Waaaa

[kb1965]

Went to Winnie fishing today and ended up catching a 38" northern and a 28" walleye. Go figure I would catch them today. Also me with no camera just some good memories for me and the guys I went with today. Did come home with 20 nice jumbo perch though

[spinach]

congrats on 2 very nice fish, but I hope you would of released them anyway even if the season was still open. The way your post reads is you would of kept them if they were in season. I apologize if I misunderstood though. please consider cpr in the future so others can enjoy a nice fish like the ones you caught.

[united jigsticker]

In perspective:

If the season was open and I caught a 28" Walleye I would put it back. Why? I have a 30" on the wall.

If I did not have the 30" on the wall I would favorably take that 28" and have her stuffed.

Why?

In my angling pursuits and the given bodies of water I fish, the odds of me ever catching another Walleye beating the 27" mark is very unfavorable.

For some, who often fish bodies such as Mille, Winni, LOW, Leech etc., then yes, trophy fish may come with a magical 32" or 33" mark.

For your everyday Panfisherman, like myself, a 30" Walleye was one for the sheetrock in the living room.

But like I said, I have my "framer" and the rest will all be released if they are over 20".

As far as "Pikus Interuptus", I eat the occasional 3-5 lb "Toothy Slimer", but put most of these population checkers back.

Fish On! Fish off!

[spinach]

for mounting purposes yes that is a nice walleye but lots of people keep a 28" for bragging/eating purposes so it depends on your personal situation, well said united jigsticker. (never forget the camera) lol

[mnfishman]

I read a post on another forum that had this guy braging about his 10lb eye that he took home and ate. Some people just don't get it.

[bigpike]

so it is ok to hang it on the wall but now it is not ok to eat? if all you are going to do is look at it on the wall, why not just take a picture and hang that on the wall? oh wait, it is a "trophy". don't get me wrong, if i ever catch a monster i would probably have it mounted as well. my point is whether you mount it or eat it, you both are taking the fish from the population. i find it hard to say one is unsportsman like while doing the other yourself.

[Caesarfishinguytoo]

Well, you could take a picture get the measurements and have a fiberglass repoduction done and then you did not eat it or hang it on the wall and left if for the next guy to catch. But in defense of mounting as oppose to eating. They would just mount the one and then release all the rest of the wall hangers. Where a meat hunter could possibly eat more than one wall hanger. My brother has a nice northern on his wall and since has caught numerous northerns the same size or bigger and released every one of those fish. These fish would of been eaten by a meat hunter.

[Bushwacker]

The problem I have with someone keeping a "trophy" size fish to eat is that the huge ones don't even taste good. I don't see any point in keeping a fish that could spawn thousands, maybe millions more fish, just to eat. Mounting is a different story in my opinion. Just like was said, if somebody keeps one to mount, they keep just one. And after that all of the rest go back. I love to walk into someone's house and see a mounted fish. Everyone that has a fish mounted has a great story and great memories everytime they talk about it or even look at it when they walk past. That is one of many factors that give all of us things like Vexilars, portables, millions of lures to choose from, and what makes our sport what it is today. Just my opinion.

[Steve Foss]

bigpike:

You can eat a trophy AND have it mounted. Taxidermist will save the meat for you when he skins it. Big walleyes taste worse than little walleyes, I've heard. Never eaten one over 3 lb, never will unless I'm in an extreme hunger situation.

Part of the point, perhaps, is that if you're going to take a big female with all that egg-laying power out of the system, it's better if you hang it on the wall so you can look at it your whole life as a reminder of the awesome moment. While you can also eat the big fish, eating it only lasts for a couple days. So if you only eat it and throw the mount possibility away, you aren't using it to its fullest.

Plenty of cultures don't care about mounting fish, just eating fish, and I'm not here to say they're wrong, either.

------------------
"I still miss my ex-wives, but my aim is getting better!"
Steve Foss
[email protected]

[united jigsticker]

I figure mounting a fish is a one time thing, per species. At least for me it is.

If you are taking a trophy home to eat, to me it is not very resourceful, but thats only my opinion.

If you are fishing for a meal, odds favor if you get a 30" Walleye you probably are getting some smaller ones as well.

If you are fishing for Crappies and get a 30" Walleye...well, you'll probably be pretty pumped. But I doubt it will be the only fish you catch.

If you are casting a spinner bait for "Jacks" and get a 30" Walleye, then you are some sort of lucky streak angler who deserves a trophy for merely being so fortunate.

I am not one to judge another angler as to what he/she should keep or release.

Just because I don't feel a Walleye over 20" is a good eater doesn't mean that to someone else a 32" Gator isn't the best for a submarine Steaker with some mayo and lemon juice in a big doughy bun with some lettuce.

Truth be told, if it's in season, and there is no slot, keep what you really want, as long as it won't go to waste. That's my only concern.

If ya got 5 in the well that are 20" chances are that the 30" monster isn't gonna be the fish that makes or breaks your dinner plans though.

Fish On! Fish Off!

[This message has been edited by united jigsticker (edited 02-18-2003).]

[slabberknocker]

I will probably catch heck for this, but here it goes. If a person wants to keep a 30" whether to mount it, eat it or both, no one has the right to judge him, call him a non-sportsman and so on. If the person did not break any laws, he has every right to keep it and not be harassed for this. These type of discussions turn so negative that it is getting old. So let's not harass people for keeping big fish. If it is legal, they have every right to do so.

Slab

[bigpike]

Again, I don't have a problem with eating or having the fish mounted. My problem is with condemning one and not the other. As Caesarfishinguytoo said, the fiberglass reproductions would eliminate both issues and leave the fish in the lake. As far as those keeping only one mount and releasing all subsequent, I don't really beleive that. Granted, some do, but I would bet that there are just as many out there with 2 or more mounts as there are with only one. As far as taste as a reason for not eating, if somebody continually eats larger fish, they apparently think it tastes pretty darn good, and thus taste would not be an issue. Again, whether you are keeping the fish to eat or to hang on the wall, you are still keeping it. As far as eating and not mounting not using the fish to it fullest potential, after removing it from the population we have prevented the fish from reaching its fullest potential. The only difference between the mount on a wall or a picture is that the mount just makes your head a little bit bigger when you walk into the room. You can tell the story and have the memories regardless of whats on your wall or whether you eat it or not.

right on slabberknocker

[This message has been edited by bigpike (edited 02-18-2003).]

[MNUser]

WOW...all kb1965 did was tell about a good day fishing and look what happened. This happens with every post made:

Don't eat them
Don't hang them
Don't use hooks
Don't use lead
Yada yada yada

Nice fish kb1965. I'm sure it was fun! Thanks for sharing. I hope you continue to do so.

[kb1965]

Thanks one and all, the worst part of the trip was I live in St. Cloud and drove 3 hours to fish and left my camera at home. That was what really hurt. The northern and walleye would have been released even if the season was open yet.