Why Catch and Release?
First, some "common sense"? Well, maybe...
When one goes into the habitat of any wildlife species, the only thing left behind should be footprints. In other words, clean up after yourself. No one likes to go the lake or the beach or even offshore and find a bunch of trash lying around. Leaving trash is unsightly, irresponsible and can often be deadly to the local wildlife. You wouldn't want a guest to trash your house, so don't trash theirs...
About Monofilament
Also, when offshore, please do not throw mono overboard. It can be ingested and/or cause entanglement. Both of which can be fatal to wildlife. When old or used mono is removed from a reel, cut it into 6" lengths before putting it in the trash. This will prevent entanglement in the land fills. It can also be dropped off in the "mono recycle bin" at your local tackle shop. See here for an easy way to strip line off any reel and prep it for the trash.
Now, about Catch and Release
Going out, hooking and catching that big game fish of a lifetime is the ultimate thrill for every angler. But then to kill it just for a few photo's is irresponsible, unnecessary and becoming very unpopular. Today you don't need a carcass in order to have a beautiful mount. Take photos, then measure the length and the girth. Thats all the taxidermist needs to create a fiberglass reproduction of your trophy that won't ever rot.
We have to recognize that like everything else, the seas and everything in them are a limited resource. Every resource has to be respected and maintained, otherwise it can and eventually will be depleted. There is an extremely delicate balance of species in our waters. Every species interacts and affects every other species in one way or another and if that balance is interrupted, the effects can be catastrophic. The effect may not be readily visible, but it is there.
Lets take Redfish or Red Drum as an example. During their lifespan,
they go from eggs to frye to fingerlings, juveniles to adults and so on. In each stage of their life, they are food for some species and eventually feed on other species. Like most fish, they don't start reproducing until adulthood. If, say the larger fish (breeding stock) are heavily harvested, then over time the numbers will obviously decline. Studies have shown that in this circumstance, they will start maturing and breeding earlier in their life and at a smaller size. The offspring produced will carry the genes of the smaller parent, and therefore be limited in size to their parent. This will in effect over time reduce the overall size (in length) of the fish population. It will also decrease the number of offspring produced because of fewer adults in the breeding population.
Everybody wants to catch a big fish and the largest of each species is what ends up in the record books, but we have to realize that these large fish are also the breeding stock of each species. In order to maintain the species, this breeding stock must be maintained. It is not to say that they cannot be caught. As long as they are harvested on a very limited basis, then the population can maintain itself.
Table Fare?
As far as harvesting them for food, the largest of any species is usually not recommended. Typically the best time to keep a fish for table fare is in its juvenile to young adult state. As most fish reach mid to late maturity, the meat gets tougher and stronger tasting. So to keep the mature adults of any species for food is not good for the species, but it’s also not good for the table either.
A Guideline.
So what size do we keep? If you take the maximum length of any given species and divide it by 2, then go 10% up and 10% down, you should have your window. Lets say a redfish grows to a maximum length of around 50”. Half of that would be 25 inches. 10% of 50 is 5 inches. So redfish @ 20 – 30 inches would typically be the best tasting and most desirable table fare. This is only a guideline and not to be confused with state regulations. Also in harvesting this size of fish, the breeding stock would have very little pressure on it.
Here's to Success!!
We as anglers spend good money on boats, motors, rods, reels, tackle and accessories for one purpose... TO CATCH FISH!!! When we go fishing we all want to be successful and bring home, not only good eats, but also great pictures, video and stories. In order to do this successfully more often, we need to practice responsible angling. That means that we harvest fish responsibly and only keep what we are going to eat.
It also means while we are in or around their environment, we make as little impact as possible by using the right tackle for the right job. If you are unsure as to what tackle is appropriate, ASK!! Doing your homework before a fishing trip can make it much more productive. If you don't know where to go for area-specific information, then email or call me. I have a wealth of knowlege and many other resources to call upon to get answers to specific questions. If I don't know, I will find out!!
So next time you go fishing, know your target species. Know the regulations regarding catch limits and what tackle is appropriate to catch it successfully. Then if you don’t plan on eating it, release it to fight another day… If we all practice this, then fish can maintain healthy populations and we can be more successful on the water.
We, as seasoned responsible anglers must lead by example in this effort and educate the future anglers of tomorrow. We will all benefit in the long run and so will the wildlife.