On top of all that, when you go out and fish for them, you are messing with their world, for your personal pleasure or gain.  Showing respect for the fish by treating it with respect, care, and and common sense is the least we can do to ensure the continuation of our sport, and maintain the respect of others who might oppose all sport fishing on larger moral grounds.

What does it mean to "respect the fish"?

• Practice catch and release - if you happen eat the fish, work to minimize its suffering by handing it with care until the "moment of truth"

• Get a replica of your trophy instead of killing a large fish that has survived ten years of more, and who is probably a female; remember, we need those good genes in the pool!

• Return caught fish quickly to its home water if at all possible; Especially return large female fish as soon as possible to their home water

• If you are not tournament fishing, return all fish to the water immediately, unharmed.  Livewells are the most dangerous places for fish, especially in the summer.  Keep the livewells aerating continuously, and add small amounts of ice to keep the temps down below 80 degrees.

• Handle caught fish delicately, and with care; take care removing hooks, and buy the proper tools for extracting small hooks; do not let fish sit on the deck of your boat, and do not touch the fish except to remove hooks, and to take a quick picture

• Don't over play fish excessively; just play them enough to ensure a safe landing

• Add appropriate fish-saving chemicals to your livewell to keep fish healthy for your day of fishing, and until the weigh-in

• Support tournament organizers who respect the fish by penalizing anglers who bring dead fish to the weigh-in, and who institute weigh-in procedures that respect the fish

• Do not hold a large, trophy fish by its jaw in a stressful manner; support her by her lip and belly, and do not put the full weight of the fish on its jaw

• Harass and report poachers, and those who do not respect slot limit laws

• Teach your kids to respect the fish

• Consider not fishing during the spawn season; consider not fishing for actively spawning fish, or males guarding his nest; when you do, you serve up his fry to bluegills...

• Support BASS conservation efforts

• Do not pollute fishing waters; dispose of waste properly and safely; keep waste fishing line out of the water

Remember, we judge our humanity, in part,  by how we treat other species.  All living creatures all deserve our respect, even those that we consume for food.

Respect me, baby!

I could eat you for lunch! (at least that's what he thinks!)

Make sure you throw into that heavy cover!