Kinda bummed out

[eyesonly]

I read the post about walleyes Turning Up in the snow banks and someone posted up about a small eye that they gut hooked and he felt bad didnt know what to do. The same thing happened to me and my two little boys this weekend and was hoping someone could post upsome"right thing to do" advice. My 8 yr old gut hooked a 11 inch eye Friday night (bobber under to long probably) we tried to release it with every means possible and it kept floating right back to us. My boys know right and wrong when it comes to fishing ethics and we felt very bad about throwing a fish out in the snow bank because again we just didnt know the right thing to do-We had about an hour long talk on the way home about ethics and the right way to treat the resource . That was the one good thing that came from our expierience

[steeplechaser2]

It's happened to all of us....in our area, if we have that situation we keep it and fry it....I know the 2 fish limit, etc...but take the small one as one of the two fish (i don't think there is a minimum is there?)....the trip is not about the eating, etc....on the other hand, the released fish will not go to waste...with all of the monster pike in the area, the walleye will flutter and flutter and CHOMP....cut bait....I know it seems cruel and crude, but nature wastes little...bugs, fish, birds, something will eat it. It is another reason to consider barbless hooks. Just my 2 cents worth...I'm no expert.

[Mike L]

I thik ya handled it just right. Stuff happens, but you shouldn't benefit. Crows need to eat, too.

[Slabby]

Your right steeplechaser about keeping the 11"er as part of the limit. Not much meat on that size.

Had a bad related experience on sat. Was drilling holes by where some old houses were and auged into a bag of walleye guts-- that was pretty nasty

[Random guy]

Quote:

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We had about an hour long talk on the way home about ethics and the right way to treat the resource .

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That was the perfect thing to do.

As far as fishing and releasing fish it happens. I had a musky hooked bad once that no matter what I did we couldn't bring it back. I was even in the water with it trying to help it out without any luck. It tore me up for a few days although when you think of it today we release alot of fish, twenty years ago they all got the knife, call it growing pains.

[farmer boy]

We were up a few weeks ago and hooked one too deep so we just cut the line and let her go maybe you even did this sometimes it just happens the good thing is you knew what was right and wrong and are trying to pass thoses good values along to the next generation.

Farmer

[Nutty Fisherman]

Hey farmer boy where from St. Peter do you live? I know some people from there.

[JBMasterAngler]

It definitely sucks when you release a fish and it dies. Of course there's nothing you can do, but as stated before, nature wastes little. I caught a small northern from shore once that was hooked bad. It died, not even an hour later I could see 2 or 3 turtles tearing it apart. Most of the time we don't get to see that dead fish get put to use, so it was actually pretty cool to see nature at work.

[farmer boy]

Nutty we are west of town near a little town called Traverse.

Who are your friends St Peter is even fairly small.

Farmer

[Nutty Fisherman]

I lived there for over 30 years. You must know me, did farm drainage. Pretty sure I know where you live

.

[farmer boy]

Thats scarry you know where I live hm.

There are Three guys I know that did most of the farm drainage in the area and one still does it and I think his old partner still lives in the area.

The third had a partner that followed him home ever night and every time on the trail. I think he would even lead once in a will and never was lost that he would admit to anyway.

I think I might even know who this is even followed you a few times and took advice from you partner once in a while.

Your bussiness was right off hwy 22.

Say hi to Ilean for me

[Nutty Fisherman]

Ilene says hi. Will be down this weekend. Should be at the legion hoping around 10 PM

[farmer boy]

Roger I will be at Johnson Hall on Sat.night at the fair grounds we are haveing the Luck of the Irish there it is a fund raiser for John Irland. Dinner 4-6/7 Silent acution live auction goes till 9 or 10 then cleanup. Then the farmer that bought Bill Depuets farm got married and is haveing a recieption in mankato that night hope to hit the end. The fun raiser is open to anyone.

Nice to hear from you been a while I hope all is well.

Roger we are in the process of replaceing the county main on the enz farm that you replaced in the 80's. The whole main is going to be replaced. The has been a long and slow process more than ten years you should be glad your not in the Biz. anymore a ton of red tape and new regulations.

Maybe see ya saturday take care

Chuck