02-11-2013, 12:51 AM
Interesting topic for sure, one that seems to resurface every so often.
I personally would NEVER puncture the air bladder. Something just tells me they are better off with the air bladder in-tact than with a hole in it. Some guys seem to think they have a better chance if they pop the bladder or puncture it - I'm definitely not one of them.
Another thing that often comes up is that "You should just keep all of them from deep water so they are not wasted". I disagree with that sentiment too. Some people seem to think that the fish is "wasted" if it is not consumed by an angler. There are plenty of bigger fish that will slurp up dead perch, as well as crawdads and micro-organisms. It's not a waste to me if the fish dies and is not consumed by an angler.
With that said, I always treat every fish with the utmost respect and try to give them a fighting chance at surviving after they encounter me.
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I personally would NEVER puncture the air bladder. Something just tells me they are better off with the air bladder in-tact than with a hole in it. Some guys seem to think they have a better chance if they pop the bladder or puncture it - I'm definitely not one of them.
Another thing that often comes up is that "You should just keep all of them from deep water so they are not wasted". I disagree with that sentiment too. Some people seem to think that the fish is "wasted" if it is not consumed by an angler. There are plenty of bigger fish that will slurp up dead perch, as well as crawdads and micro-organisms. It's not a waste to me if the fish dies and is not consumed by an angler.
With that said, I always treat every fish with the utmost respect and try to give them a fighting chance at surviving after they encounter me.
[signature]