I practice C&R 95% of the time. I do not feel guilty about keeping a few stocked trout for my own use. They are raised and stocked for that purpose. I only kept one striper this year, which I caught from a charter boat. If I was fortunate enough to ha
ve caught any bonito I would have kept at least one so I could try it. Although I haven't had a chance to test myself yet, I plan to release any big stripers I catch and would probably keep only two or three 28" - 32" fish per season. I hear other fishe
rmen say that they keep fish so that they can give them to friends and family, but I suspect that many times these gifts are graciously accepted and then thrown away without being eaten. If you know that the fish will get eaten, go ahead and keep it. Ot
herwise, let it go. Don't keep a fish just to show it off - there are plenty of cheap cameras on the market and the photos will last a lot longer than the fish will.
Q