Would you throw back the big ones?

[Bobber]

Hello everyone,

Firstly I'd like to thank you all for your opinions and input into the current topic of Sunfish. Your views are being taken into consideration, and I am proud to say that you are all playing an important role in these discussions.

To this end, I have another question for you...

With the end state goal to protect the resource into the future and ensure our bodies of water have a good number of "large" Sunfish, if an Education Program was put in place to communicate to anglers the benefits of "releasing" the larger fish, and allow them to continue healthy breeding, would you buy into such a program and protect the future of the resource by throwing the big ones back, and taking more of the smaller ones for the table? (A pound of meat is a pound of meat)

In this case, "you" would decide what is "big", instead of the ministry putting a limit on the size. Would you actively participate in such a program?

It is to be noted that fish "stunting" (growth defects) is caused by a lack of large healthy males for breeding. A stunted body of water may have lots of fish, but the size of them are very small.

Votes are more important in this case, no comments are required, however please feel free to comment if you wish to.

[gerrymackenzie]

No question about it. I fish for the enjoyment, the "quiet" time and the comeraderie of friends and family. I always take my camera just in case I EVER hook into the "big" one.

[wolfe]

This is a belief our family adheres to and we try to spread the word about.

I am so surprised at how many people still believe that "throwing the little ones back to grow and keeping the big ones" is helping the population (of any fish).

W.

[Lonnie]

Hey Rob - You're continued use of fish-hawk to get input from anglers on this issue is invaluable. The question as it is currently posed however lends itself to a misleading answer. Based on the type of angler which visits Fish-hawk - they tend to already be conservation minded and very aware of impacts of overharvest - they also have a vested interest in keeping local fisheries strong and healthy. I don't think you need regulations for that segment of the population. The regulations are needed for a small minority who wouldn't voluntarily comply. Cleary we need laws to protect anglers from keeping too many walleye, bass, crappies, perch, muskies, etc. The same reasons that we couldn't rely on voluntary regs to protect them is the same reason they wouldn't work for sunfish.

cheers,
LK

[RJ]

If a limit is imposed as it should be the size of the fish becomes moot.....keeping 50 9 inch Gills vs 250 7 inch gills....I'll go with the 50 count being kept as being better for their population....

Here's a reality that is looming over this.....we rarely see CO's now....so someone that is basically running a commercial operation on these fish isn't going to be too concerned about whether he is within the "size limit"...once it goes thru his cleaning station you'll never know how big they were anyways....

A limit of 50....and a possesion limit of 100 is VERY liberal....but I can live with it....this stops the nonsense and allows folks to have enough fish for dozens of meals at home....

RJ

[Bobber]

Thanks guys,

Yes, I'm pretty sure I already know the answers that I'm going to get here, however out of the interest of sharing, and "just in case" my thinking is incorrect, it's nice to keep people in the loop on things that are being looked at, and if nothing else help educate people on things they may or may not have known, through the various responses we get here.

When the final decisions are made and brought to the public, it is my hope that people will have had a pre-screening of the various topics of discussion that have been happening and get a better understanding on what and why they will be made privy to when the time comes for public consultation. Knowledge is power, and the more you know about what others think, the more knowledgeable you become as you form your own opinions, and hence may get a better appreciation for the amount of work that has been put into making particular decisions.

Thanks for the comments. I do appreciate them, even though I may already know what the answers are from this community of anglers.

Cheers,

[Chevy Champagne]

yep since i fish for walleye alot i always let any walleye over 5 pounds go since they are usualy the rivers main sponers and the ottawa river counts on thouse fish to keep the population safe and still rising
i admit i do keep as many slot sized walleye as poisble for a good feast at the end of the season but their usualy males
i have noticed the ottawa river has becoming a better fishery since i have moved here and im sure their are alot of people out their that have made that happen thanks to all of them
and all of thouse people out their that let the big ones go
i dont tend to fish for sun fish our crappie that often but when i do i keep a couple 8 to 10 inch fish and thier good but not to many and nothing over 11 inches for sponing
tight lines
walleye man

[1lastcast]

In terms of Pan fish I would have to say that I dont really keep any for the table. As for other fish I voted "let them live" I fish bass and walleye mostly and almost all my bass go back into the water. Walleye I release anything over 5lbs or so. And give most of the smaller ones away to co anglers or friends.

[gorfman007]

Most of the time I release all of my catch. I might keep some if others in the party want a "feed". But on my own... all goes back in except injured ones of course.(there are very few of those)

[riverdog]

I try not to eat the bigger fish of any specie due to me mostly fishing the St.Lawerence and that usually means they have been in the water longer, not a science backed thing something that just works for my mind. I also believe that releasing the bigger ones means better spawners with bigger off-spring.

[Joisey Joe]

I'm a catch, click and release guy with all fish! The only time I keep some is when I go bluefishin on the briny in the summer, thems good eats! Joe.

[RJ]

Sunfish and other panfish boys.....this is not in reference to all fish.....

[Markus]

To be honest, and this is coming from someone who doesn't have sunfish in his backyard anymore....If I get the chance to catch sunnies while in ON, I'll want a limit of the biggest fillets I can find to bring home.

[HereMyGo]

Hmm..

Maybe times are different or something, but I've never kept a sunfish or even had the thought cross my mind to keep one. So I'll throw them back regardless of the size.

I find them to be more of a nuissance anyways.

[big-o]

When i can find good size ones I'll take 20 or 30 home(blue gills,seeds ,sunfish)... great eating fish, I have never kept 50 ...just to much to clean, even using the electric knife.