I'd rather "catch" than not..but it's OK either way. When I bass-fish, almost always release 'em. (They taste OK, but kinda soft) If the winds are strong in the wrong direction, casts don't go far enough to do any good. If I just want to frustrate myself, I can do that without bait, lol. The grandson got his first fishing-rig, this year....but he's not allowed in the boat yet. (Per his mom.)