I will never understand why people put a knife in trophy fish.

[LastShadow]

I keep them 9"-12". I throw them in a cooler until we have 6 fish for each person that will be eating, throw the rest back. That doesn't make me better than everyone else...being '6-4" does though.

[jigflinger]

I think that statement was merely of a rhetorical nature, possibly even facetious, and not meant to be taken literally.

... cp

Think you smacked that nail on the head, on this one.

[deathb4disco]

That doesn't make me better than everyone else...being '6-4" does though.

[NIMROD]

What's the difference between your limits on jigs and someones limits by spider rigging? Your reasoning escapes me.

Spider rigging with 16 minnows or jigs about same as yoyos in my opinion. Some here just about filling freezers not sport . I have seen some bring in hundreds on a weekend . Many times I have been close enough to see lots of gut hooked fish floating behind some riggers .

[keeferfish]

not meant to be taken literally.

... cp

And neither were mine.

[jigflinger]

Spider rigging with 16 minnows or jigs about same as yoyos in my opinion. Some here just about filling freezers not sport . I have seen some bring in hundreds on a weekend . Many times I have been close enough to see lots of gut hooked fish floating behind some riggers .

I respect your opinion. Mine differs. That being said, what is the difference between a limit on jigs and a limit spider rigging? I do a lot of jig fishing and I know that I sometimes hook fish deep and cause them to bleed out. When I do I keep even the small fish, if it's legal. If there is a length limit the gut hooked fish must be released and will be a floater. Please don't blame the fisherman for floaters when they are obeying the law. Now, if they release those fish to die because they have a personal goal of just keeping larger fish, then I have a problem with that.
Is a jig fisherman, that constantly harvest his/her limit morally superior to someone that harvest his/her limit with spider rigs or yo-yos? My opinion is NO.

[NIMROD]

I respect your opinion. Mine differs. That being said, what is the difference between a limit on jigs and a limit spider rigging? I do a lot of jig fishing and I know that I sometimes hook fish deep and cause them to bleed out. When I do I keep even the small fish, if it's legal. If there is a length limit the gut hooked fish must be released and will be a floater. Please don't blame the fisherman for floaters when they are obeying the law. Now, if they release those fish to die because they have a personal goal of just keeping larger fish, then I have a problem with that.
Is a jig fisherman, that constantly harvest his/her limit morally superior to someone that harvest his/her limit with spider rigs or yo-yos? My opinion is NO.

Then why is Mississippi tightening up on spider rigging ? They limit hooks/poles on some waters even boat limits . They have length limits but many time Crappie caught on live bait or treble hooks injury them way more often than jig fishing . Using multiple hooks on multiple poles using live bait is asking for them to be gut hooked in my opinion .

[wannabe fisherman]

What's the difference between your limits on jigs and someones limits by spider rigging? Your reasoning escapes me.

me too a limit is a limit no matter how you catch them, unless there's no limit except the one you set for yourself.

[jigflinger]

Mississipi just changed the regulations about number of rods. It is now four poles per fisherman with 2 hooks for spider rigging. That's lifting restrictions, not tightening them. The big 4 have a 12inch minimum now. They are considering new regs for Washington. Yes, Mississippi does impose a boat limit on the big 4. With 3 or more anglers the limit is 40 fish. They have had length limits on the big 4 for years. Works, too.

[jigflinger]

Pulling crankbaits is limited to no more than 2 hooks. Usually one plug with 2 treble hooks.
Are you saying that of all the under 10" fish you catch and throw back, that you never deep hook one?