When do you decide to keep versus release a fish? Is it the regulations, or the size , species, or age of the fish, or your individual preferences? Or is it your desire to eat one on a trip? Curious about your thoughts.

Me personally I only keep to eat if needed. With all the advancements in taxidermy you only need a picture to get a good mount anymore.

quote ddietz336: "Me personally I only keep to eat if needed. With all the advancements in taxidermy you only need a picture to get a good mount anymore."

Same here. Except if a large one is all that's available to eat over the last few days, it will become supper. Just a large, not a trophy (19-20" smallie, 24-26" walleye, up to 30" pike). Usually there are enough smaller ones to sustain the palate where everything else can continue to provide enjoyment for everyone else. I have friends on both sides of the aisle where one throws them all back and another will want to keep em all, so at least we all balance each other out. I also purposely bring just enough food so I have to catch something if I don't want to go to bed hungry.

I release 99% of what I catch. I never keep smallmouth because they're hard to clean. Their backbones are like those plates on the backs of a stegasaurus. I never keep a pike or walleye early in the morning or even mid-morning because I don't want it or the stringer banging against my canoe. I never even keep a fish from my prime fishing spot. Instead, when I'm done fishing, I paddle back and a mile or so from camp, I troll a crankbait and eat the walleye or pike that I catch. I only eat fish once a day and not even all days and only eat a the pike or walleye I caught returning to camp in the morning. I'd never keep a fish overnight or even keep a fish caught in the evening.

When I was younger I wanted nothing more than a 12# walleye to grace my wall, but that mission was accomplished years ago so now it's all about the golden fillet in that cast iron skillet! I enjoy fishing, but I really enjoy eating fish. And they are good for you too, go figure!

I have not kept any fish that I have caught in over 10 years.

I keep a few if we plan to eat fish that day. 90% of the time, probably more, it's catch and release.

quote 2old4U: "When I was younger I wanted nothing more than a 12# walleye to grace my wall, but that mission was accomplished years ago so now it's all about the golden fillet in that cast iron skillet! I enjoy fishing, but I really enjoy eating fish. And they are good for you too, go figure!"

Note: I fry my fish because they become golden, crunchy and steamy, and yummy.

However, deep frying fish does destroy most of their goodness, turning them into oil sponges. Sigh. I wish it were otherwish.

I keep few fish that I catch anymore...but keeping one is purely for a desire to have a meal.
I'll keep most walleyes for a meal, but release most trout.

quote missmolly: "

quote 2old4U: "When I was younger I wanted nothing more than a 12# walleye to grace my wall, but that mission was accomplished years ago so now it's all about the golden fillet in that cast iron skillet! I enjoy fishing, but I really enjoy eating fish. And they are good for you too, go figure!"

Note: I fry my fish because they become golden, crunchy and steamy, and yummy.


However, deep frying fish does destroy most of their goodness, turning them into oil sponges. Sigh. I wish it were otherwish."

If your fish are oil sponges then your oil is not hot enough...turn up the heat and you'll be surprised how little oil is in those fillets. Or, grill them which is very good too. Gotta quit, making myself hungry:)

I only keep enough fish for a meal, and only on the days we want to eat fish. Mostly it is 12-14 inch walleye. Usually two of them, one for the wife and one for me. The fillets are cooked on a flat griddle with a tablespoon of oil and a tablespoon of butter then seasoned with a pinch of sea salt. Usually served with rice pilaf or couscous.

Bruce

quote 2old4U: "

quote missmolly: "

quote 2old4U: "When I was younger I wanted nothing more than a 12# walleye to grace my wall, but that mission was accomplished years ago so now it's all about the golden fillet in that cast iron skillet! I enjoy fishing, but I really enjoy eating fish. And they are good for you too, go figure!"

Note: I fry my fish because they become golden, crunchy and steamy, and yummy.



However, deep frying fish does destroy most of their goodness, turning them into oil sponges. Sigh. I wish it were otherwish."

If your fish are oil sponges then your oil is not hot enough...turn up the heat and you'll be surprised how little oil is in those fillets. Or, grill them which is very good too. Gotta quit, making myself hungry:)"

I use the match trick. I drop a kitchen match into the oil and heat the oil until the match ignites. What I wrote about the healthiness of deep frying fish comes from what I've read. A typical Friday night fish fry meal has hundreds of grams of fat. I agree about grilling, but lawdy, I love fish that's steamy on the inside and crunchy on the outside.

Generally speaking, I used to keep a lot more fish than I do now. At this point, I am just going to keep what I will be eating. I tend to be more like missmolly in how I go about it too. Although, I had not thought of keeping the favorite spot 'clean' like she does. I like that idea. I pick up so much useful information around this place...

quote 2old4U: "

quote missmolly: "

quote 2old4U: "When I was younger I wanted nothing more than a 12# walleye to grace my wall, but that mission was accomplished years ago so now it's all about the golden fillet in that cast iron skillet! I enjoy fishing, but I really enjoy eating fish. And they are good for you too, go figure!"

Note: I fry my fish because they become golden, crunchy and steamy, and yummy.



However, deep frying fish does destroy most of their goodness, turning them into oil sponges. Sigh. I wish it were otherwish."

If your fish are oil sponges then your oil is not hot enough...turn up the heat and you'll be surprised how little oil is in those fillets. Or, grill them which is very good too. Gotta quit, making myself hungry:)"

Yep........

These are just about perfect :)

Geo

Later,

Only keep what we will eat but always make sure I have a few vacuum sealed in the freezer. Have a couple hundred perch fillets in the freezer right now but they will be gone before the ice gets here, so will be forced to eat salmon until the lakes freeze.

If we're talking about the BW, then size matters. Trophy or even near-trophy size fish are released. Smaller eater size game fish, regardless of species are eaten. Fried, grilled, sauteed its all good. I could eat fresh fish every day on a trip, but don't since I bring too much food.

Small walleyes are usually eaten. Large fish of any species are photographed and released.

I guess I am 3 fishermen all wrapped up in one, depending on the scenario and place I am fishing:

In the BW, we do the same as most have already mentioned- keep what we want for a meal, and the rest go back in the water. We tend to keep any species, with preference given to walleyes when we catch them. Large bass, pike or walleye are always returned to the lake to give someone else the same experience we had. I would say we most commonly eat 14-16" bass, 24-28" pike, and 14-18" walleye, assuming the fish are cooperating enough.

At home where I do a lot of panfishing during hard and soft water seasons, most of what I catch is kept. Bluegills, crappies, white bass, perch, and the occasional walleye make for nice fish frys. With 5 mouths to feed, and all of them liking fish, we do keep quite a few. We will keep the occasional pike during ice fishing season as well, but I rarely fish for them anymore.

On my trips to various northern WI lakes, where I target mostly largemouth bass, I release everything I catch. If I ever catch the big one, photographs and memories are all I'll be taking, as I have no urge to put a mount, even a replica, on my wall.

quote missmolly: "

quote 2old4U: "

quote missmolly: "

quote 2old4U: "When I was younger I wanted nothing more than a 12# walleye to grace my wall, but that mission was accomplished years ago so now it's all about the golden fillet in that cast iron skillet! I enjoy fishing, but I really enjoy eating fish. And they are good for you too, go figure!"

Note: I fry my fish because they become golden, crunchy and steamy, and yummy.



However, deep frying fish does destroy most of their goodness, turning them into oil sponges. Sigh. I wish it were otherwish."

If your fish are oil sponges then your oil is not hot enough...turn up the heat and you'll be surprised how little oil is in those fillets. Or, grill them which is very good too. Gotta quit, making myself hungry:)"

I use the match trick. I drop a kitchen match into the oil and heat the oil until the match ignites. What I wrote about the healthiness of deep frying fish comes from what I've read. A typical Friday night fish fry meal has hundreds of grams of fat. I agree about grilling, but lawdy, I love fish that's steamy on the inside and crunchy on the outside."

I have been trying a grapeseed oil rather than olive oil as of late And I find it gets hotter and leaves just a hint of oil taste rather than a mouthwash effect.

quote GrandpaT: "

quote missmolly: "

quote 2old4U: "

quote missmolly: "

quote 2old4U: "When I was younger I wanted nothing more than a 12# walleye to grace my wall, but that mission was accomplished years ago so now it's all about the golden fillet in that cast iron skillet! I enjoy fishing, but I really enjoy eating fish. And they are good for you too, go figure!"

Note: I fry my fish because they become golden, crunchy and steamy, and yummy.




However, deep frying fish does destroy most of their goodness, turning them into oil sponges. Sigh. I wish it were otherwish."

If your fish are oil sponges then your oil is not hot enough...turn up the heat and you'll be surprised how little oil is in those fillets. Or, grill them which is very good too. Gotta quit, making myself hungry:)"

I use the match trick. I drop a kitchen match into the oil and heat the oil until the match ignites. What I wrote about the healthiness of deep frying fish comes from what I've read. A typical Friday night fish fry meal has hundreds of grams of fat. I agree about grilling, but lawdy, I love fish that's steamy on the inside and crunchy on the outside."

I have been trying a grapeseed oil rather than olive oil as of late And I find it gets hotter and leaves just a hint of oil taste rather than a mouthwash effect."

I've cooked with grapeseed oil, but never fried fish in it. Thanks for the tip. It's one of the good oils, as I expect you know.

So, if you are in the Q and with some newbies and you have extolled everything wonderful about the Q including delicious walleye meals, and you are skunked in late July, if you suddenly land a big 28"-30" do you keep it and have the fish meal you have talked up? I did but I felt a bit guilty about cleaning such a big eye but it was pleasure on every level
Jon

and me..i'm a catch and release kind of guy...but I mostly only fish stream trout.

Keep the small ones for food--on a week long trip maybe 2 meals. No trout over 2-3#, walleye around 1-2#, small to medium sized smallys, 23-24 inch northern.

T

quote Primitiveman: "So, if you are in the Q and with some newbies and you have extolled everything wonderful about the Q including delicious walleye meals, and you are skunked in late July, if you suddenly land a big 28"-30" do you keep it and have the fish meal you have talked up? I did but I felt a bit guilty about cleaning such a big eye but it was pleasure on every level
Jon"

I realize it is probably against the trend, but I LOVE fish, so in your case I end up with a full belly.

I release most of the fish I catch. I like keeping a few trout in spring and fall, walleyes when im camping, and crappies at different times of the year. The only time I keep a bigger fish is if its gut hooked or has messed up gills.

usually the fish makes that decision before it even gets to the boat.
I enjoy fishing, catching fish, eating fish... but mostly I just want to be on the water, or on shore casting.

"Fall" eyes tonignt......

only keep the fish i'm going to eat. walleye, smallmouth, pike, crappies and sunnies are all good eating fish. don't really fish for lake trout. only keep the good eaters - not the large fish which should be returned to the water (exceptions would be large crappies and sunnies)