Look Forward

Now I'm no authority on who does what with the fish they catch, and I certainly don't hold anything against anglers who keep a small number of their Bass for the table. But when you see the photo of 5 or 6 breeding size fish, lined up dead and waiting to go home, I can't help feeling almost cheated.

As a lure angler, I think you naturally develop of tendency toward catch and release. Myself, I haven't killed a single Bass this year. If I'm honest, I doubt I will again. It's just a personal choice, I'm not a preacher and each to their own. If you visit various Sea Fishing forums, you often see posts complaining of how marks 'just don't fish like they used to' or 'the netters must have been here'. With commercial pressure on the stocks, can people really afford to keep bagging up hauls of Bass? We really should be looking forward now, with a little forethought we can work together and help protect this valuable fish.

I had a great feeling when an angler watched me revive and release my PB Bass, he was gobsmacked and I really thought he was going to jump on it! But that warm feeling was almost as enjoyable as the fight I had from her.

Keep the odd fish, but don't slaughter them. When I release a fish to grow bigger, it's a lure fisherman I imagine catching her when she's a lunker!!