I am not trying to stir the pot, however while looking at current photos of fish recently caught I saw 6 or seven largemouth bass being held up for a photo. Doesnt the law read that bass in northern wi. are legal to catch, but must be released immediately. Maybe I am looking at it wrong, but if it is ok to hold them in a livewell for a photo later, it should be ok for a fisherman to put his caught bass in a livewell so he doesnt spook the school of fish he is on. Just curious how they can put a photo like that up. I know they were released, but don't they need to be releasd immediately ? Maybe I am missing something. Thanks
Wisconsin Fishing Discussion
Photos of fish caught
Sorry if my question was confusing. I have been out of town fishing, without internet service. The gist of my question was if bass are catch and release from opening day till June something, how could photos of 6 bass being held for photos by three people? It would seem that they must have been placed in a livewell for photos later in the day. That is upsetting, and would be illegal. Perhaps I am wrong about catch, photo, release.early in the season in the northern zone. Thanks , not trying to get anyone upset but that practice seems wrong for bass. Thanks and good fishing.
If a walleye's isn't bleeding, he's fine.
If breaking smallmouth's jaws was a thing, you'd see hundreds of thousands of smallies with broken jaws.
If you grab a walleye all the way forward, you don't even touch the gills except with top of your finger. I hate when people talk about something they haven't done much of. Not trying to be a jerk, just being straight forward. If you can't hold up to a 10lb walleye with one finger you have bigger issues.
Muskie, Pike, catfish, something with some muscle, one finger may hurt the fish more than help.
SnakeSter.....I was not referring to any regulation, only a safe way to handle a walleye for their survival. I see people holding smallmouth bass like a largemouth too. Their lower jaw does not hinge like a largemouths, so they are damaging the fishes jaw by bending it back. The best way to handle them is to cradle them under the stomach.
The point the guide was making was to avoid the gill rakers....
The 1 finger thing was just his way of emphasizing that
As long as your not damaging the gill rakers, you can use as many fingers as you need to control / hold the fish
Frankly, I thought his 1 finger method was kind of goofy.. and dicey
The guide on the Gillespie show was telling the viewer's to use one finger to hold the walleyes. I don't think John Gillespie was listening,he kept sticking his whole hand in the fishes gills. Moral of the story you cannot change the world if the world doesn't want to change!
Have you ever taken a photo and then released the fish? It takes very little time. If a fish goes in a livewell it better be legal and kept. The rules, if you read them, are clear on that. You also seem worried that releasing a fish spooks others. Perhaps the fish thrashing around being caught did that.....letting the tired fish go?.... I kind of doubt it. Photo is of a GB eye before release.
would be helpful if you linked the DNR regulations you are talking about... most gamefish except musky are open season now
here's the main fishing regs page