Sunfish for food

[Bobber]

Sunfish are tasty little morsels, great for the table, and many anglers fish our waters specifically for these little guys.

We all know that today there is "no limit" on the number of Sunfish that anglers are allowed to catch and keep.

For those of you who catch and keep Sunfish for the table (Bluegill & Pumkinseed), how much do you think is enough to have at any given time througout the year?

NOTE: 1 standard cooler will hold approximately 150 to 200 fillet size sunfish.

[beeman]

I voted 10 - 30 but would have said 5-10. Enough for a good snack.

[Todd B.]

This is definitely a delicate issue, especially considering that non-resident anglers seem to enjoy coming up to Ontario for their yearly sunfish excursion. That being said I don't have a problem allowing a fisherman to keep a cooler of sunfish (for their freezer) assuming it's a one time thing. Unfortunately if it's a general possesion limit, there is the potential for local fisherman to abuse the limits by having weekly fish fries, filling there limit on a weekly basis.

[wolfe]

they are easy enough to catch; I say (as always), be conservative in your take limit. I don't keep any, but if we did, this would be my philosophy.

...and I'm a non-resident, Todd -- at least for part of the year.

Sunfish are not a disposable species. They serve their place in a healthy ecosytem.

W.

[bradford2]

Takes 8-10 gills to feed my wife and I. I have no problems keeping 6-10 feeds of fish in the freezer (not necessarily all gills).

In my eyes, as long as fish aren't being wasted, laws are not broken, and people aren't destroying a fishery (vague I know) then I have no issues.

[Doug]

Far better in my view to catch, keep and EAT bluegills, pumpkinseeds, and rock bass instead of largemouth, smallmouth, and walleye, all of which are "similar" in terms of taste and cooking methods/recipes.

A good chowder takes 40 to 50 fillets. A good fish fry needs about 10 to 12 fillets per hungry adult. A few hundred bluegills/etc on hand is not excessive, in my view. I would rather see them killed for the table than seeing "real" game fish killed.

Kind of like the old saying, "Save a tree, eat a beaver."

Doug

[jazman]

maybe we are at the point where we can't have a pot of chowder anymore? i don't think we are yet but boy it would be nice to make sure we never get there. i love a good fish feed and my kids love crappie, and I do take a few feeds every year.

i think possession limits over 50 fish are insane, 10-15 fish limits can provide most families a meal. If you are hungry again the next day - go out again. Most won't.... but if we allow people uncontrolled harvest they can easily pull many hundreds (and more) in a day....

Pannies are easy targets and it seems inevitable that our lakes will be fished down as they have been elsewhere if we don't make some small concessions.

Best part is, we can go a long way in ensuring that we can always have the tasty treats if we do it now... simple. What is the worst case? You fish more, eat the same amount if you choose to and our pannie fishery has a better chance of long term survival.

[Doug]

OK, so I eat my 10 to 15 fish that I am allowed to catch today (which of course will NOT feed my family, or even close to it), and want another feed, so I go out again tomorrow. I burn a bunch of gas in my truck pulling my boat to the lake, I burn a bunch of gas in my boat going down the lake to the panfish hole and then back to the launch, and I burn more fossil fuels driving my truck home with my pathetic little limit of 10 to 15 bluegills.

I waste a whole bunch of non-renewable resources to harvest a miniscule amount of an abundant renewable resource. Doesn't make sense to me, and I bet Mother Earth sees it my way too...........

That would be the other side of the coin, I think.

Doug

[jazman]

Hi Doug,

I have read your reports and have respect for your opinions. I am sure I can learn a lot from you. I have 3 kids and my bride, and we get by on feeds like this so I want to hear your side.

there is balance to be found in all things, our fisheries especially... you point about gas is well taken.

The resource is there, I fear the limits (and lack of) as they are today do not protect us (and our resource) from over harvest. maybe the number is 50, I don't know all the facts yet but am open to hear them.... I just know the number is not unlimited because this is the basis for documented disaster..... many options to quote here.

Good people documented the collapse of fisheries worldwide and good people sloughed them off... I guess my point is, lets fail on the side of caution, why would we not?

I am a middle aged guy with a family and treat my own finances the same way... low risk for long term stability. could I make (or harvest) more... for sure but I know when it comes down to it, I can retire.

be well doug - please pm me, we can take this one off line... I look forward to it

[riverdog]

You mean you need a boat to catch blue gills and pumpkinseeds ? I believe Jazman is right, any possesion limit over 50 is insane. I don't believe our natural resources should be unlimited so people can provide meal after meal for their family. Planting a garden is a earthy way of providing cheap food and I'm sure mother nature would rather that .I wonder if the boys in Lancaster (Ont) ever thought the perch would run out or should I say slooooow down. The term known today on the selling market is "St.Lawerence Perch" not Lancaster, wonder why that is? If anybody missed the video from the Linder brothers you might want to veiw it.

[jazman]

we are allowed to fish within the law and as long as people fish within it i wil not begrudge them, in this case my cause is with the law not the individuals who abide by (or in some cases take advantage of) the rules

some practices are unethical but not unlawful - not Doug IMHO. he enjoys a local resource respectfully.