Quote Originally Posted by 27458 View Post
Perhaps if fishing wasn't such a costly hobby more would be willing to toss a few back. Drive 75 miles, gas, cost boat, insurance, etc. etc. and it gets a little hard mentally to throw them back. Plus most don't have every day to fish to begin with and today might be good tomorrow skunked. I think this leads to most fishermen being selfish. Simple as that. Its an ego thing also. And I'm in that same category so I'm not calling the kettle black. Personally, IF I was retired and could fish all the time and near a lake, I might not keep but a few for dinner. I've always said its way cheaper to buy fish, steak or whatever than to fish for them. And I know you can't buy crappie.
Lots of guys travel all over the country crappie fishing with their 60k truck pulling their 80k boat, and staying in 100.00+ a night motel rooms. I seriously doubt they need to "Fill the Freezer"!!!

The Real working guys can't go enough to do the damage to the fisheries that I was referring to. Like I've always said, "If you need em, Eat em", but lots of guys show off their fish all year long. They don't NEED em that bad.