Would you still fish if all fish caught died?

[Sean]

I know some people hate hypotheticals, but i think it is a good way to find out your true feelings and beliefs.

If you knew 100% sure that EVERY fish you caught would die after release, ie. bait, undersize, large fish, everything, would you still fish?

intersting question, see how many really do care that much.

I hope this doesn't get removed as it is sort of a spin off to the poll i did 'would you still fish?'

Sean;D

[Sean]

i voted yes, it would suck a lot though.

[Tailortaker]

I voted "yes but not as much" as I love fishing and wouldnt want to give it up but it would be terrible for undersized fish to die, I would probably limit my catch to a minimum as well as fish stocks would definatly decrease dramaticlly and any fishing would not be longed lived.
Cheers TT
________
Lovely Wendie (http://www.lovelywendie99.com/)

[stark]

Voted no. At the rate of 10-30 fish caught each time I go out. Often with only one Keeper, we would soon run out of fish.

Cheers
John

[Hamish73]

are you meaning that oversize fish could still be kept for eating?

[theclick]

I'd stop doing so much c&r and start keeping more of what i caught.

[TIMMY 666]

I voted 'yes but not as much' - I'd still fish the stocked impoundments and the privately owned dam I've stocked with fish. I Wouldn't fish any wild, non-stocked waters though.

Tim.

BTW I hate hypotheticals :P

[snelly1971]

I voted Yes...but they would have to change the size limits...there would be no use in having size limits...just bag limits..

Mick

[finga]

Hard question really.
I reckon yes but with a close view on stocks and might just quit all wild fishing altogether.
Timmy666 has the right idea...impoundment fishing :)
Breed them up and then catch them.

[FNQCairns]

Just like trawler nets:).

I would double the size of my hook:)

cheers fnq

[snelly1971]

Just like trawler nets:).

I would double the size of my hook:)

cheers fnq

Hi FNQ...do you think by increasing your hook size you would catch less small fish;D;D

Doesnt work down here...we catch bloody heaps of little and i mean very tiny ...Gurnetts ....and thats using 16/0 Circle Hooks...Maybe it would work using a different pattern hook..;)

Mick

[tunaticer]

I would be using a lot bigger hook and fishing techniques to avoid the pickers to minimise the bycatch. Undersized fish would prolly go to feeding the cat in that case. I would take him on board for the trip and check him a few days later in the pot heheh

Jack

[disorderly]

Yeah I think for reef fishing up north FNQ has proposed the solution.
Bigger hooks would minimize undersize captures.Its surprising how few undersize fish I catch with a 7/0 already.
It would make livebaiting a bit difficult if the bait were all dead though.http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/../yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/tongue.gif

Scott

[haggis]

I voted yes . as I am a dangler & not an angler that doesnt catch too much fish it should be ok .
cheers fae haggis .........................

[onerabbit]

not sure that the bigger hook would matter, I have caught really small fish on really big hooks,

I voted yes,

where I fish, most fish are stuffed by the time they get to the top anyway, & they are usually keepable size.

Muzz

[Great White]

I went yes but not as much. But this poll is a bit out there :-/ why not just say would you drink milk if every cow died after it was milked ;D then again a steak and a drink in one meal.

Just my thoughts, but I thought polls were about possible things !!!!

[1lastcast]

I vote no because i dont eat much fish and i only do it for fun i generaly c & r i guess i would have to find a new hobby wich would really suck but i could live with it.
I assume your not asking spear fisherman this question ? lol .

[nigelr]

Yes, I fish for food.
Not saying I don't love fishing, I do, almost to the point of obsession.::)
But I can't get with it being a sport, personally.
If I can't eat it, I have no desire to disturb it!:-X
Cheers.

[dfox]

Yes, but i'd probably have to go spear fishing a bit more.

[childers]

wonder wat bob thinks of this question !

[NAGG]

:cry: Yes ... I'd still go fishing ... However I'd probably change how I fished & what for .... Nagg

[minno]

Its a bullshit question. ::)



Minno

[minno]

I smell a greenie. I know what your asking, but I think your all on your own.

I will say again! Its a bullshit question. Most of us hunt fish for eating or sport, well from my side of things, I will do my best to let it go, and if iam not going to eat it, well its goes free. and thats a fact. Fishing is what we do, and for most of us, its our hobby. Its still a bullshit question.;D



Minno

[aussiebasser]

I don't think Sean's a greenie, 'cause if he was he would have used their question which was:

If fish quacked like a duck, barked like a dog, meowed like a cat or cried like a baby, would you still fish?

[Luc]

Have to agree with Minno's comments.

It may be a hypothetical, but those looking for ammo would not think twice about bending the truth.

Luc

[death_ship]

nothing escapes the DEATHSHIP...woohahahahahahahaha woohahahahahaha

[Lovey80]

Sorry mate but I have to agree with minno, rubbish question mate. If I was going to post such a hypothetical it would be along the lines of "If Jennifer Hawkins rang you for a date and you had a missus what would you do"

A. Say yes and go on the date

B. Not go on the date

C. Go on the date but tell your missus

They are both as rubbish as each other but i would prefere thinking about this one a whole lot more..........
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

I voted yes but a lot less as I would be forced to take everything that wasnt vermin.

Cheers Chris

[Tailortaker]

Well considering Sean voted yes himself I dont think he's a greeny:-/
________
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[Foxy4]

I don't know if I would because I don't catch that much now anyway.

But I would have to consider the future fish stocks if I was catching heaps each time i did go out.

[seabug]

I voted YES.
But it would not make much difference.
I have not been fishing since March.

Bit like that old favorite.
"When did you stop beating your wife"

Regards
seabug

[Sean]

wonder wat bob thinks of this question !


see, that is a good one, I imagine he thinks I am just another dic*h*ad, wan*er, fuc**it,sh**head trying to ruin it for everyone!!!;D ;D
P.S. http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?t=112304&highlight=fishermen+at+war

[Sean]

btw, I am not a greenie, although the other day a man next door mowed his lawn, so after, i went out, collected all the clippings and had a private burial.

I told you some people wouldn't like this!!

[minno]

I am sorry for calling you a greenie! And no-one thinks your a ###### or anything else for that matter. Be cool bloke!



Minno

[finga]

"If Jennifer Hawkins rang you for a date and you had a missus what would you do"

A. Say yes and go on the date

B. Not go on the date

C. Go on the date but tell your missus


;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D



Cheers Chris
Where's take the cook as well??
My cook says I'd be nuts to refuse. She also wanted to know why the hell she would be ringing me for a date...poor Jenny :-/
But any reason for a feed and yarn eh ;D

Seriously though if all the theoretical fishies theoretically died upon theoretically catching then that theoretically would have been from the theoretical word go (or theoretical big bang) and all our theoretical fishing styles would, theoretically, be a whole lot different from the theoretical word go. Theoretically.
We theoretically would not have known any theoretical different.
We theoretically may have all been like what dfox has said...theoretical spear fishing... so we can theoretically target our theoretical prey a bit more accurately (theoretically) and theoretically there wouldn't be any theoretical C&R. Theoretically it'll be all kill and grill.
Sean....are you theoretically referring to catching theorectical fish by theoretical line or all theoretical forms of theoretically getting the theoretical bugger out of the theoretical water like netting etc ??

Theoretically I could be PM or Jenny could call... Mmmm ::)

[Nowhere Bob]

wonder wat bob thinks of this question !

Which Bob?

[MickS]

Fact is fish don't die when released in good health.

Research paper to prove this point can be found at http://www.tarbone.org/downloads/Bonefish_C_and_R_MS.pdf

[Sean]

yes yes i know....it's not about fish living or dying, it's about the fact that so many of us carry on a bit. someone posts a report of, for example, a 65cm mangrove jack with a photo gilled and gutted, you can guarantee, before the end of the first page, someone has said 'great fish, pity it's not still swimming' A lot of people won't post reports for this reason.
My hypothetical question therefor is not about how we would change our techniques, it's not a debate about whether or not fish do survive after release, it's about how many of us really would practice what we preach.
I for one pretty much C&R all fish, mainly because I don't think the effort of cleaning the fish is worth a few fillets and because it does feel good knowing that fish might survive to fight another day, but still i voted yes. My own human greed takes over. Sorry!!
Love Sean

[Sean]

I bet you can't wait for my next hypothetical poll....it will really split us down the middle!!!!! keep your eye out!! Sean

[Sean]

I am sorry for calling you a greenie! And no-one thinks your a ###### or anything else for that matter. Be cool bloke!



Minno

No worries mate, I wasn't offended. as I said before check the link in a few posts back and you will see what I am talking about....it's all pretty much tongue in cheek for me, i don't get too offended by much.......cept the other day my wife called me an idiot!!!! can you believe it!!!;D

[minno]

yes yes i know....it's not about fish living or dying, it's about the fact that so many of us carry on a bit. someone posts a report of, for example, a 65cm mangrove jack with a photo gilled and gutted, you can guarantee, before the end of the first page, someone has said 'great fish, pity it's not still swimming' A lot of people won't post reports for this reason.
My hypothetical question therefor is not about how we would change our techniques, it's not a debate about whether or not fish do survive after release, it's about how many of us really would practice what we preach.
I for one pretty much C&R all fish, mainly because I don't think the effort of cleaning the fish is worth a few fillets and because it does feel good knowing that fish might survive to fight another day, but still i voted yes. My own human greed takes over. Sorry!!
Love Sean


People must mistaken me for someone that gives a shit!;D I,ll post reports and if people dont like it, again! read the first sentence.;D If it helps fisho,s have a better day, then, it was worth it. Sean! Dont worry about being called an idiot, If some people wants to see a real idiot, they dont have to go far from there own bath room mirror. That was a joke! hehehehe;)



Minno;D

[BILLSMITH]

Well they die when you put them in the esky

[finga]

They better be dead when I deposit them in my guts :D

[jake_snapper_king]

i would keep fishing casue i only get big ones and i take wat i need lol

[BigE]

perhaps this poll would better if it was phrased Would you care to load the gun for the fanatical greenie to shoot you with?

A: yes .... i deserve to be shot in the head.
B: maybe .... i'm usure perhaps i havent given myself enough uppcuts lately
C: no .... piss off retart
D: all of the above ... every poll needs a D option for those who don't have a clue but wish to remain with the herd.

i didnt use your poll but incase your unsure (option B or D) i'll take C thanks

E

[Timfishin4fun]

If all fish died you would be able to keep any size with bag limits a lot tougher.
This is a bit unrealistic in many ways don't you think.

[minno]

Big E. I have no idea what you are talking about.;D



Minno

[BigE]

Big E. I have no idea what you are talking about which is obvious

E

[minno]

Yours.


Minno

[KGW3]

Well I would not fish.. But more to the point, what about those Seafood places where they keep Lobsters and big crabs tied up in a tanks for many days before tossing them in boiling water.. These are the type of people I wish rectal cancer upon.... Sorry really slow rectal cancer...

Thats 1 reason why I don't catch or eat crustateons.. I think at least someone should have some compasion for creatures that cannot swim fast or have any defence mechanisim.. Hope Charis's are reading this.

[Lovey80]

Finga mate, taking the cook is not an option!!!! Imagine that bagging one would get if he took the cook and she was the one that got lucky with JH?

Not that I would complain in other circumstances......D)

Cheers Chris

[Tailortaker]

Finga mate, taking the cook is not an option!!!! Imagine that bagging one would get if he took the cook and she was the one that got lucky with JH?

Not that I would complain in other circumstances......D)

Cheers Chris
The cook get lucky with JH ??? :o thats a dream come true ! ;)
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[MTpockets]

I hate hypotheticals

[minno]

Well I would not fish.. But more to the point, what about those Seafood places where they keep Lobsters and big crabs tied up in a tanks for many days before tossing them in boiling water.. These are the type of people I wish rectal cancer upon.... Sorry really slow rectal cancer...

Thats 1 reason why I don't catch or eat crustateons.. I think at least someone should have some compasion for creatures that cannot swim fast or have any defence mechanisim.. Hope Charis's are reading this.


Mate! its food.;D




Minno;)

[Tropicaltrout]

Yep silly question but a big responce so go figure I said NO mainly I could not see any sport killing only catching as it is

TT

[KGW3]

Minno

I know humans eat fish and crustateons, but we are the really lowest form of life on earth.. We torture and kill everything that has any type of flesh on it's body..
I can understand where Vegans are coming from.

[minno]

We are just doing what nature intended us to do. Dont be so hard on yourself.
or me! I just happen to be human too you know.:-X



Minno;D

[Tailortaker]

Minno

I know humans eat fish and crustateons, but we are the really lowest form of life on earth.. We torture and kill everything that has any type of flesh on it's body..
I can understand where Vegans are coming from.
kill maybe, but I think that the torture part is a bit harsh.....
________
The Extreme-Q Vaporizer (http://vaporizer.org)

[Louis]

Fishing to me is more than just a recreational pursuit.

Unfortunately it is somewhat of an addiction.

I would have to say that I would continue to fish but I would change my fishing habits dramatically to reduce the level of by-catch.


Louis

[NEWBY]

Well said Louis. I however go fishing to relax and de-stress. Its more the water than the catch. I do love a feed of fresh fish though but would probably stop at the bag limits rather than keep fishing for catch and release.

[Davemclean]

Minno

I know humans eat fish and crustateons, but we are the really lowest form of life on earth.. We torture and kill everything that has any type of flesh on it's body..
I can understand where Vegans are coming from.


torture is a bit harsh mate, we are designed to be preadtory animals, it is in our nature to hunt, lol

[minno]

Yeah! So watch out if your a vegetable. LOL I like soup as well.;D




Minno

[Little grey men]

Minno

I know humans eat fish and crustateons, but we are the really lowest form of life on earth.. We torture and kill everything that has any type of flesh on it's body..
I can understand where Vegans are coming from.

The only reason Vegans don't kill is because they don't have enough strength in their little malnourished tofu fed arms to lift an axe. Do you think these poor buggars actually like eating kelp burgers.
It is our job as resonsible carnivores to force feed a steak to the next poor thin shaking vegan that we come across.

And yes I'm only joking........or am I.:-/

[KGW3]

LGM..
It's one thing to be a fish and crab murderer.. But a fish and crab murderer with a sense of humour... We are all actually Omnivores, so the odd tofu and kep burger are ok.

[Little grey men]

Truth be told mate, I have a lot of friends who are vegetarians and I was really surprised at how nice a lot of that stuff is. I'm a huge chic pea curry fan now...but you must admit..Carnivore sounds so much cooler than Omnivore.

love your avatar......WOT ME WORRY !!!

[KGW3]

:-[ What avatar ???

That self portrait was done recently by a local artist..

[Little grey men]

Well in that case, you were truly blessed with astonishing good looks my friend.

[Chas & Clarry]

Now we are all just hoping that your's isn't a sefl portrait LGM ;D

[Barraless]

Yeah my catch rate is a little too lean to depleat our stocks! Unless cat fish are endangered

[Little grey men]

Now we are all just hoping that your's isn't a sefl portrait LGM ;D

Hey, I'd be happy if I was half as hansome as that cod.:-/

[Maxg]

People who make statements about fish survival should consider this.
Firstly the ocean is a meat grinder and fishes are the meat source.
Only a very, very small percentage of the oceanic fishes are hooked, whether they are released or not. And if they all died it would not be anything like the number of fishes that die because of natural causes. Like being eaten by bigger fishes.
Commercial fishers, world wide, kill so many fishes the effect of recreational fishing on fish numbers is not worth bothering about. But the effects of the commercials on the bottom of the food chain, the pilchards, herrings, sardines etc, the oceanic bait fishes, creats more problems that any commercially caught other fishes, Aquaculture is a very serious problem due to the number of bait fishes fed to the aquaculture species. Like millions of tons yearly. So much so that the lack of bait fishes has caused the ocean to go from a Co2 absorber to an emitter which seriously adds to the GHG problems.
So why all the fuss. There is always a fuss.
Example the number of marlin tagged and released over a 10 year period on the GBR amounted to in excess of 20,000 and only 189 tags were returned.
So where were the other 19,811.
No-one can say, and if you ask who returned the 189 tags, they were mostly from longliners.
There are some pretty sad stories on www.western angler.com.au about black jews, and poor old mulloway and we now know that demersal fishes taken from depths greater than 30 metres do end up dead from the effects of barotrauma. Specifically the bends caused by circulation cessation due to swim bladder expansion, which causes the capillary vessles to be destroyed by expanding blood gasses. Victims bleed to death in 3 days, no matter how well the fish is treated.
Western Dhufish are very sad cases when taken from even shallow depths and it seems that the wonderful lead weight release system doesn't really work because the damage is done on the way up.
Sooner or later it will hit the Fisheries and Angling Associatiions that what they thought happened is almost certain to be not the case and there wil be some very red faces on a number of very big knobs in certain Fishing Associations who have been mouthing off over the years about how wonderful the thing is.
You do less real harm if you just eat what you catch, but there is nothing wrong with releasing fish, if it gives you a thrill because the predators will clean up after you in short order.
Fish are live animals, not just objects for our fun and joy, and they have a very sophisticated metabolic system, which is seriously effected by stress and handling, and one has to handle fish to release them, mostly. But that good old barotrauma is the killer. Pretty deadly stuff.
I don't release fish I can eat and the others I can't eat I do release because it doesn't matter a toss one way or the other.
Cheers Max Garth

[onerabbit]

well said MaxG

Muzz

[Maxg]

Well have been to a meeting, to discuss the rec fishing future, and unless someone does something about catch and release things are going to get tougher.
Fact is, with rec fishing alone, ever since bag limits were introduced they have been getting reviewed every few years and reduced, until there isn't much left to reduce. The point is that all the while anglers have been doing the catch and release. And its unregulated and obviously uncontrollable.
No matter what the bag limits are, anglers will still fish and use catch and release. With demersal fishes, the snappers etc, the survival rate is species and depth dependant, and if it get under 50% you would be very lucky.
And therein lies the problem, anglers mostly don't know anything about it because the "facts" you are fed are not "facts" as such but hopefull guesses.
Most damage from biotrauma is as I have already said, from the "bends" circulation failure due to swimbladder expansion and resultant capillary failure. So its like odds on that if you bring up a fish that has a badly swollen belly, its already on the way to being dead. If its stomach is out its mouth, its gone for all money.
There is a hell of a lot of stuff available on the net, but in WA on Dhufish, baldchin groper snapper mulloway and black jew, apart from a lot of others not mentioned, are on the way to extinction if catch and release isn't hit on the head.
Fisheries have had a lot of changes made, by the Minister, to commercial efforts and commercials can no longer catch crays and do the bait fishing bit at the same time.
The story is that demersal fishes are in the hot seat, catch your bag limit of te demersal species and then go looking for tailor, or pelagics. Or whatever. But change your ways, or there won't be anything to catch.
Its your ball in the court.
maxG.

[fish-n-dive]

I generally eat what I catch so I voted yes. Because this is a hypothetical question, I don't see moral issues of keeping and eating undersized fish coming into it. If everything caught died then the Gov would have stricter laws in place to counter the devastation..................

[artesian]

Hello Max,

It's always interesting to read what you have to say.

I usually only fish to eat what I catch, provided it is legal of course.

But I am about to make my second trip to Monduran to catch and release the barra there. Catch and release, because the one and only I ate tasted pretty ordinary, and I say that as someone who likes yellowbelly and bass :-) on the plate. It was 114 cm and fat like me :-)

I'll be thinking a fair bit more about how that fits my values I guess. May have a lot of lures, and a couple of rods and reels to part with...............

Were you involved in the discussion a year or two (or three) ago about camera flashes and barra eyes? do you know where that ended up?

[Cammy]

i said i was unsure, because i am unsure. max has given me a different view of fishing.thnx

cam

[Kurichan]

Not sure, but I guess I would, though differently.

On a totally different tangent, (and some might think me paranoid) various groups trying to outlaw recreational fishing totally would love this kind of info straight from the user groups own boards. It could be used to paint fishers in a bad light.

[nigelr]

Good point kurichan.
You might want to change the pic in your avitar, the blood may be ammunition for the animals before humans folk.
Cheers.

[Pretzil]

would you still release then?

[NAGG]

Fishing is my pastime & though while the majority of my fishing is catch & release ...... Id have to say YES! ...... I'd just end up eating more fish:P

I'm glad this is a hypothetical question though! ...... Nagg

[cuzzamundi]

I just don't know - great question! As Nagg said, bloody glad it's a hypothetical!

cuzza

[rocksberg6]

I say yes! I don't catch much anyway!