Contest rules

[Abalone]

While I believe it is Ok for Stew or anyone else to strive for good ethics as practiced by rules #5 doing no harm to the fish I am wondering all the time ?

Been fishing a long time. Killed lots of limits. Times have changed. Things aint like they used to be. If we want to continue our appreciation for quality Trout stock Catch and Release must be a part of that.

Having said that:

We who feel this way are a minority. Are we serving as an example. On the same lake that I caught that Brookie my friend and I have seen countless numbers of fished bonked. Even the big ugly brooders that your cat would turn it's nose at have been displayed on the end of a string.(edited by Gizmo.) My friend gets all bent out of shape about that and I have seen him ruin a few other fishermans days about that, including mine.

Last weekend I was up there and I saw two gentlemen in a boat bonk countless numbers of tiny planted trout as they
drank beer and laughed about the stupid american game officials that couldn't catch them.

Dozens of drunken loud mouth fisherman on the bank yelling out, heay don't throw that fish back, I'll take it, we aint got our limits yet.

Not to mention the yards of garbage and beer cans all of the place. No wonder private property owners want to close off the banks.

Do you ever get the feeling of futility ?