While I am a huge advocate for conservation, I think we’ve taken catch-and-release too far. My friend, Jeff put it in perspective for me the other day.

He called the other night to invite me to go fishing on Martin Luther King’s birthday. Jeff’s a serious fishing writer, but when the two of us get together, things can get crazy.
We bought some frozen shrimp, small hooks and egg sinkers for about 10 bucks. We obtained free chum by raking oysters and barnacles off bridge fenders with the anchor. Then we anchored up in a sheepshead hole and proceeded to catch those delicious but wily “convict fish.” While we fished, we talked about the folly of throwing everything back.