Catch And Release: An American Thing? 2024
SudburyBasser reply :
This might be due to a small sample size but I've noticed that the concept of catch and release seems to be more popular in the U.S. than Canada (even to the point that I read an American article last year lamenting that every one caught fish and no one ate them) -- and I'm not sure why.
It's inarguable that the average bass caught in the U.S. is larger than Canadian bass because of your longer growing season, at least in the southern U.S. That means you catch more eating fish -- yet you throw them back. When I tell people up here that I catch and release they look at me like I'm an idiot. Why catch fish if you aren't going to keep them?
Any how, am I a victim of reading too many articles written by American catch and releasers who aren't representative of the wider American fishing population, or do I know too many Canadians who don't fish and don't know why you'd throw a fish back?
Long Mike reply :
I'm a catch and release kind of guy, but it's primarily because I hate cleaning fish. Twice a year I go fishing with my cajun buddies. Every legal sized fish we catch is taken home. The only caveat we have is that anything five pounds or greater will be released.
GeorgiaBassBros reply :
Not every one throws all their fish back here. I keep a few every now and then for dinner and I know a lot of other people that do. I think the reason that you don't hear about catch and release in Canada too much is because sport fishing isn't as big up there. Most people that fish over there fish to fill the freezer
Goose21 reply :
Very interesting. I grew up fishing with my old man. Loved to eat panfish and catfish but even though we bass fished the majority of the time he would never keep LMB. To this day I can say I've never kept one.
Last weekend I was fishing with a guy that was borderline ticked that I was throwing so much good meat back. Gave me the old story about how he hosted a party, fried up a bunch of bass, told everyone it was crappie and it was the best fish they've ever had.
To each their own, but go tell mom how great that baby brush hog tasted and I'll see ya in a couple years when you're 6lbs as opposed to two.
In the meanwhile I'm not desperate to put a hot plate on my table but I will enjoy a good batch of crappie, fat bluegill or even walleye from time to time!
Gatorbassman reply :
On 9/14/2012 at 8:06 AM, SudburyBasser said:Why catch fish if you aren't going to keep them?
Personally, My response to that would be, "Why keep them if I'm not going to eat them".
TNBassin' reply :
I keep some of my catches, but if I have enough in my freezer then they go back. I have a crazy work schedule this year, so I think I've maybe kept 5 total this whole year because we just aren't having fish frys on a regular basis like we used to. I just enjoy being out on the lake, and the challenge that bass fishing presents.
Jake P reply :
We have fish fries a couple of times a year. We find schooling sandies and or crappie and load the boat full. We invite family and friends and make home made hush puppies and sides. Something about catching your own meal and preparing it for family and friends is exciting. I never keep Bass unless the fish accidentally dies. I see Bass fishing as a hobby and something I want to preserve. There are plenty of people that fish my lakes that will take home any and everything they catch as long as they can deep fry it so it doesnt interest me.
I have absolutely no problem with anyone keeping fish as long as it is legal. That is a fishermans right and the laws are set in place for a reason. Again though, personally I dont see any reason to kill a fish that I spend thousands of dollars a year on trying to catch.
-JP
WRB reply :
Catch & release bass fishing has only been popular with Americans since the mid 1970's, a little,over 40 years.
B.A.S.S. coined the term to appeal to a boarder audience, prior to C & R, B.A.S.S. held fish fry 's and donated the bass to local churches. LMB, SMB and spotted bass are managed as renewable resource with harvest rates to sustain the fisheries. Public lakes relay on the general public to harvest a % of bass populations.
Bass tournament fishing in most of Canada is very limited in comparison to the general public and fishing for other species is far more popular. Walleye and musky tournaments out number bass tournaments in Canada.
The bottom line is the culture of C & R bass fishing in the US is established, in Canada and other countries were bass are located C & R isn't established because organized bass tournament are few and far between. Without tournaments, C & R bass fishing would be limited to a few individuals.
Tom
K_Mac reply :
Do a quick search and you will find catch and release is a topic that stirs passion in many bass fishermen. I don't mind a meal of bass fillets occasionally. I regularly fish a lake where keeping a few smaller fish is good for the lake, and a couple of times a year I do. I fish though because I love the time on the water, the hunt, the gear, the fellowship with other like minded folks, and a hundred other reasons that have nothing to do with meat. Catch and release in conjunction with selective harvest is a common sense approach to managing a limited and valuable resource. You need to help your fish eating friends see that bass are better left to fight another day, than fried in a skillet. 
tomustang reply :
Sudbury,
What you have to know is you will run into two different types of fishermen out there when you're fishing. The one holds the idea and mindset that this is a sport. The other sees it as what fish have always been, a meal for another day.
I'll tell you I have yet fished a place in america where the majority of people are C&R. Well besides Erie because the locals I talk to think the bass are poisoned
Tuckahoe Joe reply :
Heres something interesting to think about.
http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/catch_and_release_bass.html
ipeeinmywetsuit reply :
Correct me if I am wrong but the logical reasoning behind why I C & R LMB is that I have heard that bass taste "fishy." Not to mention the odds of a bass getting above 4-6lbs are very low and the odds of a bass attaining double digits are astronomically low. The bigger the bass get the more parasites they take on and the more their taste diminishes. In addition, a lot of the waters I fish are polluted with runoff among other things, so I wouldn't eat anything of those waters. However, I have heard that smaller freshwater bass can taste good.
My more subjective reasoning behind why I C & R is that I fish for LMB as a sport. I don't feel right hurting/eating a fish that I have a sort of respect for nor do I feel right about hurting/eating a fish that provides me with so much enjoyment. I feel like the transcendental experience of being out on the water and catching bass would be diluted by keeping and eating the fish that provides you with so much tranquility and relaxation. I wouldn't eat the fish and I don't know anyone that would eat them either. Theres nothing like watching the sun rise and set over a rural lake, pond, river, or stream. However if I had my own private lake/pond and relied on my property for some sort of self sufficiency I wouldn't be opposed to culling smaller bass for the benefit of my small fishery. I can't say if I would personally eat them or not but they would be used for their meat or else I would feel too guilty. I can say that I am bias in the sense I have more of a respect and soft spot for big largemouth because of the odds it has beaten.
I have only kept certain saltwater species of fish to eat. I was raised fishing in the ocean and raised on saltwater fish for dinner, etc. Eating my saltwater catch is something I am very accustomed to. Plus ocean fishing can be more of a hectic environment especially on cattle boats. There are guys drinking and smoking everywhere, greasy burgers cooking below deck, sardines flying over your head, scales all over everything, and the boat rocks all day. The environment is much different that a the freshwater experience.
SirSnookalot reply :
About any subject there is both sides of the debate make valid points, I just stick with my own personal preference. I grew up in the retail fish business and was an avid angler too, we threw everything back except carp, my grandmother loved them. I cleaned so many fish that I'm not that keen on doing it anymore.
QuoteWhen I tell people up here that I catch and release they look at me like I'm an idiot. Why catch fish if you aren't going to keep them?
They do in saltwater too, most keep their catch. If some think that guys out there fishing for wahoo, tuna, cobia, dolphin, grouper and many other species aren't sportsman, you ought to re think think that one.
MarkH024 reply :
Some people fish for fun, some fish to harvest. If it's legal, then there is nothing wrong with it. Out of personal preference, I would rather eat the rubber sole off my shoe than waste my time cleaning and eating a LMB. It just doesn't taste good to me. I'd prefer to eat some Eyes, perch, catfish, salmon, or crappie. That being said, there are better options for table fare than bass (IMO) so there is no need to kill them just for a meal. You can fish 99% of the same waters LMB live in and catch one of the others I mentioned so that's my preference.
I rarely ever keep fish for food. I fish for sport and enjoyment. I have ran into the same type of people that always ask me, "Did you eat them?" These people tend to be on the very outside of understanding recreational fishing like most of us do. They don't have the same knowledge and appreciation for the fish and what it takes to keep our waters in good management for the sport. Some people only know to keep what they catch because it was taught to them differently growing up or they assume that every anglers purpose is to harvest. Those that hoard and take more than they need know they're wrong. They are hoarders and it is an addiction. Until they get penalized, they will continue to do so.
HeavyDluxe reply :
I do C[P]R for almost all the fish I catch because we don't eat them at home. The exception are the trout that we catch occasionally and put on the table.
One thing that has had me thinking lately, honestly, is whether we have taken C&R past its useful life. It seems to me that, historically, the emphasis on C&R was put in place because too many fish were being harvested (of all sizes) and the fisheries were hurting. Nowadays, I wonder whether we are not harvesting *enough* of those sportfish - particularly in the middle-ish size range - to keep competitive forces in the ponds balanced.
In other words, it strikes me that a 10lb bass is easier to grow in a pond where the overall population of aggressive, 2-3lbers and smaller fish is kept under control. By all of us C&Ring a ton of smaller fish (with our "go back in there and get bigger") wishes, we may actually be putting pressure on the food chain such that large fish won't be any more common.
Anyway, interesting topic.
Texfisherman reply :
Why catch them if I'm not going to keep them?
Because that next bass that hits my line could be that 19-pounder 
I've been waiting for. For me, it is the thrill of the hunt.
I don't want to kill anything that has brought me so much joy to my life. The hook-sets usually do very little damage to the bass and as long as you don't keep them out of the water too long, they are perfectly fine to go back in.
These are my personal opinions and not meant to be flamatory.
TrippyJai reply :
Being a fellow canadian, my experiences are about the same with yours. Most of the people I go fishing with want to bring fish home to cover some of the costs that was spent for the day. There isn't anything wrong with this menality nor is keeping a few fish for dinner, but I really do enjoy releasing my fish and watching them swim away.
So it's catch and release for me, unless I kill one accidently then it'll be coming home for dinner.
Hi Salenity reply :
On 9/14/2012 at 2:26 PM, SirSnookalot said:About any subject there is both sides of the debate make valid points, I just stick with my own personal preference. I grew up in the retail fish business and was an avid angler too, we threw everything back except carp, my grandmother loved them. I cleaned so many fish that I'm not that keen on doing it anymore.
They do in saltwater too, most keep their catch. If some think that guys out there fishing for wahoo, tuna, cobia, dolphin, grouper and many other species aren't sportsman, you ought to re think think that one.
People fish for Dolphin???
MarkH024 reply :
On 9/14/2012 at 9:50 PM, Hi Salenity said:People fish for Dolphin???
Not the mammal. Mahi Mahi
Hi Salenity reply :
On 9/14/2012 at 9:52 PM, MarkH024 said:Not the mammal. Mahi Mahi
Did I say I was from Kansas?
SirSnookalot reply :
On 9/14/2012 at 10:25 PM, Hi Salenity said:Did I say I was from Kansas?
You didn't have too............lol.
One thing that has always made me curious is why certain species are put on a pedestal while others are not, who deemed this fish or that fish a gamefish. There are fish that are better tasting, more difficult to catch on artificial lures, fight better, yet they are not considered gamefish. I've encountered elitists that regard bass to be something holy, some anglers feel the same way about trout, and anything else to be junk. I enjoy bass fishing and it's a lot fun, get out for few hours, catch a few, get some exersize, but for me it's far from the ultimate fishing experience, it's just another fish no more no less than any other.
BassHunter_Hunt reply :
I get an awful look when I throw back fish here in Korea. They hate bass so much that they would throw it in the grass and let it die.
K_Mac reply :
SirSnook I think it is just human nature for us to elevate what makes us happy. There is a bit of elitist in all of us. Bass fishing is certainly not the ultimate fishing experience, but it is the best available for many of us.
SudburyBasser reply :
On 9/14/2012 at 10:53 AM, WRB said:Bass tournament fishing in most of Canada is very limited in comparison to the general public and fishing for other species is far more popular. Walleye and musky tournaments out number bass tournaments in Canada.
The bottom line is the culture of C & R bass fishing in the US is established, in Canada and other countries were bass are located C & R isn't established because organized bass tournament are few and far between. Without tournaments, C & R bass fishing would be limited to a few individuals.
I think you might have hit it here. I had a feeling there might have been a cultural difference but the notion of bass tournaments didn't immediately leap to mind (though I wonder how much the average American angler really knows about the tournament culture).
Well, I'll keep C&Ring and only keeping the occasional one for dinner and suffer the odd looks from people wondering why I would spend ungodly amounts of money to catch fish and them let them go :-)
WRB reply :
The impact on harvesting bass is directly perprotional to the size of the lake and the fishing pressure, amount of fishing hours a lake is subjected to. Bass are prolific fish and can easily over populate smaller lakes without any harvest. Over harvesting occurs on smaller lakes with high fishing fishing pressure or adverse seasonal conditions that kill off a year class.
I my opinion C &R has become a cult with today's bass anglers and believe any bass angler that doesn't ALWAYS practice C & R is not a good sportsman. The simple facts are a % of bass catch and released die as a direct result of being caught, placed in a livewell and released hours later. You are killing bass and wasting them. In regards to trophy size bass, they are very rare bass, most that are caught are killed by both recreational and weekend tournament anglers and the vast majority end up tossed in a dumpster. How sporting is that!
So let not be hypercritical; practice C& R and release heathly bass, keep and eat or give away bass that have little chance of survival. The 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 size bass are common, the size most likes have a high population of and the size to harvest and eat occasionally. The trophy bass deserve to be handled with care and released as soon as possible. The big bass are not nearly as strong in a livewell as smaller bass, they require more DO and better water temperature control...the should be released back into the lake sooner than later.
My generation grew up catching and eating fish and releasing fish we didn't need. Jason Lucas, editor of Sorts Afield, was an early pioneer of C & R and he hs an impact on me and I started releasing the bigger bass and tried to promote releasing bigger bass long before B.A.S.S. Ray Scott finally adopted C & R, make no mistake, it was a battle to get B.A.S.S. to reduce limits from 15 to 5 bass and promote C & R. Today the pendulum has swung far to the opposite side from the early days and somewhere in the middle is a good balance.
Tom
K_Mac reply :
On 9/15/2012 at 1:00 AM, SudburyBasser said:Well, I'll keep C&Ring and only keeping the occasional one for dinner and suffer the odd looks from people wondering why I would spend ungodly amounts of money to catch fish and them let them go :-)
That is a motto I can live with. Well said!
SirSnookalot reply :
i agree with you K_Mac
mikey5string reply :
IMO the catching is the ultimate reward in sport fishing, not a couple fillets.
mikey5string reply :
...I have no problem with people keeping legal fish. Over population leads to stunted fish. It is important to harvest.
I might be a little annoyed when I see a stringer of 3 or 4lb bass. Cant you keep the smaller ones? 
Fishing Rhino reply :
I have a standard answer for folks who ask me why I don't keep any to eat.
You can only eat them once. They can be caught many times.
That being said, I have no problem if someone wants to eat what they catch, provided they are legal size and not over the limit.
Raul reply :
It must be an "american" thing, I live in the american continent and I release most of the fish I catch, been doing it for more than 3 decades, doesn´t mean I have never kept a fish, I´ve done it, cleaned n´fried, done the proper introductions: " Mr/mrs bass, meet Mr frying pan" and enjoyed eating them. One of the reasons I prefer fishing over hunting is that you can catch it, admire it and then let it go to catch it again, hopefully bigger next time, can´t do that if you kill it.
The Brim Reaper reply :
On 9/15/2012 at 7:46 AM, Fishing Rhino said:I have a standard answer for folks who ask me why I don't keep any to eat.
You can only eat them once. They can be caught many times.
That being said, I have no problem if someone wants to eat what they catch, provided they are legal size and not over the limit.
I hear that. I don't fish because I'm hungry. I have a blast just catching them.
Jake P reply :
Keeping Bass never even crossed my mind when I started fishing, and still hasnt to this day. Releasing my catch has always been like breathing, you just do it. Its funny hearing it from the opposite perspective.On 9/15/2012 at 1:00 AM, SudburyBasser said:I think you might have hit it here. I had a feeling there might have been a cultural difference but the notion of bass tournaments didn't immediately leap to mind (though I wonder how much the average American angler really knows about the tournament culture).
Well, I'll keep C&Ring and only keeping the occasional one for dinner and suffer the odd looks from people wondering why I would spend ungodly amounts of money to catch fish and them let them go :-)
bkohlman reply :
I release everything unless I am crappie fishing.
Tuckahoe Joe reply :
My oppinions on catch and release have changed a bit since I first started fishing a few months ago. At first I was keeping every legal sized fish. Lately Ive just been getting a quick picture and putting the fish back. This is probably partially due to the knowledge and fishing wisdom Ive gained from this site and also from starting to consistently catch more fish everytime I go out. When I started, I didn't catch much so I think I felt like if I didn't catch/keep a fish, it seemed like it was all for nothing. I do enjoy bass though so every now and then Ill keep a couple but Im releasing far more then I keep now.
SirSnookalot reply :
For the record I catch and release for the most part, not debating harvest, trophy fishing or any other reason people may have for releasing or keeping fish.
The OP "Catch and Release: an American thing?" The opinions on BR are from bass fisherman, but not all Americans fish exclusively for bass and not all Americans participate in an online forum, that said I don't think the full American fishing picture is displayed. Just looking at it from the sportsman point of view and not the people that are in need of fish to feed their families, so many people do keep their fish. You would be hard pressed to see avid saltwater sportsman not take home a snook, redfish, wahoo, snappers, kingfish and the list goes on and on, I've yet to be on a boat that has no ice chest aboard. Living in a coastal area this is what I'm exposed to.
Do I see people, in my opinion, abuse the privledge even though they are in their legal right, sure do and those people don't get the time of day from me.
Bluebasser86 reply :
My reason for releasing them is simple, I don't like the taste of freshwater fish. Saltwater fish is a whole different story. If bass tasted good to me I would probably keep a few small ones on occasion. We have several lakes packed full of small fish but not many big fish because nobody keeps any of them so they don't have enough room or food to grow. Then some of our lakes if it gets caught its going home regardless of species or size or limits.
Shewillbemine reply :
There are far more fish species that taste way better than LMB in my opinion. So unless I'm camping and just want the novelty of cooking over an open flame, C&R for me.
SoFlaBassAddict reply :
For me personally:
I release everything I catch in freshwater. Just never developed a taste for it. I'll eat the occasional trout, but that's about it. I do eat farm raised Tilapia regularly though.
Saltwater on the other hand, if I'm going out fishing, I expect to bring back legal sized fish that day. I never have, or will keep short fish, or go over my limit though. There are days though where I'll just go out for sport fishing. You'll never hear me say I'm keeping a marlin for dinner.
PABASS reply :
Personally I don't like to eat Bass and would never eat a bass under normal circumstances, as I see it there are much tastier fish out there an eating an apex predator is never a good thing. I cant say what it is about Bass as a species, a bond maybe, it does bother me for whatever reason when I see people taking Bass to consume them.
Knightiac reply :
I release everything. Never once thought about keeping them.
bowhunter63 reply :
I throw back every bass i catch,But i keep crappies and bluegill for dinner.No better fish to fry imo.
Bassn Blvd reply :
I have ZERO problem eating bass or any edible fish, which most are edible. The reason I don't eat Bass anymore is because there are MANY better tasing fish (saltwater species) that I have access to. If I'm taking the time to clean and stink the kitchen up, then I'm eating something tastier than Bass.
I've been craving some fried fish lately. I think I'm going to have a fish fry where Speck and Sandperch will be the main course. Perhaps I'll throw a Snook or two into the mix.
SoFlaBassAddict reply :
On 10/30/2012 at 10:00 AM, Bassn Blvd said:I have ZERO problem eating bass or any edible fish, which most are edible. The reason I don't eat Bass anymore is because there are MANY better tasing fish (saltwater species) that I have access to. If I'm taking the time to clean and stink the kitchen up, then I'm eating something tastier than Bass.
I've been craving some fried fish lately. I think I'm going to have a fish fry where Speck and Sandperch will be the main course. Perhaps I'll throw a Snook or two into the mix.
Yellowtail you bum! Short of grouper, there isn't anything swimming that's better fried up. I swear, I've got to teach you everything....
bass1980 reply :
Correction, Large Mouth Bass catch and release, an American thing. Living up north, just about everyone that fishes for Walleyes has kept one and I'm sure if they caught their limit in eater size they would.
There's two sides to this debate and people have their own reasons but that doesn't mean the other side is wrong. Aside from the people that loads up illegally, or loads up the freezer (which counts against your limit so illegal as well) I don't have issue with people keeping and eating fish. The C&R guys make it seems like people that keeps fish are dying in hunger and need food. It's something about hunting for the meat and enjoying the fruits of your labor. Although I don't like the taste of LMB, some people do. Also if we want to be politically correct, hooking a fish in the mouth, holding it by it's lip in an awkward position for a photo, is nothing humane and does hurt the fish. I think if the species is in trouble the laws needs to limit the size and amount even lower.
HookSetDon reply :
On 9/14/2012 at 8:06 AM, SudburyBasser said:This might be due to a small sample size but I've noticed that the concept of catch and release seems to be more popular in the U.S. than Canada (even to the point that I read an American article last year lamenting that every one caught fish and no one ate them) -- and I'm not sure why.
It's inarguable that the average bass caught in the U.S. is larger than Canadian bass because of your longer growing season, at least in the southern U.S. That means you catch more eating fish -- yet you throw them back. When I tell people up here that I catch and release they look at me like I'm an idiot. Why catch fish if you aren't going to keep them?
Any how, am I a victim of reading too many articles written by American catch and releasers who aren't representative of the wider American fishing population, or do I know too many Canadians who don't fish and don't know why you'd throw a fish back?
Being a fellow Canadian I get the same response, bass fishing hasnt been the sport nor does it have the following it does in the USA.
Basswhippa reply :
I have not had a bass to eat in years. They are a sunfish. Sunfish are very good. I throw over 99% right back in. I will say this, if you are throwing back 14" bass in small ponds, you might want to rethink it. I've had two fish kills on ponds and wish I had thinned the heard of small bass. They take up oxygen and during stressfull water conditions, those 10 one pounders might cost you one 10 lbers by breathing all the oxygen. If you don't selectively havest, mother nature will run her own course and havest what she wants.
scaleface reply :
I fillet bass. A lot of the lakes in Missouri have a slot limit and the Conservation Department begs anglers to harvest fish under the limit. I am happy to oblige.
Last nights meal was fried in a cast iron pan . The fillets dipped in egg and some Andys Red. Baked beans , cole slaw and corn bread accompanied the meal. There was no fish leftover.
WDinarte reply :
I will say that on my are ( at least ) I don't know the rest of guys and I will keep my opinion to myself... some of the waters, most rivers and some part of the bay ( for salt water ) they are on somo type of polution, and you will see some " Fish Consumption Advisories " but I love to eat fish, but if I'm not sure and safe I would eat.
One of this days I will put one of my catchs on the table for a great dinner.
At the end I will say that on this days is " all polution " 
and I know that, we are NOT 100% safe anyway.
Ratherbfishing reply :
Several years ago, I was ice fishing. I witnessed a game warden actually issue fines to several other guys for keeping bluegill that were too small. BLUEGILL mind you! Not even bass! Have you ever heard such a thing? One of the reasons I let my fish go is because I don't have to keep track of whatever size or possession limits the state, county, or particular park might have in place. Plus I'm lazy and I don't like to spend the evening cleaning fish.
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