I mostly catch and release, let them get bigger for the next fishermen or fisherwomen to enjoy. This past summer I caught and release a 23 1/2 inch largemouth bass and numerous that were over 20 inches. I love being on the lake and enjoying time with my dad. I think you remember the fight more than you remember eating it!!!!

My outlook on this is, if your going to eat it keep it, if your just out there to fish and be out there by all means throw them back.

It it's a big bass, I throw it back, otherwise, heat up the grease! It does have to be legal length, but man, if there's a better meal than fried fish and cold beer, I'd love to hear it.

I keep enough so I always have a meal in the freeze. I love to fish but i don't like wasting them, so after i have a meal in the freeze I release what I catch, when I fish for Musky I release all I catch if its a wall hanger I take pics and measurments.

If you're going to eat it, "filet & release" is the way to go. Otherwise, let it grow.

good to hear more catch and release, I fish fresh and salt water when ever I can. It's recommended not to fight the fish you plan top realease too hard as it will cause the build up of latic acid, sorta like the cramps we get when running very far or weight training too hard. Wearing out a fish while bringing in makes the fish weak and susceptible to bigger prey fish. sometimes cradling weak fish while moving water thru the gills will rejuvenate these fish. Deep water fish that have their inflatted air bladders released by punctuing it with a ice pick or simular object. Keep on catchin, catch em all. Just dont keep more than you need. We've all been with the guy that keeps 10 fish and a 5-6 lb'r then at the boat ramp, says " anybody want these? I jus don't feel like cleaing fish today"

I release the bass I catch. Otherwise, Northerns, walleye, panfish, trout all are liable to end up in the pan if I am camping or hungry. I let most larger fish go and keep the eaters. By the way, bass are not bad eating I just like to catch em more than eat em.

There was a huge push by BASS to do catch and release on largemouth, and now there is this big stigma people have with keeping them. This has lead to some difficult issues for fisheries managers when trying to create desirable conditions for anglers, as harvest is being lost as a tool due to all catch and release. If you see a population of over crowded fish that look either malnourished, or all stuck at the same size, by all means, harvest those fish and eat them, otherwise they won't get any bigger. By having fewer bass, they will have more food to go around, allowing them to get bigger faster. Now, if it is a big fish, take some great pictures and let it go so that it can reproduce, as we all know that genetics is one of those factors we have very little control over.

i mostly practice catch and release but if i'm catchin a few ill keep them but thats mostly when im walleye or catfishing but most everything else i put back

I think catch and release is fine, if that's what your into and truly believe is the thing to do. However, if the person across the stream from you isn't, that's fine too. Mutual respect. Personally, I keep and eat what I catch.