After reading in the Kalama post about the thrill of the kill, I was wondering if you release your unwanted steelhead with the respect and care they deserve?

I release all fish I don't want with care. Do you think I just kick em' back in the river? FYI my favorite fishing is CR for big nates. If we catch some quality brats, of coarse we bonk em' I can always smoke it for later, or give it to friends who are constantly asking for it.

No worries, all steelhead are released with care!! As a matter of fact most all the fish we do catch we do release, and we usually just cut the leader and will never net them if we are going to release them. The only fish we handle are the hatchery fish we do decide to kill and the larger nates for the pictures. Steelhead are the most important thing in the world to us and without these fish their wouldn't be much in life to live for...
keith

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Sorry if I hurt your feelings BK but the posts read like the kill was the defining factor in fishing for steelhead, kinda like tourament bass pros in drift boats.

One thing you should note about tournament bass fishing is that they never kill their fish. Whatever you think about bass fishing, we should envy their care for the resource. (I think they get penalized if one of their fish ends up dead.) Anyway, due in part to the catch and release ethic that rules the bass circuit, bass fishing is better than ever. Wish we could say the same about steelhead fishing. We all need to do our part.

T Dodge--your not suggesting yardin the fish out of the water floppin it in the boat let in bang around or grabbin a steelhead by the lips or gill letting it hang then tossin them in the "live well" type bass tourney style release are Ya? yeeeehaaa

Bass are bass, steelhead are steelhead. Did I say anything like what is suggested in your post? No, of course not. That's rediculous. The comment was directed toward killing fish, which the bass pros do not do. You can sit there and think what you want, but the fact is that killing the fish is not allowed. And that is the point. I think those guys know as much about safe handling and release of bass as we like to think we know about safe C&R of steelhead.

i think cutting the line is as safe as you can get. i witness bk c&r serval fish and played them quickly and released them quickly. i mean in less than 5 min. they know what they are doing and have a good time to boot. i am sure they take extra care with the nates but as far as hatchery i say wack them all. they are there for us to harvest. leave some for the rest. for what after i saw bk leave i saw three drift boots pass over the same hole not even making a cast. some people learn to fish and others just *****.

T-Dodge is right.
Pro Bass Anglers are penalized if their fish die. Now I am not stupid enough to believe that they all survive. Some will die before they are released, but I am sure it is a small amount.

This whole thread is just another example of how we cannot get along with our fellow sportsman.

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"Just Say No To Sovereign Nations!"

In my opinion more time needs to be spent thinking of fishing as a advocation rather than a competition. I know I would hate to see steelhead fishing turn into competitive angling.

You have no worries, as it will never turn into a competitive fishery. For one it is rare to have enough people off in a day to make a competition, and never will you see people with the attitude of competing.. Except B.K. and his friends!!!!!!!!!

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