How Did You Learn Selective Harvest?

[eyepatrol]

Just curious how everyone learned to practice selective harvest?

For me, it was basically forced. Back in the 90's on my favorite lake a slot size was introduced on walleyes. At the time, it was a "nightmare come true". I'll be the first to admit that back in the day, we kept everything. It took a couple years to get used to the concept, but we quickly saw (and reaped) the benefits of selective harvest. The fishing has since been phenomenal and I have practiced selective harvest for some years now on all species of fish.

I grew up in the days where it was "catch it and keep it" regardless of size. "Meat for the table". Having selective harvest "forced" on me wasn't something I was enthused about in the beginning, but now that I've practiced it for better than 10 years, it's been a joy to see the bigg'uns swim away and have the knowlege that the next year will likely be just as good, if not better, than the one before.

[Scott M]

DNR pamphlets and in-fish. Finally started seeing the effects of fishing pressure and exploitation on certain lakes, and the benefits of C&R on others. Night and day. Now I hardly keep a fish.

"A gamefish is too valuable to be caught only once" -Lee Wolfe

Totally true quote. I can get by on a few little panfish and some walleyes for a whole year, don't need too many fish for the pan. I'd rather have fun catching them in the lake.

[David Kasten]

I think a lot about them days that i have where i just cant seem to catch a fish and start thinking what it would be like it thats how it was all the time.

[tacklejunkie]

forced by law here, also. Now, even if a lake does not have a slot, i let go any walleyes over 18"

[Jameson]

Trip to Canada when I was a teenager. The fishing was great up there, and a slot was the rule.

[Sandmannd]

Good topic. I grew up in ND and my Dad loved to fish. My Mom didn't let him do it much. I was brought up that you kept pretty much everything you caught, big or small. I moved out here in 2000 and didn't fish much the first few years. Got a boat a two summers ago and really started to fish hard again and got into ice fishing. I learned with the slots and then when I found this site I learned a lot about what selective harvest does. Now, I keep enough fish to eat in a short time. When my parents are in town I will keep a limit because they can eat some fish and love the heck out of it. They'll be here for a few weeks at a time and if I can I'll keep a limit of pannies each week, but they get eaten and enjoyed. The rest of the time, I just keep a few because that's enough for my wife and I to enjoy.

[tisosy11]

I don't care to clean many fish...therefore I don't keep many...

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Good question.

Its hard for me to pinpoint one thing. A little from my dad. In-fisherman and other publications as well.

Probably most of it has to do with the fact that I grew up interested in bass fishing where C&R/selective harvest is the mentality of most fisherman. I guess it just sort of overlapped into all species for me.

[late night]

Certainly not from my dad. He has the "old school" mantality that he paid for the license and the gear and he is going to get his money worth. Dumb to me but try changing any old-timers mind. Its impossible. I have literally yelled at him to "Release that fish!" Same thing aplies to his deer hunting tactics.

I guess I figure I get to fish enough were I dont need to keep everything because I know if I want a meal I can usually go get some fresh ones and I have more fun knowing the fish might survive another day and give me another battle.

[BobT]

For me I guess it's just in my nature. Don't know why particularly but I was raised with a sense of not buying, taking, or keeping what one can't use. For this reason I believe that I won't keep fish or other game unless I feel I will have a use for it within a reasonable time. I also grew up in a moderately large family with 6 brothers and sisters and we learned early on about sharing and I think this trait has carried on into how I view our resources.

This isn't to say that there are times that my morals aren't tested for they are.

I don't have any other explanation but I do know that I had these feelings long before catch and release was a catch phrase.

Bob

[eyepatrol]

I was actually impressed with my dad a few years back. Up in Canada he caught his biggest 'eye ever....a 30.5"er. I wasn't even there that year, but he released the fish on his own. Back in the day, he would have kept it I'm sure. Heck, if I were there, I might have even encouraged him to mount it (30"er is my goal for a mount). But he released it! Pretty proud and impressed by that.

[52#FLATHEAD]

I learned it as a little kid w/ livestock on our farm. Wildlife is kinda like livestock, it's gotta be managed if you want & return from it. There are always certain circumstances for harvesting small & large fish. Each fishery is affected by different factors or even the same factors differently.

[BigGrassBass]

I'm allergic to fish and seafood. I only keep a few now and again for the wife or for my mom.

[blackdog1101]

Once you get the concept of letting the little ones go so they can grow up, it's not too hard to understand the concept of letting the big ones go so they can make more little ones.

[rockman]

Got it mostly from In-Fisherman books,videos,and TV show.I learned catch and release many years back, from B.A.S.S.,and the bass pros.

[Bigeye30"]

I would have to put myself in the boat of many as it seems, I was also brought up practically keeping every fish, with the exception that walleyes needed to be at least 14" thank god for one rule, but I would have to give the majority of the credit to the Canadian gov't. Each year we spent a week in Canada on the Lac Seul chain and for years there was never a slot, and I will admit that our group certainly did it's damage, well low and behold one year the slot was introduced and the limit was lowered on the amount of fish one could transport back, let's just say this it didn't sit well with some, I personally never minded it as all I really wanted to do was catch them, If I recall it was about the third year that we really noticed the difference, not just the amount of fish that we caught there but the quality was there, that pretty much sealed the deal for me, I decided to implement my own slot from there on out wherever I fished, know as the years have progressed even further, it's only common nature,

[Hammer Handle]

My father many years ago.

We used to get a lot of grouse hunting. After a bad winter, the next fall he made the rule "No shooting grouse this year, numbers are down." As a teenager, I was shocked.

Fishing was the same. Yes, we keep meals of fish...but some big ones are let go. If the fish is fat with eggs, no keeping it. The lake we fish has few walleyes in it...so they are let go. Want a meal of fish? Well, then fish sunfish...which are plentiful.

Yes, some big fish have been kept and we are not perfect. But, we try to manage what we can.

[fishcast]

Like others have mentioned I learned a lot about selective harvest from certain magazines and tv shows promoting it.

But I still remember a number of years ago watching my dad catch the biggest fish I had seen at that point in my life which was a 27.5" brown on a fly rod under the full moon out in Montana, and couldn't believe it when he said he was going to let it go rather than mount it. I don't know if that started something, but now I wouldn't even think of keeping a trophy fish, cause it is so cool to watch the huge fish swim away and know others could have that same exciting experience too.

Although selective harvest is much more than releasing trophy fish I would say that experience affected my views on fish a lot.

Also in the last few years I believe I have seen firsthand what overharvest or maybe I should say unselective harvest can do to lakes.

[jigging-matt]

My grandfather taught me selective harvest. He instilled the you catch it you clean it, so only keep as many as you can eat. He was always telling me to make sure you only keep as many as you need, so that they will be there for years to come. Sure do miss him.

[goose89]

Infisherman magazine and show. Great topic with positive replies.

[tisosy11]

The ole 'you catch it you clean it', I'm lucky enough to have my grandpa tell me that still.

[polarsusd81]

Yep. I pretty much learned it from In-Fish and seeing the results. I figured out at an early age that if you let some go, they will be there the next time you go fishing. When I want panfish, I will keep 3 or 4 small ones for myself, and if others want to eat fish with me, they better bundle up and come out there and enjoy the experience with me. I know far too many people that will cook up 5 or 6 panfish per person and throw half of it away, and I say something about it when it happens. Keep a few in the middle, throw the tinks and tonks back for another day.