Skip to main content

Catch and Release Practices for Ice Fishing

Why practice Catch and Release Fishing? The fish population, and the size of the fish caught, have been on a steady decline for a number of years. This is due to the advancement of ice fishing technologies. Gadgets and advancements to other ice fishing equipment are making it much easier to catch fish in everyday ice fishing spots. However, we are seeing more and more anglers returning the majority of their catch to the water. While no one can deny the fact that a nice hot fish dinner after an ice fishing trip is very rewarding, most fishers are enjoying fishing for the sport, not for the food.

Another common practice used in combination with catch and release is called ‘selective harvest.’ This is the practice of minimizing the waste of fish, and providing a diverse opportunity for fishing while preserving fish conservation. The easiest way to do this is to practice catch and release. Only keep what you will definitely use. While catching and keeping the fish as a prize can bring you great joy, so can the release of the fish. This ensures that there will be fish for you to catch in the future. Releasing smaller fish also helps ensure there will be large fish in the water for spawning. Using the catch and release techniques means the fish will be in peak physical condition, and size, when you decide to keep a catch for food in the future.

All fishermen should keep the conservation of fish at the tops of their minds. Whether you fish for food, pure recreation, or for sport, when the fish are gone, there’s no more fishing. And with an increasing number of anglers reaching both highly accessible and more remote areas, conservation is becoming increasingly important.

There are also some more exact reasons to practice catch and release. Many water bodies now require you to catch and release. Also, as mentioned, physical conditions of the fish caught play a role. There is no reason to keep small fish, as these fish will grow, and ultimately produce more fish. There are also regulations in place for catch limits, zero catch limits and season restrictions which demand the use of catch and release.

Catch and release, and selective harvesting of fish guarantees the continued growth of fish populations and your continued enjoyment of fishing.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Milwards Split Cane Fishing Rods

Milwards split cane fishing rods information and details on the different models, features and characteristics of these sort-after pieces of fishing tackle. History In modern day fishing tackle, sometimes the advances of science have taken the simple joy out of a lot of fishing. Fly fishing is probably one of the most traditional of modern fishing disciplines, and one of the few where purchasing antique and vintage fishing tackle is a viable alternative to buying new, off-the-shelf gear. The interest in vintage fly fishing equipment, particularly rods and reels, has grown in recent years, and few fly fishing rods are more sort after than the exquisitely crafted Milwards split cane fishing rods. Henry Milward & Sons was a company founded in Redditch, England (just south of Birmingham) during the 18th century, and was most noted for its production of needles. However, one of the later generation Henrys was an avid fly fisher, and so an offshoot of the main company was formed to cater...
5 comments
Read more

Crickets: The Other Live Bait

Several years ago I got turned on to using live bait. Before that time I had used worms. Yes worms are live bait too, but the world of live bait is much more than a crawler on a hook. Minnows, crawdads, and crickets are also a big part of live bait fishing. I have enjoyed using each type, but crickets were my first venture into the “other-world” of live bait fishing. A good friend of mine, Tom, first showed me how to use crickets when stream fishing for trout. We were Trout fishing the Silver Fork out side of Kyburz, California. The water was running and the scenery outstanding. Our plan was to hop boulders from up above and fish our way down stream. First on the agenda was my introduction to using crickets as bait.  Tom grabbed a black cricket out of the cricket cage and said, “You just run the hook under the collar”. What? Was this cricket wearing a coat or something? I found that just behind the head of the cricket is something that looks like a collar. The trick is to gently guide ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Bass Fishing Basics: Get Started Today

There are different kinds of bass; the striped bass and the largemouth bass, small mouth bass and spotted bass. The striped bass comes from the family of Percicthyidae and its other members include white bass and white perch. The striped bass and white bass are also known as temperate basses- exercising moderation and self restraints. Stripped bass fishing can sometimes be very different activity compared to chasing those regular bass. The important thing to remember is that each and every fish requires a slightly different approach to maximize the possibility of success. The best way to go about things is to know the fish itself. Learn its movement and capability to escape as a prey. The largemouth bass, small mouth bass and spotted bass- belong to the sunfish family Centrarchidae whose other members include: bluegills, pumpkinseed and rock bass. These basses are also referred to as warm water basses or black basses. A smallmouth bass is a greenish brown color, with a vertically strip...
Post a Comment
Read more