freshwater fishing

hi, guys. i just start fishing and i am hoping you guys can answer some of the questions i have over here. can we keep the fish, if yes, is it by weight or by length. does people kept the fish or do they throw them back to the water?

You can keep some of the fish you catch, but limits and sizes vary by state. Keepers are measured by length and more specific fishing regulations for Mass can be found here.

I mostly fish for bass and catch & release 95%. The few I do keep are over the limit, but under two pounds. I'm extra careful catching and releasing bigger bass to increase their chances of survival because big bass breed big bass. It's important to let them go, so we can continue to catch bigger bass in the future. It's also not a good idea to eat very many bass over 12 inches due to the buildup of mercury in the meat.

Please read this:
http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/recreation/fishing/fishing_home.htm

As far as fresh water fish consumption is concerned, I would check the following links for specifics by body of water.

http://webapps.ehs.state.ma.us/dph_fishadvisory/default.aspx