Is it just me?

[KarstRanger]

It seems I am in the minority here but any lizard fish or catfish that finds its way into my boat is going to have a VERY bad day!

Well, you would be in the minority around me. What little damage you put on the catfish/lizardfish population by killing one or a dozen and one is not going make even the slightest difference in the "pressure" they feel as a species in the Gulf - so why not just let them go on their way?

[Mr Flats]

It seems I am in the minority here but any lizard fish or catfish that finds its way into my boat is going to have a VERY bad day!

Well, you would be in the minority around me. What little damage you put on the catfish/lizardfish population by killing one or a dozen and one is not going make even the slightest difference in the "pressure" they feel as a species in the Gulf - so why not just let them go on their way?

Well if you do the math in total: thousands of fisherman in the gulf harvesting 10 of thousands of Reds; Trout; Macks; etc annually while releasing a comparable number of cats & lizards, it is easy to see how in a few short years there is an increasing strain on the favored species while the others are left to grow relatively unchecked.

For the record I try not to waste the cats and am usually able to give them away. The lizards become chum.

Actually its interesting that folks take issue with this yet I bet a lot of folks here have needlessly killed pinfish and shrimp they didn't use. Or if out on a hunt would or have killed a wild dog so that the dog won't kill deer, etc. Yet these same folks are upset with someone for killing a catfish....

Oh well as I said earlier in the thread, I am not looking to convert anyone and hope that you can respect other's opinions on issues like this...

[What a mess]

If its fresh and little its chum or bait, if its fresh and big its dinner.

I heard a story last year where a shrimper gave a guy three triple tail a flounder and a few misc other fish.

As the story goes the triple tail where delicious.

[Dubble Trubble]

They are aggressive fish who are not "pressured" by fisherman as most of us usually just throw them back. Yet, we harvest a number of other species reducing their population whilst the lizard and cats populations are left to grow relatively unchecked...

You have brought up a point that I have never really thought about. We do reduce the numbers of trout, reds, cobia, spanish...etc, yet we throw back the trash fish. I am sure we mess up the balance of nature doing that. I just have not really sat down to think of what a good solution would be.

I guess it is like the fact that if we all stopped using gasoline, the pollution would be reduced, but who is gonna stop first....me...you....them....?

Dubble