New Record Breaking Alligator Gar Catch

[Oscarum monstruoso]

I wish fishermen would just stop with all the nonsense about how good and beneficial their hobby is. Like they are out there casting for some noble cause when its pretty obvious they do it for the fun of it. The idea of scientific research depending on these yahoos killing some of the most magnificent creatures on earth is asinine.

 

[schwarzi88]

[I wish it could still be free and swimming. A fish that grows that big and lives that long should be rewarded by letting it live. I find it sad to know that they killed it. They could've tagged it and let it go and allowed it to grow even larger. It was probably still alive throughout that ordeal as long as it was wet. Thats why i release everything I catch when I fish, unless it is nonnative and then I keep it. But I want them to grow bigger and live longer. I just get a picture and thats all I want. Oh well though, nothing can be done now.]
i couldnt have said it any better!

 

[MonsterMinis]

.. and come back to find people still crying about fishing? You do understand the act of fishing itself is doing harm to fish? If you really cared about the well being of them you woulnd't "catch and release" perio. Even a barblesss hook can easily pop an eye or do other dmaage that will impact a fish for life. What I fish for.. granted within' the DNR rules of catch and release I keep and eat what I catch. I enjoy catching my own dinner now and then, and my fish appreciate it as well.

As for the big girl? can't wait to see more pics on her. Hopefully this will help get gar off the "rough" fish list and on the "game fish" list and gain some protection.

 

[E_americanus]

I wish fishermen would just stop with all the nonsense about how good and beneficial their hobby is. Like they are out there casting for some noble cause when its pretty obvious they do it for the fun of it. The idea of scientific research depending on these yahoos killing some of the most magnificent creatures on earth is asinine.

not sure who all your comment is aimed at, but most of what you said is asinine.

- fisheries (including fishing, both private and commercial) drives much of fish ecology and obviously fisheries science. without that support, we'd still be in the dark ages of considering all gars trash fish and killing them all for no reason. it's slow going, but their rep has improved, and much of that driving force connects with fisheries. when we are out for our research trips we make it a point to talk to the fishermen, explain what we are doing, and explain the benefits of said fish. surprisingly, many of them are quite receptive to the idea of gar conservation and their importance to local ecosystems.

- a lot of the research going toward promotion of alligator gar conservation is done by fish and wildlife, fish hatcheries, and other fisheries related programs...much of which is driven by fishing, etc.

- scientific research doesn't DEPEND on people killing these fish, but when it happens, it can benefit from using the fish, data, etc. you'd be surprised how much gar research comes out of bow-fishing tournaments...it's at least making use of the fish.


the big gator is dead, do most of us wish it were still alive? yes. but it's not worth whining/crying about nor is it beneficial to make stupid comments about fishermen/fisheries/etc. for the record, i don't consider myself a fisherman, but much of our research (directly or indirectly) is driven/funded by it.--
--solomon

 

[DrDirk]

Its a real big gar. But I find that was not ok to catch and kill this fish. Regards Dirk

 

[Miguel]

I find it sad that so huge a monster is killed.

 

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

not sure who all your comment is aimed at, but most of what you said is asinine.

- fisheries (including fishing, both private and commercial) drives much of fish ecology and obviously fisheries science. without that support, we'd still be in the dark ages of considering all gars trash fish and killing them all for no reason. it's slow going, but their rep has improved, and much of that driving force connects with fisheries. when we are out for our research trips we make it a point to talk to the fishermen, explain what we are doing, and explain the benefits of said fish. surprisingly, many of them are quite receptive to the idea of gar conservation and their importance to local ecosystems.

- a lot of the research going toward promotion of alligator gar conservation is done by fish and wildlife, fish hatcheries, and other fisheries related programs...much of which is driven by fishing, etc.

As for the big girl? can't wait to see more pics on her. Hopefully this will help get gar off the "rough" fish list and on the "game fish" list and gain some protection.

these two comments hit the nail on the head

 

[Polypterus]

I want the several minutes of my life back for actually reading what this thread has turned into... I'd comment but then what is the point in smacking brick walls for fun.

 

[Cheesetian]

I wish it could still be free and swimming. A fish that grows that big and lives that long should be rewarded by letting it live. I find it sad to know that they killed it. They could've tagged it and let it go and allowed it to grow even larger. It was probably still alive throughout that ordeal as long as it was wet. Thats why i release everything I catch when I fish, unless it is nonnative and then I keep it. But I want them to grow bigger and live longer. I just get a picture and thats all I want. Oh well though, nothing can be done now.

+1! First thought that came to mind was, poor fish. Even though it's a record breaking fish, why couldn't they just have let it go. To have lived 50-70 years and next thing you know, you're in a museum and out of water.

 

[DrownedFishonFire]

I actually want to see what they find in its stomach diet wise that enabled it to get to that size, wonder if it was a very cautious hunter that enabled it to get away from all fishing lines etc over the years.

For the comments of wishing it lived... what's the point of throwing it back in the river after publicity... god who knows how many more countless fish would have been taken out of the river after that just to try to recapture it by selfish people who have no scruples destroying things in its path in the water.