Quote:
Originally Posted by BigFish
The only logical way you can keep from contributing to the decline of striped bass is to not fish for them at all! Again though....why do people have to piss all over a thread to voice their own little agendas???
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As a disclaimer, I caught a 59 pounder once that I knew was the biggest striper in the Fisherman magazine's annual dream boat contest, and so I kept the fish (and alas, didn't win the 24 foot Triton, even though I was contacting marinas to reserve a slip). I felt, and still feel, awful about it. I did eat all the fillets (which tasted just like a 29" fish), but I did feel guilty about killing what was at least a 25 year-old fish.
That being said, I don't think he "pissed" all over the thread (not if you take the time to read what he actually wrote). And if his agenda is the health of the stock, I wouldn't trivialize it as his "own little agenda", because that's my agenda, and yours, too.
I don't begrudge anyone else keeping a trophy. If I had thousands of dollars to gain in a contest, money that could go in my kids' 529 plans, I'd probably keep another. I wouldn't do it just for a keepsake though, but that's just my $0.02.
And I don't see the relevence of suggesting you can't preach release unless you have caught one that big. Using that logic, I could say no one can support that guy unless you caught one that big, and few of us have.
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