If y’all follow Eye Strike on social media, you already know about this, but we have begun a conservation initiative called Release Over 20", where we are encouraging people across the country to release all speckled trout over 20". There are a lot of compelling reasons to do so.
For example:
Almost all trout over 20" are female
Female trout egg production increases exponentially the larger they get. 20" trout release an estimated 20 million eggs a season
20" trout are rare. If you start with 1000 trout at year 0, only 8 will remain after 4 years - the age of a 20"er
Large trout have superior genes. Its important to let these eggs propagate.
If you have followed me on CF.com over the years, you know I’ve been practicing this personally for over 8 years. This is an effort to encourage others to do so also.
The initiative works like this. We have had an artist make a cool logo (below) and have made decals to display on your truck or boat or both, if you buy in to the concept. There are a couple ways to get one.
If you catch and release a trout, take a pic and enter it at releaseover20.com. This gets you a free decal and an entry into a drawing we do every quarter. First drawing is end of this month and includes a pile of Eye Strike swag. We only ask minimal info and use the info just for tracking how the program is doing. We have over 150 entries in the first 2 weeks from Texas to Maryland.
We are having some solar hoodys made (if interested, we are closing the pre-sale tonight) and have a few other fundraiser items available at our site. 100% of proceeds from these sales allow us to give away free decals and offer more to participants. This program is not a for-profit thing for Eye Strike. Rather, its a way to use our influence to make a positive change to the resource.
We have the backing of CCA North Carolina and several high profile sponsors including Z-Man, Toadfish, Salt
Very well done, Dave! You have become quite the ambassador to our recreation and sport. Thanks for all the behind-the-scene things you have done and continue to do. Ralph has to be proud with your affiliation, because I know I am. Thanks you sir! I’m sure I’ll see you around soon enough, until then, keep up the good work. I can’t wait to get my name entered in the contest:+1:
Fishing Nerd
“No bar, no pinball machines, no bowling alleys, just pool… nothing else.”
It’s fishermen like your self that persuade people like myself Towards more releases. My mindset was taught early by my father brought up in hard times. You caught a fish you kept it or shared with Neighbors No matter the size. Had two nice redfish in the live well and while loading the boat found them extremely lively. Gave em a kiss and let them go. I can see the 20” on trout around here but many areas of ouR country can more than support some of the largest ones being kept. IMO. Regularly catch 20”+ in the panhandle.
Any more if I break away and fry stuff a pork chop will be my choice. Bone in for my handle.
At the end of the day Release Over 20 is about changing mindsets, and its not really just about trout. The concept is to make your own catch and creel limits more restrictive than the law allows. A great example would be flounder. If we start releasing the big flounder, imagine how good a fishery we might have eventually. I’ve been really encouraged at how the initiative has resonated with people from MD to TX.
The one glaring exception is the middle gulf states (LA, MS, AL) where the kill em and grill em mentality is still very strong. The same stats have been reflected in The Speckled Truth citation program. The founder Chris Bush, keeps records on the percentage of citation >27" and Dirty 30 >30" are released after capture. In most states its close to 90%, except those three states its down around 50%.
You gotta start somewhere. If you ask any fisherman in the country if the fishing has gotten better or worse in the past 15 years, its the same answer.
On another note, I got a pile of redfish tag recapture reports today. I tagged one 25" red last November in a community hole in the Cooper. It has been captured and released now 4X in under a year…
FULLY AGREE DAVE ; I THINK WE ALL SHOULD RETHINK WHAT WE KEEP OF ALL SPECIES; I’VE STARTED THINKING THAT IF I ( FAMILY ) CAN’T EAT ALL I CATCH IN ONE TRIP , RELEASE THEM … IT GIVES ME MORE OF A REASON TO FISH MORE OFTEN TO FEED THE FAMILY !!!
George McDonald
US Navy Seabees,Retired,
MAD, Charleston Chapter
[http://www.militaryappreciationday.org
When you see “Old Glory” waving in the breeze, know that it is the dying breaths of our fallen hero’s that makes it wave.
author unknown
Thanks for the information Dave. I grew up fishing in SC and have almost always put 'em back. I appreciate the science behind why it supports our conservation efforts.
I checked out the site and will try to earn my sticker this weekend.
