give em away or keep em?

[fish_4_all]

I envoy those that catch that kind of numbers of fish. I keep what I catch because my family is big and we eat it the day we bring it home. Rarely do I ever get enough to put fish in the freezer. A good day here is catching 2 salmon in which case I have meals for 3 days. Crappie are few and far between here so when I find them and catch them they go home if they are legal. Same with yellow perch, Brown Bullhead, bass, trout and anything else I catch. Catch my limit and go home if it doesn't get too dark first.

As for those that give them away, how do you keep them alive long enough to let them go if you have been fishing for hours and caught the first and possibly only ones early in the day? If I catch a fish I am keeping they are dead before I put them on a stringer. No need to let them to die a slow death. A quick this with a that and no suffering for my catch. If I only catch 2 and I know someone can use them to make a meal then I may just give them up. Better a meal for someone else than a fight at home for 4 fillets.

[rnvinc]

I keep them alive until I know I have enough for a meal...4 or less at the end of the day and they go back in the lake....

Ive been known to release big females (2 lbs. or over) ready to spawn also......after I get a pic!!

[CrappiePappy]

As for those that give them away, how do you keep them alive long enough to let them go if you have been fishing for hours and caught the first and possibly only ones early in the day?

... most of those people are putting their fish in a aerated livewell, and not on a stringer.

... cp

[fish_4_all]

Well that is a little different. If they have no need for them then they should let them go. I wish I had a boat to keep mine alive so I could let them go.

[Cane Pole]

I give fish away. It is a win-win situation. Makes me feel good. I stockpile fish too. Maybe I am greedy or maybe I never figured the trick of feeding the multitudes on a few fish and as few pieces of bread. We feed the elderly folks here. This makes me feel good too.

[feelay]

I give fish away. It is a win-win situation. Makes me feel good. I stockpile fish too. Maybe I am greedy or maybe I never figured the trick of feeding the multitudes on a few fish and as few pieces of bread. We feed the elderly folks here. This makes me feel good too.

Ditto, I even bag some two fillets to a bag for my 94 year old grandmother and others who can't fish any longer. Also, I release alot of fish....after I limit out. Can't quit when they're still biting!:D

[tritonman]

I to will release after I get my limit, I can not even imagine leaving a biting fish. I have a fairly large family also that enjoy the crappie and I also feed 2 older couples and one widow woman in my church who can not fish any more due to their health so I make sure they have a few bags of fish. I also make sure they have some venison each year.

[Gansett]

Nothing like cooking a mess of crappie for friends and family. I freeze most of mine and have a big ole party. Eat what you catch or put them back in the water.

[rnvinc]

Well that is a little different. If they have no need for them then they should let them go. I wish I had a boat to keep mine alive so I could let them go.

I think there a few options out there for bank fishermen to keep their catch alive.

Maybe this would be a good topic for a new thread..."How to keep your catch alive bank fishing and/or boat fishing"

As a matter of fact...I think I'll start that thread myself because I'm sure these ingenious crappie fishermen have several ideas for just that very topic.