coldfront
myself,  think i would feel worse about keeping a huge bluegill or bass than i would a stocked, impotent trout which are bred for only one reason.  the reason i won't keep steelhead, and the occassional stocked trout that i catch is that they taste lousy, unless smoked.   my opinion only.
 
btw, i have worked with guys over the years who have lived real close to lakes, who use inexpensive, garage sale equipment, and who stock up on different fish during their spawining and schooling seasons.  they do it for food, not sport.  these are the same guys who hunt the urban zones for deer and take what they can legally.   economic conditions for a lot of working guys have worsened in the last twenty years and this is one way of cutting costs.  these same guys have huge gardens to supplement also.

Sorry cold ive witnessed that natural reproduction does occur with these so called impotent trout. 99.9% dont ever get the chance though.

maniliketofish
BlueLagoon - do I "have any legit reasons not to keep fish?"  Can you READ?   What statistic do you need to determine that if we all caught and kept 3 (or more) fish none of them would be a caught a second time? How many times did you have to go through the 3rd grade not to understand basic math? Ok...let me do it for you...see, for every fish TAKEN OUT that's ONE LESS FISH to be caught a second time.   Saavy?
 
So, if 250,000 anglers who fish Erie this winter caught just 3 fish and kept them, how many fish is that? (Pausing to fade in Jeapordy music.)   I'll help you...its 750,000, all to be caught once.
 
Shall I type slower or are you with me?
 
Gawd.  It's hard to soar with the eagles when you gotta flock with turkeys.

Not every angler catches let alone keeps 3 fish every time out, so right there your 3rd grade premise is flawed. I can tell you've had a bad day, make sure mommy tucks you in tonight and gives you a kiss on the forehead so you don't have nightmares of fisherman keeping their allotted creel.
 
Get real kid, there are plenty of fish every year to be caught. If you're having trouble catching them, maybe you should brush up on your techniques instead of whining about who keeps fish and enjoys a smoked stakehead occasionally.

Porktown
I personally find it much easier to sleep at night, catching fish to eat, than torture it with a hook and pulled around, then put back into the Erie Trib gauntlet, to happen 20-30 more times in a few months. There is no moral high ground for C&R in the Erie circushead fishery, IMO.

 
I didn't read this tread til just now.
i made a comment a little while ago on Fish Whisper's  whinny thread
 
the most humane thing that could happen to a  PA trib steelie is BE HARVESTED.
 
..L.T.A.
 
 

coldfront
i guess the way i see it, if they are within the law, that is their choice.  i know deer hunters who still will not shoot a doe, duck hunters who will not shoot a hen mallard.  the laws are written without considerations of individual biases and preferences.    

Cold I understand that. I believe that if you are within the law that you are fine also. However at the same time the Game Commission put the antler restrictions in play for reasons. They limited harvest of doe until the second week in some areas. If you want to keep fish every time great but why does it have to be three every time. I just think the fish commission should change the limit or make special regulations. I love how everyone is so against changing the limit or size but yet they are the ones screaming there are no fish or it is not like past years. Again it is all opinions. 

Stillhead
it seems to me someone around here has been pullin' up hard on something, but it hasn't been chrome

 I am on the East Side every other week if you ever want a lesson. Or if you would like to put a friendly wager and go fish for fish
 

Porktown
$50 on Stillhead if this comes about.

Me to.

*sigh*, does anyone actually fish anymore? These topics are as old and as beat to death as they come. If you guys actually do have your "fish-off", can you post some pics instead of coming on here to whine like little girls?

 "I am on the East Side every other week if you ever want a lesson. Or if you would like to put a friendly wager and go fish for fish"
 
Now that is funny.

Here I am 1/8 th mile from Elk...I dont care if you drive 200 miles....seriously. Ive got mine and will C*R most of the rest. If u really want stream conditions look at Uncle Johns web site. This whos wadda what is a joke. FYI stream conditions are good, all u muppers bring it. Freakin Joke

Ironhed

tbronder

Stillheadit seems to me someone around here has been pullin' up hard on something, but it hasn't been chrome

 I am on the East Side every other week if you ever want a lesson. Or if you would like to put a friendly wager and go fish for fish 

Can I play?

And no you can't play either , you already killed them all in the lake anyway. There ain't no mo' to fish fo'
 I don't think it's a coincidence that we've seen a drastic decrease in fish numbers in the streams ever since you started running charters. Kenny killed them all, you B*****D

gymi03
Here I am 1/8 th mile from Elk...I dont care if you drive 200 miles....seriously. Ive got mine and will C*R most of the rest. If u really want stream conditions look at Uncle Johns web site. This whos wadda what is a joke. FYI stream conditions are good, all u muppers bring it. Freakin Joke

Was this supposed to be english?

Oh by the way, I didn't even catch that crappie. I took some dude up on a crappie fish off and lost. I told him I wasn't paying though unless he let me take a picture with one of his fish.

FishinGuy
That fish has a tag in it.

  I didn't notice it until you mentioned it Fishinguy. It certainly looks like a tag and if that linear object near the dorsal is one, you're very observant. Good eyes Fishinguy!
  ROFLMAO re: Bings post with reference to blue ropes and pinners. I don't know if it's true, but it struck me as being very funny.
  I've often wondered about the reasoning of justifying going fishing and keeping the catch to put food on the table as Maniliketofish wrote as well as many others in the past. When one considers the total cost involved; gas, license, wear and tear on the vehicle, bait, rod, reel, etc..., it would seem much less expensive to get their fish from a store and that's after the costs have been spread out over the year getting an average cost / trip vs the cost of fish/pound at the supermarket. I'm not talking about enjoying a day outdoors, just the monetary involvement of buying fish vs. going out to harvest them. That reasoning would make much more sense if hunting for large game as a quantity of meat could be obtained on one trip and hopefully every trip. With the price of meat as it is, I think that it could be cheaper buying a license, firearm, ammo, paying for gas and all that is required. It might be more economical hunting one's meat providing they are successful.
  Fisherofmen376 wrote "the battle rages on". I don't understand why this subject is brought up every year as "you" [not referring to you Fisherman376] are not going to change the beliefs of "me". C/R reminds me of the theory of "No child left behind" and those of you that are schoolteachers can readily relate to that. It was a good idea when first started, but quickly got out of hand. C/R was a good idea when first started in the context it was started in and it worked well, but the logistics of it don't transcend to all types of fishing because of all of the variables. C/R continues to work well on the many trophy lakes. C/R has little if any effect when others [especially many others] are legally harvesting fish to eat, fish that were put there with the intent of anglers harvesting them. The only thing C/R does is make the person that is doing it feel good as it demonstrates their beliefs. Again as many have written, the fish are put there for anglers to enjoy. If they are legally harvesting them and creel limits/seasons are obeyed, there shouldn't be any discord about them being kept. If it makes C/R people feel good to do what they do for whatever reason, continue what you're doing and likewise for those that keep what they catch. It's not likely one is going to sway the opinion of the other, why b!^cH about it? 
 

Riverbum
 These topics are as old and as beat to death as they come.

 
don't care
I want in on some of the action
I'll take Jim or Ken for a couple hundred if the duud's serious
 
 
..L.T.A.

coldfront
i'll throw in a bill.  put loomis or fshrmtim in the  'to learn' mix and i'll double.

 
I haven't fished with Loomie and Timbo, so I'm in  for fiddy with them
I HAVE with Jim a little, and Headly a few times ...it's as close to a "sure thing" as it gets
 
 
.L.T.A.