The bass and walleye clubs that I'm familiar with are very committed to catch-and-release. Those fisheries are also susceptible to over harvest but their membership isn't subjected to the high level of peer pressure we put on ourselves. I think our various boards within Muskies Inc. and all other Muskie clubs in the country should examine this. We need to educate our current members and the future Muskie anglers that releasing fish is great and should be done whenever possible, but don't ridicule and scorn those who choose to harvest one. We don't always know the circumstances of every fish caught, and the fact that what is a trophy to one person may not be a trophy to another. You never know, you might be the next person to be in this unenviable spot If we don't examine this issue we will all soon be looked upon as true FANATICS, in every sense of the word, and that isn't very glamorous. FANATIC (fa nat 'ik) noun, a person inspired with excessive and bigoted enthusiasm.
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