"Meat Fisherman" vs "Sport Fisherman"

[Talapia]

Can you be both? What is your definition of
a meat fisherman/sport fisherman?

I think you can be both.

I think that meat fisherman are out to
get their legal limit and enjoy filling a
cooler with tasty fish.

I think that a sport fisherman is someone
who is more interested in the "sport" of
hooking, landing, and releasing fish.

[Finger_Mullet]

that you can be both. You can be fishing for a large drummie and catch a slot sized pup and put him in the cooler for a later meal.

It could all depend on what you are fishing for and when. I guess you could be a sportfisherman one day and a meat fisherman on another.

I fish for blues frequently and I don't eat them. I throw them back. I guess I am sportfishing on these days. If I catch a spanish or a flounder they will go in the cooler. Then I would be meatfishing.

If I am trolling for marlin or sailfish I woud be sportfishing. If I caught a dolphin or a tuna they would go in the fish box. Then I would be meatfishing.

I think you can be both. Sometime I throw them all back. Just depends on when, where and what I catch.

I fished Kure Beach pier over Easter. I caught a bucket full of big sea mullet. I kept them and was going to clean them at the cleaning station. A guy and his family was cleaning some very small fish. He commented on my fish and said he wished he could have caught some that size. I gave him my fish after I cleaned them. I am sure it provided several meals for his family. I guess I was sportfishing for sea mullet that night.

Just my opnion.

Mullet

[Lipyourown]

You can be both, I am. I release the vast majority of what I catch, no matter the species. When I plan to eat fish, I plan to eat it fresh...cooked within 24 hours, blues within a few hours. Course on big fish some has to go in the freezer.

One type of fisherman I can't stand are the "game hogs" that keep everything the law allows them too keep knowing full well they have enough fish to feed a highschool etc. They have packed freezers, throw out old frozen fillets for new ones, give their moms the fish they don't like to eat and mount their big catches the old fashioned ways. These types are generally the ones that act like arses in the end zone after a touchdown...cuase they rarely get there.

[Anthony]

I am definitely both. I am more meat than sport but have released my fair share of keepers. Any fish I can't eat I share with my friends who don't know what "fresh" fish is.

[RuddeDogg]

I say both. You can be either. Eat what you catch and release the rest.

[Talapia]

How would you react in the following
situation?

1. You are seabass fishing with family
and or friends and there are 6 of you
on the headboat. You have just
caught your 25 fish limit but they
have not. It is a possesion law in
your state and you guys are sharing
coolers:

a) Stop fishing since you have
reached your personal 25 fish
limit.
b) Keep on fishing until the party
reaches their 6 person limit of
fish or the trip ends...:D
c) Keep on fishing for a while but
only keep large fish (hopefully
the pool fish);)
d) Other (Please explain)



2. You are fishing for Rocks from a boat
and they have a huge livewell that you
can place fish in for a while. The bite has
been super slow and you have one small
fish in the cooler already; then you catch
a just legal fish. What do you do?

a) Put the fish in the livewell and see
if you can catch a larger fish.
b) Put the fish in your cooler since it was
a legal fish and you have your limit.
Stop fishing for the day.
c) Keep fish and C&R fish.
d) Keep the fish, and if you catch a
larger fish see if anybody
wants the smaller one and keep
the new one. Repeat this
process until trip is over.
e) Plead the 5th on this question.
f) Other (Please explain)



3. You are fishing at AI with your buddy
and have a great trip. You already have
your 2 fish limit. You friend has the big
skunk. Right before the trip is due to end
you catch a 3rd nice fish....

a) Rules are rules, he should have
fished a little harder....:eek: :D
b) Give him the fish...
c) Plead the 5th on this question...:D
d) Let the fish go and give him one
of your two fish...(which you had
secretly planned to do otherwise)
e) Other answer



4. You just drove 3 hrs to IRI to fish for
togs off the rocks...you catch a really nice
7 pound female but she is full of eggs...and
it is almost time to make that 3 hr drive
back home...

a) Can anyone say "hot grease bath":D
b) It's her lucky day.
c) Other answer

[RuddeDogg]

1)- B
2)-NJ I have my bonus tags for a third fish. After that....C..C&R
3)-B....Never fished there but he is a friend.
4)-B....Never fished there either, but that's what I would do.

[Talapia]

1)- B
2)-NJ I have my bonus tags for a third fish. After that....C..C&R
3)-B....Never fished there but he is a friend.
4)-B....Never fished there either, but that's what I would do.

I picked

1. B
2. E
3. B
4. Probably A....hey that's a long drive...

[johnnyleo11]

I'm a sport guy. If I'm near my parents' home, I'll keep fish to drop off for my mom.

I live in an apartment with no access to wash stuff out like coolers, so I try to throw everything back in the drink. That is unless there is some sort of social function going on, then I'll keep some to grill.

1. b
2. c
3. d
4. b (some kid may want to catch those one day)

[Cdog]

1. d Keep fishing and releasing em.
2.c
3.a
4.b

[MANDINGO]

How would you react in the following
situation?

1. You are seabass fishing with family
and or friends and there are 6 of you
on the headboat. You have just
caught your 25 fish limit but they
have not. It is a possesion law in
your state and you guys are sharing
coolers:

a) Stop fishing since you have
reached your personal 25 fish
limit.
b) Keep on fishing until the party
reaches their 6 person limit of
fish or the trip ends...:D
c) Keep on fishing for a while but
only keep large fish (hopefully
the pool fish);)
d) Other (Please explain)



2. You are fishing for Rocks from a boat
and they have a huge livewell that you
can place fish in for a while. The bite has
been super slow and you have one small
fish in the cooler already; then you catch
a just legal fish. What do you do?

a) Put the fish in the livewell and see
if you can catch a larger fish.
b) Put the fish in your cooler since it was
a legal fish and you have your limit.
Stop fishing for the day.
c) Keep fish and C&R fish.
d) Keep the fish, and if you catch a
larger fish see if anybody
wants the smaller one and keep
the new one. Repeat this
process until trip is over.
e) Plead the 5th on this question.
f) Other (Please explain)



3. You are fishing at AI with your buddy
and have a great trip. You already have
your 2 fish limit. You friend has the big
skunk. Right before the trip is due to end
you catch a 3rd nice fish....

a) Rules are rules, he should have
fished a little harder....:eek: :D
b) Give him the fish...
c) Plead the 5th on this question...:D
d) Let the fish go and give him one
of your two fish...(which you had
secretly planned to do otherwise)
e) Other answer



4. You just drove 3 hrs to IRI to fish for
togs off the rocks...you catch a really nice
7 pound female but she is full of eggs...and
it is almost time to make that 3 hr drive
back home...

a) Can anyone say "hot grease bath":D
b) It's her lucky day.
c) Other answer
1b,2d,3b,4a
i keep what i catch as long as ithe size is legal. personally i dont eat fish but my family sure does so i go for the meat fisherman on this one. c&r is not for me:D ya ever see a seagull let something go? lol:D :D

[trowpa]

Very interesting questions raise - points out that its not always so black and white.

Basically I would say I am a strict C&R guy in freshwater, but a 75% meat guy in saltwater.

Why? I don't have a great answer other than I feel like the freshwater fisheries (especially trout) are so much more fragile and vulnerable to the recreational fisherman than saltwater.

A wild trout population can easily be destroyed by a few recreational fisherman - but recreational saltwater fisherman seem like such a drop in the bucket compared to the numbers caught comercially....

[Kajun]

depends how lazy i am that day if i'm a sport or meat fisherman....majority of the time i'm too lazy to clean fish when i get back home.

you forgot about the third type of fisherman...

the annoying conservationist....you know the type :) ...the guy that insist of quoting you the state laws verbatim even though you have already read them and abide by them....then will sit there and chastise you for keeping a legal fish for the table...insisting that your ruining the stocks if you eat that fish and his grandkid will never be able to catch a fish because you chose to eat that legal fish...yada yada...etc. etc.....ad nauseam

[jjaachapa]

1. A, have fun helping others or start targeting other types of fish.
2. F, Toss it back. Won't be the last time I fish.
3. E, I never keep my limit. Give him my fish.
4. B, Any fish full of eggs is C/R.

[Anthony]

1. B If you are seabass fishing, chances are you are meat fishing. Seabass are not usually a high catch and release fishery.

2. C I live on the ocean so keeper stripers have to be 28 inches so 2 keepers are more than enough fish.

3. B Friends are friends, chances are he would do the same for me.

4. A But only if it my only keeper of the day. If I already have fish in the box, then B would be my choice.