Why it's important to return small fish.

eccles

Just been reading about some fish tagging experiments. It appears that many fish like to hang around the same area year after year. In particular one bass that got caught three times in the same spot over a three year period, gained 1.4 kgs (3lb) in that time. I have concluded that the school bass you catch now and hopefully return will in a couple of years or so will be a far more worthy specimen and will probably still be in your area. Nuff said.

rabbi2 · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 7:29 am Post subject:

As you have said my mate, fish do return to the same area time after time. even salmon, sea trout ect ect, so why not the same for other species. We live and learn or do we. With the amount of folk still taking undersized fish its no wonder stocks have been decimated. crying

manic_muppet · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 7:38 am Post subject:

In 3 years i'v only taken 4 fish home, 3 mackies and a plaice. As Rabbi2 will testify, we always return ours with as little fuss as possible, big hug

MJB · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:38 am Post subject:

The tale of "Benny the Bass" (Should really be Betty, as the vast majority of 5lb+ Bass will be female) is a good reason to put the big ones back. Once they're gone they never come back.