Thanks for the report Lumber John. Sounds like the NNE wind disrupted the weak stratification making the the fish harder to find. Negative reports are as useful as positive reports, so thanks for taking the time to share information.
We fished out of Fairhaven yesterday. Fished from 20 to 200 fow. Had best marks 25 to 65 feet down in 140 fow. Fished a spread of large spoons in the deeper water and small spoons in shallow. . It was dead calm for most of the day.
We couldn't buy a hit. No much bait.
Good points devoknevo and MuskysAnonymou!! The politically correctness and moral superiority of some people is frankly getting very tiresome as well as boring. Professional fisheries biologists determine size and quantity limits based on long term health of the fishery. Also catch and release mortality is higher than what most of those people realize. A study by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’s Marquette Research Station reported in 2017 showed mortality of angler-released fish averaged 43 percent when the surface water temperature exceeded about 50 degrees. Some of the catch and release "purists" often kill more than the legal limit whether they realize it or not.
Icejohn is correct. There was absolutely no biological reason not to keep this legal fish. Congratulations on a great catch and being a good and ethical angler!
Also, thanks for getting your kids involved in fishing and I hope your season continues to be productive!