If you keep a non-native species, do you still C&R?

[hugefish_80]

The perspective from the cornfield


Out here we have a lot of small shallow lakes and ponds and very few trout supporting waters. With that in mind, all of my trout are stockers that are planted annually in a few lakes in the area to provide a little sport. They are put in in the fall when the water temp drops and die off in the spring when the water warms. I keep most of these trout that I catch (up to my limit) when I go out. Why? Because they are going to die out very soon and be catfish bait anyway. Honestly, I am not even that much of a fan of them as table fare, but I have a lot of friends who are. I give away a ton of fish every year. Other than trout I fish a couple of large ponds that have an overpopulation of crappies. I'm talking about places where 200 fish afternoons are entirely likely. the majority of these fish are in the 8-9" class just because thats where they run out of groceries to get bigger. What do I do when I fish these places? I keep my limit every time. Not because I need the fish, not because I particularly want to clean them, but because I have spoken with several fisheries biologists who say that keeping them is the only way to help out the pond and grow bigger crappies. I think in that way I am doing my part to help the resource. In one of those ponds there is a tremendous population of white perch. I keep every one of those damn things. I feel a little silly filleting a 4 inch fish sometimes, but I can't abide throwing them back because I know what they do to the food web in my ponds. I believe that keeping these fish is actually part of doing my duty as a steward of the resource. I don't throw fish on the bank, I don't throw them in the garbage, I feed people with them. I believe that making sure that they don't go to waste is my responsibility to the Lord and the fish. I chose to harvest them knowing that I should put them to good use.

Now the flip side. In these same ponds that have the overpopulation of crappies and the white perch I throw back every bass I catch. Why? Because white perch eat bass eggs and they're having a hard enough time that I don't feel right taking out any of the breeding stock. Besides, bass eat crappie, and that is going to help bring the crappie population into line so that bigger fish will grow there. Do I want to keep bass? Bass make extraordinarily fish tacos... But I don't because I want to be a good steward of the resource. There are other places to catch bass if in want a few to eat.

Whats the take home message? Know your resource. If the place you are fishing is able to support responsible, selective harvest and you want to keep a few then go right ahead. If the spot you are fishing would actually be helped out by keeping some of those fish, especially the "invasive" ones; then it might be party of your duty as an angler to take a few fish home with you. It's like packing out more trash than you brought in, it's a way to improve the resource. Finally, if you know a place has a lot of fishing pressure, or if you know that a fish population is struggling; respect the resource by only keeping the fish that are absolutely necessary (ie. deeply hooked, bleeding, etc.)

Thats just my take on the matter, now i'll get off my stump and watch to see if I killed another thread.

Tight lines all (whether you keep them or not)

Fish