Seatrout ethics

[Redbelly]

Question for you seatrout tournament fishermen.

You have a self-made limit on what size trout over the LEGAL 20" limit you will "kill".

You love to fish the local trout tournaments.

Do these local tournaments have a limit on the length of the one over 20" trout you can weigh in?

If not, (I don't recollect any), then what would you do when you pull in a she trout over 28", over 30"??

Money is at stake and awards you know!

If your ethics are as such to restrict such a KILL, ( and you don't mind admonishing others who legally don't adhere to your self made limits); then why are you fishing with others (myself included), that will surely bring one in?

How do you justify fishing in the tournament?

[Chalk]

As I stated on the other post, tournament fishing and recreational fishing are black and white (meaning night and day) subjects.

I would love to see the tournaments use catch and release, as they do in some Texas trout tournament trails. Where live fish are rewarded and dead fish are penalized, as with most professional & amateur fish tournaments. If I had a choice between a kill tournament and a release tournament, I would choose the release tournament, no questions asked, every time. But your not going to see that here because nobody wants to deal with tournament tanks, release boats, compressed oxygen, etc. The whining about buying additional equipment will prevail over the mortality.

If I am not fishing a tournament, I release all trout over 20", unless a guest wants some fish to take home. If the fish is over 23" it will go back regardless of my guests wishes.

If you want to keep a 30" trout go ahead...I won't say nothing, but I will think what a shame a great resource is gone. If I catch a 30" trout in a tournament, I will be in a perplexing situation and question whether $100 is worth the loss of a great resource. There will probably be a fight on the boat or I'll get blind sided with a paddle

What would you do if you had a potential state record speckled trout, not only a state record specimen, but caught on a fly rod as well?

CARL "BUD" ROWLAND has caught three record speckled trout on his Numero Uno patterns. For each fish, he was either sight fishing or drifting from a boat in 6 to 8 inches of water. He caught the record 16-pound, 6-ounce speckled trout on 16-pound tippet drifting a spoil bank on the Lower Laguna Madre.

"It was midday, and there were southeasterly winds, so we had tremendous visibility. Three fish — two big ones and what I presume was one small male— swam straight at me. I figured the small fish would try to out-race the big females to the fly, so I put the fly as close to the biggest fish as a I dared, and she inhaled it."

While Rowland weighed his catch, several bait fishers came over and acted as witnesses. As he held the fish, eggs fell onto the deck. Rowland moved to release the fish, and one of the witnesses offered him $100 for the fish. Rowland turned him down, and by releasing the fish, he disqualified himself for a state record.

"I just couldn't kill such a genetic factor. " he said, "Those big females surely must produce more eggs and offspring more likely to survive."

[Jumptrout51]

I have saltwater trout fished for 55 years.
I haved fished TeamSeatrout tournaments for 10 years. NFGFC tournaments for 6 years and numerous other annual tournaments.
I am yet to see a 30" trout brought to the scale.
A half dozen 27-28" in 10 years.
Numerous 25-26" in 10 years.
The 30" fish are not as rare as one might think. They are just smarter and harder to catch than one might think.
I have seen several,( and my vision sucks)even hooked a few.
Never landed any.
If I am so lucky on tournament day she goes to the scales. Then on the wall.
Practice days its' pic and flick.

[SHOWBOAT]

I have saltwater trout fished for 55 years.
I haved fished TeamSeatrout tournaments for 10 years. NFGFC tournaments for 6 years and numerous other annual tournaments.
I am yet to see a 30" trout brought to the scale.
A half dozen 27-28" in 10 years.
Numerous 25-26" in 10 years.
The 30" fish are not as rare as one might think. They are just smarter and harder to catch than one might think.
I have seen several,( and my vision sucks)even hooked a few.
Never landed any.
If I am so lucky on tournament day she goes to the scales. Then on the wall.
Practice days its' pic and flick.

I'm not as "seasoned" as JT, but share his views on large fish. I have seen but never caught a 30". My personal largest trout to date is 27" and was realeased. The largest fish I took to the scales last year was 24".

[Wadey]

My respect to all you guys who practice catch and release, I also respect those that keep their catch for the table, as long as they are legal per the state regs. but my total respect goes to all that release the specimen fish.....take that photo for the wall!

[jsuber]

In the Kayak Tournaments we practice Catch-Photo-Release. Some take it to heart and think its because we are peace loving tree hugging dirt lovers. But actualyy its more practical to photograph your fish with everyone using the same brand ruler, and a marker that is given out the night before the tournament starts with your participant number on it. That way they know you caught the fish during the day of the tournament. We also take a first photograph of ourself, and then the kayak, with the marker, at the boat ramp at first light. All the photos after that are the CPR (Catch-Photo-Release) pictures. Works pretty good, and now a days they have software with a measuring tool in it that takes a measurement of the mearsuring tape for scale then they use that to measure your fish, no matter what you think it measured. Tournaments of this type may still kill a few fish, but have a smaller impact on the fish population than a traditional kill tournament.

[Capt_J]

I am very new to interacting within this forum so forgive me for jumping in. I have been priveledged to fish many successful tournaments over the years: sailfish, wahoo, kingfish, shark, tarpon, snook, redfish, trout, etc. By far, the most consistently gratifying(for me) were the 'catch and release' tourneys (or ones using the photo technology mentioned). Don't get me wrong, in my earlier years I brought home my share of fish for 'viewing' purposes at the weighins. Today, I would not do it. I love the fellowship and the competitive aspect around fishing tournaments. I hope to have the priveledge of fishing in a few of the Big Bend tourneys and look forward to meeting many of you. If they're not catch and release(or similar), I'll have to figure a strategy, but I'll still be enjoying. Tight lines team...

[Littoral]

Ate some trout for supper yesterday.
I have caught and measured a 27 (with witnesses).
I would have laid a lot of money that fish went close to 30. Giant, but still 27.
Anybody have any pics from around here measuring a 30?
I think they're here but very few and far between.

If you want to keep a 30" trout go ahead...I won't say nothing...

I will.
Peace loving tree hugging dirt lover here & damn proud of it.

[Redbelly]

And if you say something it should be a complaint with the FWC, not a man well within his legal rights and who has a different opinion of stewardship of the resources.

When you have the scientific credentials and law on your side then that should give you a right to impose opinion upon another.

I don't think there is one person on this forum that breaks the limit laws.

If you fish in a tournament that will allow a LEGAL 30" trout "killed" for the weigh-in, FOR MONEY, then you sir are participating in that which you publically admonish!

Double Standard...that is the heart of this whole issue to me.

[RD]

Ate some trout for supper yesterday.
I have caught and measured a 27 (with witnesses).
I would have laid a lot of money that fish went close to 30. Giant, but still 27.
Anybody have any pics from around here measuring a 30?
I think they're here but very few and far between.

If you want to keep a 30" trout go ahead...I won't say nothing...

I will.
Peace loving tree hugging dirt lover here & damn proud of it.

I have a pic of one 29 1/2 but poor only 15 1/2 girth= 8 1/2 lbs she had already spawned, it was caught in 1995,I will try to find it and get a friend to scan it and send it to me,after a lot of guiding and commercial fishing over the years that was the biggest one I have seen in our area,if I keep one to eat it will be barely 15in same way with redfish,18in is really bigger than I like to eat but they force you to keep the bigger ones.

[Chalk]

If you fish in a tournament that will allow a LEGAL 30" trout "killed" for the weigh-in, FOR MONEY, then you sir are participating in that which you publically admonish!

If you are referring to me, you should reread my comments, because I have not publicly admonished anyone or anything. I have though expressed my beliefs and tried to inform you as others have said that a large trout is a valuable resource. Secondly, I told you that I have a hard time keeping trout in a kill tournament and would prefer a release. Thirdly, I fish tournaments because I like the fellowship and the competition and understand that I have to bring a fat sack to the weigh in. I eat all my catch or give it to someone that will.

If you think I am still living and professing a double standard...well then sharp like ball and fast like stick

If you do not want debate, then don't ask for it.

[Dubble Trubble]

Chalk,

I think he was referring to what Littoral said.....

I would probably release a female over 25". I think the smaller ones eat better anyway. However, I will also say anyone who wants to keep and eat a LEGAL trout, I have no problem with it.

As for keeping one just for the record, my opinion is the same of those people that it is of the deer hunters who only kill for the rack. NOT very good sportsmanship or good stewardship in my book.

I also think the best way to increase the trout population is for everyone to try and educate folks that the large females can produce many, many little ones, and to release them. Many folks just do not realize this fact and most would probably be glad to start releasing them back, knowing it would help increase future populations.

But the reality also is that even one big red tide will kill more trout than 10 years of releasing big females could produce....

But hey, we can try, right?

Dubble

[noleflyfisher]

I have never before, nor will I here, criticize anyone for taking a fish within the regulations. Whether it be a kill tournament or a recreational angler's catch of the day, it is each anglers decision to do what he believes is in his best interest. After all, none of us owe anything to each other or to the fishery. Kinda cynical; but if the law allows it, the law allows it and the fishery can supposedly sustain the loss.

I choose to let my fish swim because I enjoy "using" the resource and appreciate its fragile state. For the most part, I suspect that most folks that consistently catch big trout recognize this and turn 'em loose. In fact, I haven't been fishing these waters as long as most of you, but I have seen an increase in big trout (24+ inches) over the last several years. As to 30" fish, I think there are more than the catch rate suggests. I have caught lots of fish in the 24-26" range that were paired up or grouped with fish that were noticeably larger. With that said, my biggest north Florida trout was this 28 inch fish that weighed just over 8lbs:



And she's still swimming:



Happy New Year, cheers to all, and I'll do my level best to "board" a picture of a 30" incher this Spring.

[RD]

This has been one of our biggest problems fishing........trying to force ones individual ethics and beliefs on others.I personally don't"trophy hunt". I have no horns,fish or ducks mounted on my walls,I either eat,give away or sell everything I catch and kill.We had a ham off a doe last night.
I have no problem with someone who does keep trophys,the problem I have is with ass backwards fish management that forces me to keep fish bigger than I want to eat.
If we have a upper slot limit and a bag limit then if I want to keep a mess to eat 5 12 to 14 in trout that are not at spawning age would be better for me and the fishery than me keeping 5 bigger fish that are full of roe.

For those of you who really believe what you are preaching shouldn't be fishing at all in April ,May and Sept. when the hens are full of roe and spawning.It's a great feel good measure to turn that sow loose but if you wore that fish out with light tackle and stressed it then it will do like all creatures and abort the eggs. The other part you don't see is now that we have protected all the predators is that totally wore out fish is now a sitting duck for anything that wants to eat it.

As far as more bigger trout now than there used to be,there's not.It may be due to your fishing skills getting better and the places that you fish in now.
For those who were not here or saltwater fishing in 1989,when the Christmas freeze happened there was a estimated one million trout lost in that one event,red tide takes it's toll too but the biggest single impact I see on trout fishing is there is no such thing as schooling trout during the spawn any more,anytime 2 trout get together in April or May there is a boat runs between them. The only thing a marking jug is good for any more is to keep the boys from Ga. fishing there so you can slip off

[Redbelly]

Chalk the issue is not directed at you, so don't take this personally.

I am addressing what anyone professes their ethics to be , and what their actions are. In particular when one condemns publically keeping large trout, which, they by action support and condone when participating in a trout tournament. The major incentive in a trout tournament is weight, so, isn't that an incentive to weigh in a 28" trout should you be lucky enough to catch one? Don't most trout tournaments allow a legal trout over 20" with NO limit on length? Don't most of the trout tournys have a KILL weigh-in?

If what I am addressing here offends you then that is an issue for you to deal with on a personal level, as I am not directing anything to you as I have not seen you do what I am addressing.

Peace....and a Happy New Year!