guides up north and been to resorts in the states as well as Canada that do not allow trophy or above the slot fish to be kept.
IMO it is a much bigger problem when locals that I know are on that river extremely often take big fish to eat. This is not a Pool 4 beef alone but anywhere.
Joe- Skin mounts are significantly cheaper than replica’s. I caught a 56″ muskie that would have been about $300 less to mount had we kept it. I also return fat females to the river to spawn, but I don’t get worked up about others that keep them. I just try and watch my own bobber and let the DNR manage. I personally would just feel like a hypocrite if I kept them, as I am against netting the spawn. Also, glad to hear most of the guides chime in that they encourage returning the females, but again don’t get worked up if their clients want to keep them. My two cents.
I am also a Guide…but not a Wisc Guide and do not guide on Pool 4…
Ethically, I personally release any spawner unless injured…especially in the gills.
We killed mostly Saugers for our eaters for years because the River “locals” seemed to distain them…Oh where is my good buddy Dustin Stewart? 
But one cannot force another angler to decline his/her legal harvest…
I have always been an advocate of CPR but our last trip three of the guys kept their possession limit…one was in a wheel chair due to ALS. Not my choice… but I helped his friend clean them. Actually about 1/2 were saugers and not obviously spawners by girth…but they were 16-17″ spawners…I don’t have a problem with that.
It IS a fact that River Walleye females seldom reach 7 years of age and are prime producers long before the 10 lb mark…That’s why in many fisheries across the Midwest there is a protected slot from 18-22 inches…
JMHO
Don’t get me wrong Bigwerm I get up and go to work the next day. I don’t worry myself about it. Just don’t understand the mentality.
I can understand the cost thing. But how many fish are you going to get mounted? the longevity and logical fisheries impact would be easily worth it to me.
Agreed Joe. I was just pointing out one reason why people might keep a trophy rather than releasing it. The rest of my prior comment was for everyone getting all worked up 
. I think a lot of it has to due with misinterpretation on the interwebs, as with that musky I posted the story online on another site and even though we released it and it swam away, it still got Musky angler’s upset somehow 
.
…Oh where is my good buddy Dustin Stewart?
JMHO
…Hey Tom Gursky I fished with DUSTIN a couple weeks ago. Not only did we get him to fish saugers for awhile we got him to fish vertical for little while to. But not for long then he was pitching again. LOL. It was a GOOd day on the water, Lots of laughs… …rrr
Sidebar: Dustin and fam is at the resort this week. /sidebar
Anyone else let females go? I sometimes don’t even go for them unless they look good enough. I did keep one female. She was way longer than 30″ though. Right around that 66″ mark I think. Maybe a replica would have sufficed? Don’t tell her please………..
Anyone else let females go? I sometimes don’t even go for them unless they look good enough. I did keep one female. She was way longer than 30″ though. Right around that 66″ mark I think. Maybe a replica would have sufficed? Don’t tell her please………..
I tried CPR with those females, cops said it was neither legal nor ethical.
I’m not smart enough to make these decisions on my own, therefore I rely on the DNR rules book. If it’s legal it’s ethical…now if I keep a legal fish or not, that’s my own damn business and none of your’s.
The DNR says netting doesn’t have a negative impact on Mille Lacs. The DNR is a government agency. Need I go on? So anyway, I’ll go ahead and agree with you on the “not smart enough” thing.
Maybe you were joking, but I’m not.
There are a lot of theories about what age/size fish produce the most eggs, how long a fish will live after it reaches a certain size, and ultimately whether it makes a difference if you keep a big female. Theories, all of them. Here’s something indisputable: A kept fish will never breed again, nor will it ever be caught again, ever.
Personally, I don’t keep fish over the 20″ mark, and usually more like 18″. I also don’t keep fish for the freezer unless I have a plan for them. Also, I once caught the same 10# walleye that a good friend released a year earlier. It had a black mark on its cheek that couldn’t be missed. That was one of the coolest things that I’ve experienced on the river.
For thosee of you who think that the DNR is the ultimate judge of what should and shouldn’t be kept, at least realize that it’s the government telling you what to do. That’s worked out really well for people … where again?
I want add a +1 for youngfry, who gave a much more patient and thoughtful response than I did. Right on.
This is my first post to this forum. Very interesting perspectives from across the board. I feel like a lot of the disagreement stems from the fact that we tend to have very general regulations that are uniformly applied over very specific situations. For example, the limit for walleye and sauger is 6 with a minimum of 15″ in length for eyes. This is as true during the April spawn when anyone can catch a limit or a big one as it is during August when fishing can be tough and limits are rare.
The daily limit of 6 is also generally applied whether you’ve gone out every day for the last month, or if this will be your only trip of the year.
The possession limit is 6 whether you eat every fish fresh, freeze them, mount them, or give them to your neighbor so you can go catch more.
You can see how much harvest variation there can be while staying within the law. During August, the limit could be 25 or a 100 on many bodies of water, and the harvest level would not change. The problem to me, is that when fishing is easy, it exposes the resource to those who would abuse it.
If you usually struggle to catch fish, it’s hard not to keep a limit when the fishing is good. If you probably won’t catch a walleye again all year, it’s tough not to want a freezer full. The temptation to exceed possession limits or go back out for another limit is there for those who fish rarely and catch even more rarely.
Personally, I don’t have a problem with the guy who comes down and keeps a limit of maybe the only 6 eyes he’ll catch all year or the guy who catches, keeps, and eats a 25″ because it’s the biggest he’s ever caught. Their impact is minimal. Guides usually take out those types and bring economy and help spread conservation ideals, so hats off to the guides. I consider myself a conservation minded angler, and I promise you, I’ll keep way more than 6 walleyes this year. So who is really having a greater impact, me who fishes several days a week, or the guy who keeps everything he catches the 3-5 times/ year he goes?
To me, the problem lies with those who fish as often as me or more, and also look to fill out every day. A lot of these guys are retired, or laid off. They are excellent fisherman and always on top of the bite by virtue of being there everyday. I don’t know how many are legal if you check the freezers, but legality isn’t really the point. Some have equated legality with morality or ethics. However, there is a big difference between following the law, and taking advantage of it. If you consider keeping anything within the scope of the limit ethical regardless of size, how often you fish, or your use of the resource, then you can never complain about a “deadbeat” taking advantage of welfare, or corporation taking advantage of a tax-loophole, or a farmer taking advantage of a subsidy, or a criminal going free on a technicality. There are ALWAYS people that are going to take advantage of, abuse, and seek ways around the letter of the law. Don’t sugar coat it or condone or congratulate those who do it.
At the same time, understand that not everyone out there who keeps a limit or a big fish is abusing the resource. The fish you see them keep may be the only ones they eat all year, or for several years.
Also, this is not a ‘Sippi issue, it takes place on lakes and rivers across the state for many species, basically whenever there is a hot bite.
I torture and release most of my fish and NEVER keep anything larger than about 5#
I’m glad this post came up.
Ski and I were talking about this over the weekend when at least 3 fish over 30″ were brought home to have mounted.
We came up with the thought that replicas are a good thing. Much easier to keep clean too.
But we couldn’t figure out who’s right was more important. The fella that takes a trophy home or the CPR fella that brow beats an angler that takes his legally caught fish home (no matter what the size)
I know one thing that does not work, and that’s posting to an excited anglers photo in a forum or social media complaining that the fish wasn’t released.
That just tee’s off the angler and sets up a wall between the “conservation minded” angler and the fella that wants to take home dinner (no matter what size).
I would suggest private messages to folks if you feel that strongly about killing those (relatively) old females. I’ve found people are more receptive to listening when they aren’t being embarrassed on the internets.
I’m getting to be an expert at the above with all the gill held sturgeon photos showing up lately.
I feel it’s a win/win/win ending when an angler catches a trophy fish, has a replica made and allows the fish to be caught by another lucky angler.
A great memory ends up on the wall, the replica fella makes some money and his/her business grows and lastly there’s a chance that you can catch it.
Forget about the spawn. But that’s just my opinion.
It was a shame to see those dead trophy fish. The resort doesn’t like someone pointing that out either. As evidenced by my almost immediately deleted post.
I tend to argue for small limits (just enough for a fresh meal) and only replicas for mounts (let the trophy swim away). Of course once I move to Florida I may have to rethink. One 48″ Dorado or one baby 24″ grouper is more than a couple meals and means I’ll be a freezer filler.
I’m not sure I can speak for the resort, which one or why your post was deleted Wade, but I’m going to take a stab at it.
When people jump on a website and post a photo they are happy and maybe even proud of their catch. When the seasoned angler jumps in and chew them out in public for something that is legal to do, well those people take the fun out of what is to be an enjoyable sport, fishing. The once proud of his catch angler will shy away from ever posting or possible staying on a website/forum learning more about how to take care of our river/lake or what have you.
They walk away with a bad experience.
I’ve learned not so long about that sending a private message explaining what I think is wrong with their actions and that doesn’t seem doesn’t urine them off as much as ripping on them in public.
Gill held 50″ sturgeon is on the top of my list this month. In every case, after talking with the person (in private) they admitted they were un aware.
And I don’t have to worry about my posts being deleted because I didn’t tinkle on their cheerios.
Just my two cents worth of thought…whether it’s right or wrong it seems to be working for me.
At least I’m consistent.
Well, I just let a female go last night….. If I wouldn’t of my wife would have killed me most likely. No Hall Pass
I’m not sure I can speak for the resort, which one or why your post was deleted Wade, but I’m going to take a stab at it.
When people jump on a website and post a photo they are happy and maybe even proud of their catch. When the seasoned angler jumps in and chew them out in public for something that is legal to do, well those people take the fun out of what is to be an enjoyable sport, fishing. The once proud of his catch angler will shy away from ever posting or possible staying on a website/forum learning more about how to take care of our river/lake or what have you.
They walk away with a bad experience.
I’ve learned not so long about that sending a private message explaining what I think is wrong with their actions and that doesn’t seem doesn’t urine them off as much as ripping on them in public.
Gill held 50″ sturgeon is on the top of my list this month. In every case, after talking with the person (in private) they admitted they were un aware.
And I don’t have to worry about my posts being deleted because I didn’t tinkle on their cheerios.
Just my two cents worth of thought…whether it’s right or wrong it seems to be working for me.
I hear ya. For the record I recall only saying, “that fish looks rather dead”. I’m sure many came to their own conclusion on that statement.
Wasn’t that the photo of the fella with the 30.x” fish taken in the bait shop and said “it was going on the wall”?
I checked into this more last night.
The resort doesn’t like someone pointing that out either. As evidenced by my almost immediately deleted post.
The “resort” wasn’t thinking about the legally taken fish being dead or not, it was (and I quote) “a pointless derogatory comment taking away the excitement of the angler”.
I’ll assume that you weren’t there to know if the fish was going to die from being mortally hooked.
I just want to give a shout out to some of my fellow anglers out there on P4 last Saturday. Myself and two buddies from work had a great day on the water, 13 hours great to be exact. We boated plenty of fish “60-70″, and took home a limit of 15-19″ sauger and walleye. To the guys that clapped their hands and gave us thumbs up every time we snapped a quick photo and released anything 20” or bigger, THANK YOU! That is the type of sportsmanship that encourages conservation and really makes fishing this resource this time of year so enjoyable!
Just my two cents, but I think that type of behavior spreads and does more for conservation when fishing close quarters than regulations or posts on this site.
To those feloow anglers from last Saturday; Nice fish! Nice release!
P.S. BK, feel free to use my avitar picture when educating people on how to hold Sturgeon.
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