[RPBrown962]

Sandy,

KM recently asked me to check out our forum here and give my opinion of the picture you posted. He had some concerns about what kind of message the picture might be sending. Since I find KM one of the more sensible, down-to-earth members of our fine organization I decided to take a peek.

Before I get started, my assumption is based on the fact that anyone with a computer and internet access can view the messages on the forum. I tested it with one of my email addresses not recognized by the site and sure enough I could view everything everyone posted.

You know, I know….all the TB’rs know the picture was a joke. But what would someone that just happens to stumble onto our site that doesn’t know anything about us? How would we be portrayed? My concern is that it shows that we have very little respect for the resource we strive so hard to professionally manage. I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch that some people could certainly come to that conclusion after viewing the picture.

I’m mostly going to echo many of the things you’ve already said but it bears repeating: we stock non-reproducing (sterile or functionally sterile) in very low densities thereby having extremely minimal/no impact on native biota. Furthermore, most of us practice catch/release using barbless hooks to prevent injury to the released fish.

Personally, I think the appropriate place for a picture such as this is a “members only” area, not the open internet.

I’d like to make it clear to anyone that reads this forum that we take great pride in the lakes we manage and take our valuable resource very seriously.

On a lighter note….see ya’ll this weekend.

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