Article by Capt. Mark Sampson
Here's something to think about: If you were told that from this day forward all recreational fishing would be strictly catch-and-release - what would you do? I asked that question of a group of 50 or more dedicated anglers last spring at a fishing club meeting and I wasn't surprised to see that everyone indicated that they would keep fishing. But to really answer the question honestly, I think one must forget about "why, how" or "the chance" that such a ridiculous regulation could come to pass, and just consider how it would affect your life if it did. Would you sell your boat? Change your vacation plans? Trade your 4X4 truck for a mini-van?
If such a crazy notion were ever to come to pass I suppose the sales of ice would be down, as would the demand for big coolers and gaffs, the fishing industry would certainly be nudged into new directions, and a few anglers would probably turn into "outlaws," but over all I don't think that the majority of recreational fishermen would quit fishing just because they couldn't bring home their catch. I make that assumption based on the fact that regardless of how skilled they are or how good the fishing has been, no angler goes out with 100% certainty that they will be bringing home fish. Every fishing trip carries with it the chance that the fish won't respond and yet anglers are willing to take that risk and go fishing anyway. Think about it; if anglers took the money they spend each day on tackle, fuel, bait, ice, or charter fees to a fish market, they would be guaranteed to come home with fish - every time. But since we prefer to spend so much time, effort, and resources in the pursuit of fish, that we can much more easily and cheaply purchase in a store, obviously indicates that it's not all about "bringing home the bacon." We fish because we enjoy fishing, and fresh fish is only a wonderful byproduct of our passion.
This came to light the last few days when I noticed that, despite the recent closure of Maryland's flounder season, a lot of anglers could still be seen about the bay, fishing away and having a good old time just as if it was the middle of the summer and there was no closure at all. Sure, maybe a few were unaware of the closure, but I'm certain the majority of them knew what was going on, but chose to fish catch-and-release.
I know I don't have to tell readers of this publication how much fun every aspect of fishing is; anglers don't forget the sight of a tuna exploding on a spreader bar or a hundred tournament boats converging on the Inlet at one time, feeling the subtle taps as a tautog pecks apart a crab at the end of a line or the brute force of a mako burning 200-yards off a big gold reel, the glassy-calm mornings and the afternoons when the wind picks up and makes for a long-wet ride home, having our morning coffee in a tackle shop and our lunch on the boat, hustling to get the right lure tied on before the school "goes down" and hoping that we didn't make a mistake by not putting a little steel leader on first, trying to keep our reels from falling in the sand, and constantly wondering if we should be using a different bait, in a different place, and during a different tide!
There is so much that goes on during every fishing trip, much of it is a part our own routine and very predictable, like the coffee mug we'll grab to drink from that morning or the knife we'll use to cut our bait. Just like the weather or a school of breaking stripers at the inlet - much can also be unexpected and quite exciting! All of it - the good the bad, the successes and the failures, define each trip and the highlights are etched into our memories and stored for later reflection and to savor during times when we're not fishing. We fish because we love "fishing," and for a few months each year we put so much of our lives on hold and immerse ourselves in this passion that holds captive our bodies and minds. We love fishing because we love to get out there and "do it," whether we catch fish or not, we know that we'll always bring home memories that will help sustain us through the cold months ahead when angling is not an option.
If fishing were only about putting fish in a cooler I'd expect that after the flounder season closed, one would be hard pressed to find anyone drifting the channels or floating baits out from the Rt. 50 bridge during the day, but anglers are still out there! A lot of those folks probably thought about all the fun they had throughout the summer, even on the days they didn't land any keepers, and figured "what the heck, I can still go out and have the same great time I've always had, only now I don't have to worry about cleaning fish at the end of the day!" As much as I love to eat fish I have a hard time remembering the details from any of the best fish dinners I've ever had and yet I can recall such obscure facts as which way the current was flowing, what we used for bait, and how hard the wind was blowing on trips that occurred more than 20-years ago. This game isn't about putting fish on a plate, it's about a day on the water and lifetime of memories!
It's only natural to resent being told that we cannot do something when we strongly believe that there's no legitimate reason why we shouldn't. So it's understandable why anglers are so often upset by regulations that would keep them from bringing home a part of their catch. And that's a good thing, because recreational anglers need to continue to fight for the right to harvest a reasonable share of our nation's sustainable resources. But even if we could have everything "our way", I don't think too many of us would agree that "zero" regulations would do us any good. So we've all got to learn to accept and live with the fact that varying levels of catch-and-release are always going to be a part of any fishery we engage in.
I guess recreational anglers have a few options when a season comes to a close: they can choose to stomp their feet, cuss, shout, jerk their boats out of the water and tell the governor that they'll never fish in his state again. Or they can also do away with all the silly rod and reel "stuff" and just make plans to head out to the fish market every Saturday morning. Or they can take a hard look at what's most important to them about fishing and decide for themselves if they can still have a good time with catch-and-release.
Some of the best and most content fishermen I know and respect target fish that are usually released: billfish and sharks, summer rockfish at the inlet, and red drum in the surf, just to name a few. They care little about what seasons are open or closed or what the size limits are because, as long as there is no law that forbids it, they are going to go fishing and there's no way they'll let the fact that they're required to release some or all of their catch stand in their way of having a good time on the water. The common thread a lot of these fishermen share is that even when they occasionally do land a fish that's legal to keep, they often turn it lose anyway, not because they don't like to eat fish but because keeping a fish has so much less importance to them than the joy they derive from the experience of pursuing the darn things. They just "like to fish."
Anglers who can break free from the routine of only targeting fish that they can "keep," and instead be happy with the opportunity to pursue whatever they choose to "catch," will enjoy their fishing to its fullest and never have their fun hampered by a "closed season."
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Best of luck to everyone for the rest of this fishing year and the hunting seasons ahead and many thanks to all who have followed this column each week and especially those who have taken the time to let me know their own thoughts on some of the issues I've kicked around. I hope to see you all out on the water next season including my friends Jack and Goodie who have recently undergone heart surgery.
Over the next few months if I'm not running charter trips, teaching captain's courses for the 3B's Captain's School, cleaning shark jaws, or writing for "other" papers, I'll likely be in the woods chasing hoofed animals. In March, my wife Charlotte and I will be hunting the flats of the Florida Keys as I continue my (now) 9-year quest to catch a permit on a fly. Maybe this will be the year…
Mark Sampson is an outdoor writer and Captain of the charter boat “Fish Finder”, docked at the Ocean City Fishing Center.
