Quote:
Originally Posted by hawgsquatch
I know I am going to get stomped on for this because I am an outsider but here goes.
Why the hate? Is it really that bad? If you were blind and did not know what was on the end of the line, would it matter what fish was fighting?
I just don't understand the issue with having an abundance of willing fish that are edible and reproduce themselves. Enlighten me.
Here is the part that is going to make some of you mad. If I was to see someone killing fish and throwing them back thsi is what would happen.
1. Violation for wanton waste of fish or game....1600.00 fine.
2. Violation for littering........1100.00 fine.
3. violation for introducing a biological pollutant to a stream, lake or waterway...1500-10.000.00.
4. Siezure of all fishing tackle, gear, rods reels etc, incuing boat and the truck you used to tow it to the water.
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I feel you. But walk a mile in our shoes before getting too judgmental.
Unhook 100 hardheads and then tell us about how happy you are to be catching them. Eventually, you'll get finned by one. Then tell us how happy you are to be catching them.
Then why don't you skin, fillet, prepare and eat a few. Then tell us how happy you are to be catching them.
And I think I'm actually pretty positive on sea catfish compared with most inshore anglers. There are times when I've been willing to skin and fillet them. There flavor is a bit strong, but fried and put in po-boys with enough tobasco, horseradish, and mustard, they are pretty good.
If there is ever a famine, I doubt I'll starve to death if I can make it to a brackish bayou or waterway with a fishing pole.
But whatever their redeeming qualities, hardheads are nuisance bait stealers most of the time when targeting other species. They max out at about 2 lbs. They can work their way through $20 of cracked crab pretty quickly when we are targeting bull redfish.
Even when they can't swallow the bait, they are down there farting around with it. My son caught an 8" long hardhead using a 12" striped mullet for bait. What was that hardhead thinking?