It surprises me that more C&R advocates are not oppossed to bonking nates for yet another reason (as if the obvious-WE NEED MORE FISH was not enough):

I call it the "Fish Welfare Principle":

One big factor in returns we are getting now has got to be the fact that for the past ten years or so a lot of fish that could have been retained have been released and lived to spawn. No, I don't have scientific data to back this up. How many more people fish OP streams than 20 yrs ago? Many of them are very effective fishermen. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out that if everyone killed every fish caught, the escapement would be impacted horribly.

So these released fish are spawning. The next generation returns, and the bonkers do their thing. "Thanks, C&R guys, I'm barbecuing tonight!"

What this amounts to is "Bonker Welfare" if you will. Catch and release fishers are subsidizing it. How does it feel to be exploited in yet another way?

Bonkers, how does it feel to be "on the dole"?
_________________________
"It's NOT that much farther than the Cowlitz!"

"I fish, therefore someone else must tend the cooler!"