Amble SAC wrasse ban

[Red5]

Good idea Amble SAC. I fished my first ever match a couple of years back and was surprised and disappointed to see dozens of flounder, some still alive, being chucked into a bin at the weigh. It doesn't matter how common the fish are, that's poor in my opinion.

Big up to Amble SAC on that count as well as they ask that Flounders be kept in a bucket to be released after weigh in after the Amble Open

[dizzydaz]

until clubs start thinking seriously about adopting measure and release it is not much more than well intentioned tokenism I'm afraid.

if i remember rightly the lads that fish the the matches organised by the tackle box in billingham are measure and release and various points are awarded wich in my oipinion should be the way forward for club matches

[northeast1]

I think it is good news and thou i dont fish comps from the shore and dont know what goes on, from what i have heard it seems to be very waste full with fish.

It is a good step in my opinion. Only kill what you are going to eat....sure loads will disagree thou.

[Davyred]

Great decision Tony.

Regarding the Bass argument, I'm a bit non committal at the moment. I think you'd be fighting a losing argument to begin with Paul, given the price of Bass in the shops, and especially the size of the farmed fish for sale. A 2lb Bass looks a monster compared to them, so anglers who are say 'less informed' will just knock it on the head to eat. The Bass I got in Scotland were all returned as I got just as much pleasure releasing them as catching them (as I do Pollack).

As for the Red Cod argument, I think Tony stated that Wrasse are slow growing, Cod in comparison are not, and can repopulate an area pretty quickly. No you can't decide what you catch, but you have to realise that some fish don't necessarily have to be killed just because you've caught them.

[Stewart 1971]

Bass

I think there are two different ways of looking at it. Bass reach breeding maturity at 42cm which is about 1 3/4 lb or so in weight. There are some who say that taking a Bass of this size is wrong because the fish has not had a chance to breed yet. Others (like myself) would argue it is better to take a fish of this size rather than a bigger fish of 4lb plus - the 4lb fish is young (for Bass), healthy and part of the breeding stock.

Both sides of the argument have their attractions. Speaking personally, a 2lb Bass cooked whole is perfect size for a meal for two, just being me and the Mrs a 4lb fish would probably end up with some wasted. So for me I'd rather keep the 2lber and return the bigger fish. I certainly wouldn't feel comfortable keeping a 6lb plus fish (not that I've been lucky enough to catch one) knowing full well that it was in the prime of its breeding age. But I would also never knock anyone who did so - as long as a fish is of legal size and is going to be eaten it is up to the angler what he does with it.

Regarding the supermarket farmed Bass, they are way under the legal size of 36cm and at a guess weigh no more than 3/4 lb to 1lb at most. I've been told they sell them that size as it is classed as a "portion" for a fish cooked whole for one person. Me I think they are way too small to eat, they are also miles smaller than a 2lb wild caught fish which will be more than twice the length if not more.

As for the pest comment - until recently I was living on the doorstep of one of the Bass nursery areas on the south coast. At times the school Bass of 20 - 30 cm would be so prolific you wouldn't have time to put your rod in the rest before one had grabbed your bait. So yes, in places they can be a pest, even if the comment was meant tongue in cheek.

One last comment on the OP. Since coming back to the NE I've fished one local club match. This was an "in the bucket" match and after years of fishing C,M&R matches I found I felt very uncomfortable doing so and haven't fished another. I agree with the Wrasse ban but what about other fish like Coalies and Flounder that will likely just be binned after the weigh in too.

[YoursTruly]

Been watching this thread and yes i agree with not allowing wrasse to be weighed in, our club took the decision to remove the species from the weigh-in list for two reasons, one of which was we did not see a need for allowing anglers to kill a fish purely for prizes and the said fish being dumped.
Now before anyone jumps on me nearly all the fish weighed in at our open are put to good use with the exception of eels (which i am pleased to say are no longer allowed at weigh-in).
The second reason cannot be mentioned on a forum for legal reasons, i am sure many who have posted on this thread are aware of the reason.
As for taking fish for the table i would have no problem with killing a 2lb bass for the table nor would i think the worse of any angler for doing similar.
I return to the water alive more than my fare share of cod, whiting, coalies, flounder etc.

[peter.m]

The topic was about a wrasse ban and I'm in favour. The reality is although this might cause some debate how many opens are won with wrasse? It's not going to kill the open circuit is it? Looking at records the majority of big open wins around here are codling, or in flat conditions flounder. The odd wrasse put back might dent someones chances but the ban isn't going to alter most peoples choice of venues, results or competitions on this coast.

Get further afield and try the catch and release matches and you'll be suprised how you learn to adapt and appreciate rockling . Fish a team match with bait packs so everything is down to how YOU perform on your peg is a great way of improving your techniques and tactics.