Whenever we post a record fish story here on WFN, there are always two major camps of people in our website and social communities. On the one hand, we get people who marvel at the size of the fish and congratulate the angler. On the flip side, however, we also get many who are offended by the post, and berate the angler for killing a fish just for the sake of a record. A familiar remark being something like “how dare you kill that fish? Should have let it go, what a shame :(” or “should have let it go for others to catch!”
I can understand the sentiment. When you see a large fish, you’re looking at a creature that has lived a (relatively) long life with many experiences, and most importantly, has spawned many times. Now, when it’s taken from the depths by an angler, never to swim again, there’s a sense of grim finality.
Of course, the arguments against that is that the fish lived a longer than normal life anyways, and it may die anyways if release after a long fight. And besides, if the regulations say an angler can harvest a fish, then there’s no harm in following the rules, right?
Other opinions vary depending on the type of fish and its size. Read more at WFN….