Ethical anglers appreciate both beauty of the fish and their habitat

Ethical anglers appreciate not only the beauty of the fish they catch, but also the places where those fish live.

It’s inevitable then that most anglers want to share the fishing experience with others. They begin by teaching friends and family members to fish, but eventually want to preserve their favorite pastime for future generations. I myself spend as much time as I can teaching about fishing to the younger generation. That not only includes how and where to catch fish but how to act ethically and responsibly to the environment in general that will preserve quality fishing for the generations to come.

This brings me to question the current Idaho Department of Fish and Game guidelines to kill any fish that it deems unworthy. I, and many of the anglers in the Idaho panhandle, think Fish and Game officials are grossly mismanaging our fisheries. I also feel they are not listening to the people and fallow their own agenda no matter what public opinion is.

There is currently a excellent walleye fishery in lake Pend Oreille that if managed properly would become a world class trophy fishery and bring a huge amount of revenue to the area. I also think they could do more to protect and manage the largemouth bass fishery. I would like to see them change the regulations to two largemouth a day over 12 inches and under 16 inches to keep out big fish in the lake and able to spawn. They also need to allow for tournament fishermen to keep fish over 16 inches in a livewell to be released after the weigh-in.

Last I feel they need to limit the number of tournaments held during the spawn as it destroys almost any chance of any fish spawning successfully that is removed from it nest for hours, even if the fish is taken back to the area it was caught in.

Almost every time in the past that IDFG has tried to manage the fishery they did more harm than good. It’s time to start looking to the future and what kind of fishery it will be like when our kids, kids will be fishing in Lake Pend Oreille.

Back in the old days almost no one released fish, but I have noticed the more educated and better the fisherman becomes, the more often they practice catch and release fishing. I have also noticed that some of the people that keep every fish they catch are the same ones that use illegal fishing methods and throw their trash all over. The shift in focus to catch and release fishing usually occurs over time, often over the course of many years as anglers become more educated. But sometimes it happens quickly, when anglers realize that the places they love are changing. They see their favorite fishing spot being raped of all the fish and filled with trash by unethical fishermen. Shores of pristine lakes are developed, and careless users leave litter behind. The best way for anglers to preserve the environment is to set a good example for others to follow.

But ethical anglers go beyond the obvious. They don’t just obey fishing regulations; they try to understand the basis for harvest limits and the value of catch and release of all big fish they catch, so they can educate others. Ethical anglers aren’t just courteous to others on the water they go out of their way to release fish they don’t plan to keep unharmed. Ethical anglers not only pick up their own trash, but also remove trash they find while fishing and encourage their fishing partners to do the same. It is also the responsibility of all ethical anglers to report poachers that are keeping more fish than they are allowed or using illegal fishing methods.

Perhaps the most important contribution anglers can make is to share the fishing experience with others and teach them ethical fishing from the start. Some folks never have fished, while others have forgotten how much fun it can be. Go beyond a basic introduction; though teach beginners to respect the fish they catch and the places where they catch them. Watching a novice develop into an ethical angler can be as rewarding as landing a trophy fish.