So many different thoughts and posts on this subject…. I think I will just put them all in one reply to Don since he began the discussion (on this thread anyway). This is not directed at Don, rather to all of us who have read and continue to read the discussion. First of all, I don’t know any of you nor do I owe anyone here my allegiance, so hopefully you can view this commentary as an outsider’s perspective.
The idea that C&R is protecting a resource while H&C (Hook and Cook) is consumption of a resource is false. C&R may result in less consumption (degradation of the resource) but it IS still a use and consumption (feel free to look up the C&R stats). I do not believe I have ever been to the gorge and not seen at least one Thirty pounder floating belly up. Release is an excellent practice, but it does not guarantee the survival of the fish and percentages dwindle with older larger fish (the ones we target, so we are ALL harvesters). The DWR in UT and WY keep decent tabs on the happenings at the Gorge and while they may not be perfect in their actions to protect and grow a resource, they do have more information and insight than any one fisherman who claims to have the answer. Seems to be the opinion of the DWR right now that the keeping of one 28”+ is not an issue, but finding and killing every Burbot possible is, keeping a limit of pups is. So as we take shots at those who tale pics of their harvest - “Dinos”, ask yourselves what we have done to promote the resource and follow the guidelines set by the folks with the info, C&R is not promotion nor a requirement. The argument that you are a conservationist is null, that dog won’t hunt.
I noticed that several in the “Mack Pack” (a term which holds no negative connotation at my dinner table) don’t believe they have attacked any individual other than the guide. From the outside in, I have to say, all the Gorge threads with a pic of a Laker over 30lbs being hijacked and taken to the depths of a political discussion of C&R or proper release techniques is an attack and quite disrespectful to the entire BFT community. I like that TD locked the other thread and we began a new discussion. As a BFT member I can then choose if I want to debate an issue, read a happy note about a great day fishin or see some cool pics of a fellow fisherman’s best day. This is a private board, not a democracy. We are expected to hold with the rules and regs not to mention just plain proper etiquette. We have been asked by the mods not to attack or negate discussions with our own agendas… Just a thought, but starting a new thread on hot topics shows respect to the angler and his catch. IMHO - I definitely thought several of you gents directly attacked the poster of the thread. Putting the word “IF” before an allegation does not take away from its intent to defame or harm. Unless you know for a fact someone has committed an illegal action, you shouldn’t be making the comment at all. If you do know, this is not the place to file a report or complaint, that # is 1 800 562 2337.
Realize it or not gentlemen, when you pull down another angler in the wake of your passion for a specific fish, you do more harm than good. That includes the guide who everyone keeps hammering on. I can guarantee you he has new clients based on this discussion, folks who want to harvest big macks (no pun intended).
Finally, I noticed in this thread and another I read a couple Sundays ago, some of you feel the need to “voice your opinion” in person at the dock or on the lake. May I just make a suggestion that this is not a wise idea and can only bring harm to you and the sport you love. If you want to protest a regulation, contact the DWR. If an illegal activity is happening, there are proper ways and channels to handle it.
My two cents….. flame away.
**Well, this is getting away from Don’s topic, on this thread, but the Colorado Board is doing fine compared to the California Board. California is a huge angling state, with many times the number of fishermen that Utah has. And, they have less than 10 posts on their boards for the entire month of June. And, again, most of the posts are by moderators with few replies. **
