For most knowledgeable anglers, the concept of selective harvest has become second nature in light of modern fisheries management practice. The idea is quite logical and simple and is the key to maintaining productive fisheries for the duration of our lifetimes as well as for future generations.

Put simply, selective harvest is the practice of keeping the smaller, more numerous members of the population to provide the succulent main course of a shore lunch or fish fry back home. Countless studies have shown that the practice of carefully releasing the medium and larger size fish back into the lake and keeping a few smaller, younger fish for dinner will result in a healthier, more stable population of fish complete with many large adults that are so often absent from heavily fished waters.

Fisheries biologists establish lake specific regulations in an attempt to manage a population so that it is more closely resembles the natural population that existed before there was any human influence. We are proud of the fact that we took a strong stance on selective harvest earlier on, and unlike other resorts, are not trying to rebuild a depleted fishery - but, instead are preserving the excellent fishery we already enjoy.

The further North you travel, the aquatic ecosystems become increasingly more fragile. It can take as little as 5- 6 years for a walleye in Minnesota to reach 19.5 in. while a fish that size in Lake St. Joe is usually between 10-12 years old and the average 20 lb. pike is well over 25 years old. Some quick math will emphasize the need for careful catch and release of bigger fish. At the Old Post we especially stress the "careful " release of Porkers 10 lbs. and over not only because these fish are crucial to the continued vitality of our trophy fishery but also because these fish are so easily fatally injured by rough handling. Playing a fish to the point of exhaustion, netting a fish, dropping a fish in the boat, hooking a fish deeply with a barbed hook, or not using a jaw spreader and pliers for hook removal can all result in the death of the fish directly through blood loss, stress, or eventually by infection. For this reason, we recommend the following careful catch and release procedures be practiced by our guests:

• The use of heavier tackle for pike (medium-heavy to heavy rods spooled with 15-25 lb. test line) will not only result in fewer lost fish, but will prevent fish from being played to exhaustion.
  
  
• To prevent injury and the removal of the important slime coat of big pike, we ask our guests not to use nets, but to hand land fish instead. It may sound difficult or dangerous, but when done correctly is quite simple. I have actually witnessed many more injuries incurred by fishermen as they attempt to separate a struggling northern from a twisted net tangled with hooks.
  
  
• We advise our guests to expect to catch big pike and to have a game plan when one is hooked. A camera and tape measure (or scale) should be handy along with a jaw spreader and a good set of pliers.
  
  
• We also encourage our guests to use barbless hooks. Some anglers argue they will lose too many fish, but I assure you that if you keep constant pressure on the fish, that very few will get off. I believe that I actually catch more fish using barbless hooks because hook removal is so easy and fast that my hook is back in the water much faster than the other guy who is still looking for his pliers. The advantage for the fish is a reduced amount of tissue damage (especially gills) and a speedy return to the water.