hypothetical: using legal striped bass fillets or chunks to get bigger bass

[hookset]

All the :argue: going on about the fluke, and why it's important to follow the regs, or why we should have a revolt and keep any short fluke between 17-18" (NJ Regs 18") instead of throwing them back, got me to thinking,,,,,,

Let's apply the same criteria to striped bass

1. Do you think we should be able to catch a legal striped bass, fillet/chunk it, and use the fillet or chunk to get a bigger bass?
Why or why not?
(I have a friend who catches monster weakfish in the spring using whole bunker fillets, which is what gave me the idea)

2. Do you have ethical problems with killing a 28" striped bass to get a bigger one, and if so, why don't you feel the same way about legal fluke?

[storminsteve]

Hookset, a.If I did that to a legal bass just to get a bigger bass, i would feel like I was one of the guys at the jetties who walks off with 2 40lb bass in the spring, leaving the 25 bass they first caught behind. In other words I would feel like I was culling the fish.

b. I don't have ethical problems doing it, but I might feel like I was wasting it. I don't make a habit of using legal fluke carcasses to get a bigger one. Judging by the catches on the BMH, maybe I should start.:rolleyes:

[surfstix1963]

Why use the bass a live bunker or eel are probably 2 of the best baits you can use for big bass,then you have live leagal porgy(scup) seabass another 2 good baits and if the bigger fish aren't around your just wasting a good fish who could quite possibly be the 30-40 lb. fish sometime in the future that your looking for use up all the 28" fish and you won't have to worry about getting bigger bass.Just my .02 cents

[Jackbass]

I have major Problems with that!

Number one if you are keeping a 28" fish to fillet and feed to another "larger" bass that is flawed logic. You can not be catching the larger fish for food. From what I understand the smaller bass are the fish that taste the best anyway. So to feed something that should be on your table to target a larger fish is just plain foolish.

We have just experienced the lowest Year Of Young in a long time and Recreational catches dropped by half over the past 2 years. Think about what you are saying. You are going to take a keeper fish fillet it and chunk it? So you can remove a larger probably breeder female from the stock. Take a picture remember the fight with the big girls then let them go. These are the fish that will produce more fish for us to catch and enjoy for years to come.

[Stripercoast1]

I pretty much agree with several of the answers above.
1 stands out above all, why use a better tasting fish to catch a breeder?
In my opinion, chunking a piece of blue fish would probably be a better choice. If the more standard types of bait are unavailable.

[hookset]

I am glad to see you guys saying that. What gets me is how everyone thinks it is ok to do for fluke but not for the stripers? :kooky:It seems like a double standard to me, so I thought I would make a discussion about it.

[plugcrazy]

I agree hookset, it seems like a terrible waste of good meat, now if bluefish fillets were whiter and easier for fluke to see in the water, I wouldn't have a problem with anyone using bluefish fillets. Use all you want, there is no way you would ever kill all the bluefish out there.

[Jackbass]

I am glad to see you guys saying that. What gets me is how everyone thinks it is ok to do for fluke but not for the stripers? :kooky:It seems like a double standard to me, so I thought I would make a discussion about it.

I don't really think it is Ok to do it for any type of fish that has catch limitations on it. If the Catch limitations are in place it is for a reason.

[Frankiesurf]

I do know guys that use fluke bellies to catch more fluke. They are not culling though because they do keep the rest of the fish. They just use the belly skin as bait which is perfectly legal.

I don't really believe in wasting any fish with such tight regulations to catch another one. Plus the fact that if you are catching 28" bass you are still legal size but there is a limit. I don't believe culling Stripers is legal.