[inchspinner]

Originally Posted by Duck Butter

In terms of general wildlife management, when you want something to be big, you take out the competition (small fish) to have more resources available for the bigger things.

There is ZERO sense in NOT keeping that big trout though, none at all. It will just die of old age, may as well stick it on the wall. (I have nothing against throwing one back that is big, I will throw the big ones back as well unless its going on the wall). The odds of that 8 lb trout you let go will get to be a 30" trout are not that good, it is likely that is the last year of this fish's life and will spawn out and die. That same fish may have been a 10 or 12 lb fish in areas with less competition. You really really have to focus on the age classes. That 8 lb fish may have been 10 years old when in a productive environment it could have been a 10.

Think of it in deer hunting terms, people want big deer, you gotta thin out the competition for resources (does). Does and their offspring get the lions share of the resources. You have to figure out what exactly you want, whether its to see a bunch of deer (catch a bunch of fish) or not see many deer and have the chance at a real stud (catch a few but all big fish). Lowering the limit to 15 is bass akwards if you are managing for trophy fish. The system in place was not broken in the first place, but now it is

Well said bro.....beat ive heard