I get the idea of slowing down the harvest of big females out there. I totally get the idea of it, but it limits us from running tournaments . Which is how I fish, even when I'm just out fun fishing. Probably why I end up fishing alone a lot.
I have been out there and saw guys tank big unspawned females and then to the ramp and a club to the head. It sucks. I wish they would wait till after the spawn to do that, but no one is going to do exactly what I am willing to do at that time of the year. Now I will keep a few mid sized fish in the fall cause the parents enjoy steamed bass on a grill. But for me , the way this idea was presented to the DNR looks like it is just about keeping a business running and getting big tips for big fish.
That all being said . The difference is in a tournament you pull a fish off the bed and tank it and then release it later. Yes the gobies hammer the empty bed, but that fish that got put back has a chance to spawn the next year. When they are tanked and cut up. They don't have the chance to spawn the following season, removing not only the fish from the system, but every year class of spawn after that.
Maybe a middle ground would be the delayed catch and release idea out there. I am willing to make a compromise on these 2 ideas of not opening catch and keep till July 4th vs, leaving it the way it is. What I am NOT willing to do is work an idea if the other side is steadfast in it's opinion. Everyone has to give a little to get a middle ground that works for everyone. If they are not willing to do something along these lines, then I will fight as hard as I can to keep the rules exactly the way they stand now.
