release or grease

[warmouth]

I keep roughly 250 per year. I keep them depending on what my freezer looks like, or if we want fresh fish that day.

It is getting rare that I keep full limits of 30, because that cuts into my desire to fish the next time. I much prefer to keep 8-10, release the rest that day, eat the 8-10 fresh ones, and then "need" some more fish later.

Before winter hits hard, I like to have 100-120 stock piled in the freezer.

[huntinslabs]

Same here. I would trade every crappie in the lake for ten pounds of grouper fillets.

Or Snook, Flounder, Sheephead, Dolphin, Cobia, Wahoo, Kingfish, Spanish Mackeral, Redfish, Speckled Trout, Mangrove Snapper, well you get the idea.

[deathb4disco]

Or Snook, Flounder, Sheephead, Dolphin, Cobia, Wahoo, Kingfish, Spanish Mackeral, Redfish, Speckled Trout, Mangrove Snapper, well you get the idea.

Exactly!

[Eagle 1]

I partake in the harassment of crappie , red ear , catfish and bluegill . I try to put up enough fish to eat them twice a month and have two family fish fries per year . I try never to carry over fish longer than 6 months . As fish tend not to have a large reproduction rate in the freezer spreading out the need for one species really helps in not hurting the resources . JMO Yep a true redneck ! lol jug , yo-yo, trot line ,jig ect. never tried snagging as that is like work . Get-r-done .About 75 fillets of each will do it .

[NIMROD]

i know with allot of fishermen that focus on a specific species it is kind of looked down apon to catch and eat ie bass fishermen and those of us that chase those big flathead i was wandering if this is the case among crappie fishermen aswell? personally i make no bones about being a catch and grease fishermen when it comes to crappie and bass

Flatheads are the best , never release any except to the grease .

[CrappiePappy]

Guilty as charged

I generally keep/eat what I catch, but some portion of those are given away to family or friends (that can't get them on their own). And then there are days when I do release what I catch. In my defense, I don't get to go fishing all that often, nor do I limit out on a regular basis ... so my "accumulation" of eater fish easily fits in the refrigerator freezer, and never makes it to the upright freezer.

And while I have eaten my fair share of Bass in my lifetime, they get released nowadays with few exceptions ... as do most other by-catch species.

[callmecamo]

When I go fishing, I go for meat. I don't release bass unless they are too small. I also don't bass fish so if I catch one while crappie fishing, it's the livewell for you. I've never understood why people don't keep their catch. Fillets are part of the reward for my time, effort, and money. The only reason that I don't keep fish is if I end the day without enough to make a mess (6-7 fish is my definition), or I've limited out.

[Orion_70]

I fall in the catch and eat category. I do release the small ones and sometimes all if I don't feel like messing with them.

[MidMsAngler]

I usually keep what I catch within the confines of the local laws, outside of spawning season. Though I work offshore 28 days and am home for 14, I eat some at home with my family and always return to my ship with a cooler of fillets for my chef. My crew loves crappie! Especially after all the saltwater fish we catch while underway. As long as a fisherman/hunter stays within the law and isn't letting the meat just go to waste then I have no issue whatsoever.


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[wicklundrh]

Depends on the day, my mood, what my freezer looks like, and my intent.

There are days I go fishing just to catch fish, have fun, and no intention of keeping them. There are other days where I go with the intentions of putting them up in the freezer or having a fresh fish fry. Then there are the days I am swayed in a different direction. You want to catch and keep, you only have a few, and make the decision for them to live another day.

I don't need them to survive but much prefer harvesting them myself.