Fishing is a sport that everyone can participate in and brings many people pleasure. Fish is also one of the healthiest dinners people may choose to eat. Our fisheries are not a finite resource, so we must learn to protect them to ensure that future generations may enjoy the sport. Here are a couple of tips to follow that will help each angler be a steward of the angling community.

• Practice catch and release. Catch a fish and return the fish immediately to the water for others to enjoy.
• C.P.R. - If you are a tournament angler, participate in tournaments that focus on “catching” the fish, “photographing” the fish, and then “releasing” the fish immediately without putting them in a livewell.
• Responsible Tournament Angling. Participate in tournaments that use “no puncture” culling tools and sponsored by organizations that have a reputation for releasing fish at the weigh-in in a responsible and respectful manner and promote conservation of fisheries.
• If planning on keeping fish for table fare, fish larger bodies of water and only keep what you need for a single meal or two.
• If keeping fish, keep fish that are not of breeding or mature sized if they are legal to keep. The mature fish are important as reproducers, so that more fish can breed and be available to younger and new generations.
• Be aware that smaller bodies of water can be over-harvested faster than larger bodies of water.
• When practicing catch and release, keep the fish out of water for the shortest amount of time. Take your time in reviving fish that may be tired from being caught.
• Remember when sharing your favorite fishing places that smaller bodies of water are more susceptible to fishing pressure than larger bodies of water.
• Remember to take time to clean up trash at your favorite fishing hole.
• Remember to share your favorite conservation ideas with new anglers.