Size matters in fishing, but so does the frying pan

Are you an eater or just a catcher?

Is your mind fixated on the big fish just to satiate your reputation and manly way of life, or is your appetite giving you clues as what you should really do?

For years I have been just as guilty as the next guy on the bank about my manly quest to find and catch the biggest bass, crappies and northern pike.

I operated under the premise that size does matter and I would do almost anything to back up that belief with experience and knowledge.

But when it came to muskie fishing, I would always defer to those experts who had a sixth sense as to where the big fish hung out.

To be frank, our angling lives had been besieged by propagandists and we've been driven, or even ruled as a better choice, to buy our fish at the grocery store.

But how can we even think about that dastardly act when some of the stores misidentify a simple walleye by renaming it "walleye pike."

It almost got to the point that in some cases anglers were viewed as something akin to un-American for daring to take home six crappie or two legal walleyes for the sauté pan.

I recall being in a boat with a writer who penned articles for a national magazine. We both caught crappies and bass. I kept some of the panfish and gently tossed the bass into the water.

He sat aghast when I placed the fish in the cooler.

"Surely you must embrace catch and release since you too are in the outdoor business," he exclaimed in a loud voice.

"Yep," I replied, "and I also enjoy the taste of sautéed panfish along with a salad of red onion and juicy tomatoes."

On another trip last year I spent some time with a chap who had just elevated himself into the cadre of the ever-growing professional anglers. These are the multi-sponsor, patch-wearing casters.

And when I asked him if I could sit in the front of his luxurious boat, he balked at the inquiry and instead lectured me that it was important for him to get the first shot at some "big fish."

It wasn't enough for him that I had already caught just over a dozen bass ranging from 1 ½ to 2 ½ pounds. As far as he was concerned, he had to definitely catch a legitimate 5-pound largemouth - otherwise he would take considerable ribbing from his pals back at the boat launch. As a result, I caught all my fish from the stern seat location.

I was also right in the middle of one of my informal polls. I asked this guy if he ever took any panfish home for the family. He said no, and it was just not his way of fishing.

On another survey front, he also refused to be called "unpatriotic". It was only when I asked him where his expensive boat shoes, his sharp, multi-colored shirt and fishing pants, along with his rods and reels were made that he smirked at me, laughed a bit and admitted, "You got me. It looks like everything here came from China and other countries."

I then suggested we change tactics and go look for crappies and bluegills so I could cook dinner for him and show him what real men put on the table.

Ÿ Contact Mike Jackson at angler88@comcast.net, and catch his radio show 6-7 a.m. Sundays on WSBC 1240-AM.