Safe Catch and Release

[fishpro]

So there seems to be a lot of issues lately on the forum, people see one thing or another that seems to be hard on a fish that was released, some people don't know how to handle fish (normally because they were never taught). Here are some pointers I can suggest to all to help ensure a high chance of survival of a fish after being released. I have nothing against people catching a few fish to keep, but if they're going to be released we might as well give them the best chances of survival possible.

1. Use appropriate tackle for the fish you are targetting. You may have accidental catches and this is okay, but don't use tackle that is way too light for the species you are looking to catch. For example, don't use a typical medium action rod for sturgeon, or don't use your trout rod when targetting 30 lb pike. It may be fun to use light tackle, but make sure you're within reason with what you use. Fighting a fish with too light of tackle prolongs the fight and can create a large buildup of lactic acid, which can be fatal up to hours or days after the release.

2. When landing the fish, use a net or find a way to effectively grab the fish. You're net should have a soft mesh or a rubber mesh. Hard nylon and knotted mesh nets remove the protective slime on the fish that can later leave it vulnerable to disease, resulting in mortality an extended time period after releasing the fish. Many fish can be landed without a net as well, by either grabbing their tail (trout species) or directly behind the head (pike and walleye).
Another issue that is widely discussed is putting your fingers into the fish's gills - as some may argue, there are times when you almost have to. If this is the case for fish such as very large pike or lake trout, use only a couple fingers if possible and put them no more than an inch under the gill plate so you can grab the boney part of the lower jaw. Do NOT stick your entire hand inside the gills, and do not use their jaws to support their weight.

3. General Handling:
-Do not let the fish lay on any dry, hard surfaces - this removes the protective slime.
-Keep the fish in the water as much as possible.
-Do not hang the fish vertically, it puts unnatural stress on its internal organs.

4. Photos
-Keep the fish in the water until you are ready to take a photo.
-Have someone ready with the camera when you are ready with the fish. I understand that you will want a picture with a large fish, but if it's going to take 5 minutes to dig your camera out, it may be best to release the fish and get a picture the next time.
-When you're ready to take a picture, raise the fish out of the water quickly, snap a picture or two and release.
-Make sure to support the fish's weight throughout - either hold one hand firmly around the tail and the other under the front portion of the stomach, or if needed stick a couple fingers under the gills as previously described and keep the other hand under it's stomach supporting the bulk of its weight.

5. The release
-Ensure the fish is in the water as much as possible. Keep the fish in the net while unhooking the fish and keep the fish in the water, use the net to keep the fish in place rather than lifting the fish out of the water with the net.
-Hold the fish by the tail and allow it to revive before allow it to swim off. If fishing in a stream then point the fish upstream to allow water to flow through its gills. Don't allow the fish to go after it's first attempt to move, but wait until it has a significant amount of strength to swim away.
-Do not allow it to receive too sudden of a rush of oxygen as this will give them a quick burst of strength that will not last and the fish could lose strength shortly after.

Overall, a fish shouldn't have to be out of the water for any more than 5-10 seconds. I will admit that I haven't always been perfect and have made mistakes when handling fish as well, but these are some things I've learned that I thought were worth mentioning.

Feel free to add your own comments if there is anything I've missed.

[walleyechaser]

well written, sometimes hard to do everything right given certain situations, but those tips sure are a good idea

[ishootbambi]

i dont see a need to add anything there. that is pretty well how it should be done.

[mooseknuckle]

All the things mentioned are good practice here's something I'm guilty of and notice almost every fishing host on all the tv shows do: when they catch a small pike or something it gets tossed in the water but when it's a decent size fish they take the time when putting it back? Not sure why that is are the little ones tougher? Is it less stressful on smaller fish to just toss them?

[flyguyd]

The longer it takes to release a big fish the more you get to see of it, Its just good marketing :rolleye2: nobody wants to see the little fish.:sad0020:

[Geezle]

Good write-up, thanks for posting :cool:

And good question Terry...it often does seem like the little guys just get 'tossed' quite often.

[cooler]

When walking and wading and even in my float tube I rarely if ever use a net. When I walk and wade in places like the Bow, I normally just use long nose pliers and release the fish without touching it at all, its very easy most times as its just a twist of the hook. Larger fish are a bit of a problem from my belly boat when I want to take a picture but, in general theres no problem releasing them without touching the fish. 90% of the time the fish doesnt leave the water

[fishpro]

When walking and wading and even in my float tube I rarely if ever use a net. When I walk and wade in places like the Bow, I normally just use long nose pliers and release the fish without touching it at all, its very easy most times as its just a twist of the hook. Larger fish are a bit of a problem from my belly boat when I want to take a picture but, in general theres no problem releasing them without touching the fish. 90% of the time the fish doesnt leave the water

That is a great way to release your fish. As long as you are playing them hard in order to get them in quickly and release them that's great, probably the best you can do.

[KyleM]

Good post. I think it should be law that in order to obtain a fishing lic. that you must take a course on respect.

I would like to add one thing...

When landing a fish with a net, try not to pull the net out of the water. The post hints at it but its not only helpful for the release but MANY fish are lost due to rookie net jobs. We personally lost one of the biggest pike I have ever seen about 8 years ago due to a bogus net job....the rubber net had UV damage from sitting in the boat, as the guy lifted the fish out of the water the bottom of the net broke and the slimer swam away.

cooler, I do the same. I do however keep a net clipped on somewhere incase I get a bigger fish (very rare these days).

[Fishingnutter]

Good post. I think it should be law that in order to obtain a fishing lic. that you must take a course on respect.

I would like to add one thing...

When landing a fish with a net, try not to pull the net out of the water. The post hints at it but its not only helpful for the release but MANY fish are lost due to rookie net jobs. We personally lost one of the biggest pike I have ever seen about 8 years ago due to a bogus net job....the rubber net had UV damage from sitting in the boat, as the guy lifted the fish out of the water the bottom of the net broke and the slimer swam away.

cooler, I do the same. I do however keep a net clipped on somewhere incase I get a bigger fish (very rare these days).

I mentioned this in another post; a teacher in junior high made part of his curriculum the afga outdoorsman class. It didn't matter if you hunted/fished or not, and it was a far cry from pamphlet literature, the book was an inch thick and taught EVERYTHING.

Mike Mailey and Garth Soby would have had this guy as a teacher too. I wouldn't doubt that he's on this forum.

I guess it would be politically incorrect to have such curriculum in the schools now,,, who knows.

[Fishingnutter]

That is a great way to release your fish. As long as you are playing them hard in order to get them in quickly and release them that's great, probably the best you can do.

I've changed a lot of my hooks to the offset type and find the release really quick and no net needed or hands,,, some of the newer nets are nice and don't scale the fish.

[alodar]

unfortunately sometimes there is nothing you can do, for example the other day i caught a gold eye and he inahled my bait and i ended up setting the hook right in his gill and he died even though i cut the hook right away he laid in the shallow water where i cut the line let me touch him for a few minutes (hold him facing up stream) but did not regain his strength. i was really sad when this happened as its the first of this season and hope its my last :'(

[Sundancefisher]

http://www.lakesundance.org/PDFs/Catch&ReleaseMethods.pdf

While sometimes the fish can alter your plans...or stuff happens...I feel this article summarizes it all well.

Cheers

Sun

[nicemustang]

Excellent post.

[on the rise]

X 3 with cooler. I fish exactly the same way (wading and belly boating, no net). As we all use barbless hooks, I use needlenose pliers and grab the shank of the hook and turn it so the bend of the hook is skyward and then the fish simply falls into the water with no handling.

In the unlikely event I do catch and picture worthy fish, she usually goes back in water without a Kodak moment. More important to see her survive than trophy pic on the wall.

[tonyflyfish]

Good job fishpro and others!!! Even though some of us might know about these things we sometimes "forget".
You are a knowledgable crew!

But every once in a while I smack a rainbow on the head so I can clean it and fry him up. I am mean!

t

[Paul C]

I had a long talk with F&W and I think they should add turning the fish upside down to remove the hook. This stops the thrashing around while removing the hook. The other techinque is bending the tail end of the fish that has been shown on different fishing TV shows. I do think this practice is not a good idea due to bending of there spine. Thats my two bits.

[hl649]

As having been working as a fisheries biologist for provincial and federal governments for most of the last 20 years I can add a few things here.

If at all possible do not grab the fish, not by its tail or anywhere else. The action of holding on to the fish not only removes the protective slime it also opens an avenue for fungus to set in. Many years ago I took part in a number of catch and release studies to try to improve the survival rate of relesed fish. We held the fish in submerged holding cages for a period of 2 weeks after release to determine any ill effects. After a period of about 5 days it was very obvious which fish had been "held" when the hook was removed. You could very clearly see a fungal growth in the form of fingers from holding the fish.

Inserting your fingers under the operculum (i.e., gill plate) is never a good idea. The gills are very fragile and can be damage extremely easy. Once the gills are damaged it not likely that the fish will survive.

The suggestions for releasing the fish without ever touching it are good. We found that most fish can be released by using needle nose pliers on the hook without ever actually touching the fish. I have used this method with fishing gear throughout Western and Northern Canada including offshore and have not had a problem. If the hook is embedded quite deeply and you feel removal will cause excessive bleeding or tissue damage a good idea is to cut the line and leave the hook in the fish. The natural elements and body fluids will dissolve the hook reasonably quick. All hooks sold for recreational fishing must not be plated to prevent corrosion. This is only allowed in commercial gear.

And yes, never ever hold a fish up by its tail. This will separate the vertebrae in its back and death will follow. It may swim away looking healthy but death does follow.

When you are about to handle a fish you should think of what the fish is going through when you catch him. Consider if you were fighting for your life because someone was pulling you under the water. You get so exhausted that you can't fight anymore and they succeed. You are now exhausted and underwater unable to breathe. When you finally allowed to surface and take a breath it is quite a while before you have the energy to even walk away. All this and the fish has to fight currents and other predators waiting to prey on weak fish attracted by the commotion.

Have a good day fishing.

[Paul C]

Hal649
I know that the fishes digestive system does not dbreak down fishing line.
I have caught a rainbow trout aroung 3 lbs. and the line was hanging out its back side with a bobber stopper still attached.

[hl649]

No, the fishing line and bobber would not be broke down by the fish digestive system. I was referring to cutting the line as close to the hook as possible without causing the fish any harm. If you leave a short piece of line attached to the hook it will be passed by the fish after the hook dissolves and breaks up. All that is left is a small area of scar tissue that is formed from the irritation of the hook wound.

[Albertafisher]

Awesome write-up, I follow these steps as much as I can in the certain circumstances, but sometimes that is out of the question, I usually try to keep the fish in the water most of the time too.

[Horn Stretcher]

Ok HL649 we have talked about catch and realease around the campfire out west. But I have a question that maybe you could answer and maybe some on are wondering to. Are there certain species more sensitive to being handled than others? example bull trout compared to cuthroat or pike compared to sturgeon or maybe salt compared to freshwater fish. Just in general I know you don"t have time to write a novel. Thanks

[hl649]

Each species of fish has its own individual physical characteristics and habitats that result in being able to withstand different treatment while handling them.

For instance Sturgeon don't have a slime coating so handling them does not really harm them at all. They have a fairly low metabolism so they can also withstand low oxygen levels for longer than some other fish. They also usually live in reasonably colder water so the oxygen levels are relatively high and fungus does not grow very quickly or easily. They have a very unsophisticated air bladder to regulate their buoyuancy that is directly connected to their abdominal cavity. This allows them to directly and quickly vent air through their anal vent when surfacing. You will see bubbles venting through their anal vent when you pull them up.

In comparison Walleye live in warmer waters and are very susceptible to fungal growth from handling when the slime layer is disturbed. They have an advanced air bladder that can only vent air through their bloodstream. The process of venting enough air through the bloodstream to surface from depth can take hours. If the fish is caught on a hook and pulled to the surface the air within the air bladder expands when the pressure decreases as the fish surfaces (SCUBA Divers will know what I am talking about). If the pressure differential is large enough the air bladder will rupture. Walleye caught at more than 50 - 60 ft. depth have a 100% mortality. You can release them and they will swim way but they will die. They can no longer regulate their buoyancy.

Each species of fish is unique from others and should be treated differently. In general the less we handle the fish the better.

[fishpro]

Thought I'd give this a bump up from a few years ago.

[WayneChristie]

Each species of fish has its own individual physical characteristics and habitats that result in being able to withstand different treatment while handling them.

For instance Sturgeon don't have a slime coating so handling them does not really harm them at all. They have a fairly low metabolism so they can also withstand low oxygen levels for longer than some other fish. They also usually live in reasonably colder water so the oxygen levels are relatively high and fungus does not grow very quickly or easily. They have a very unsophisticated air bladder to regulate their buoyuancy that is directly connected to their abdominal cavity. This allows them to directly and quickly vent air through their anal vent when surfacing. You will see bubbles venting through their anal vent when you pull them up.

In comparison Walleye live in warmer waters and are very susceptible to fungal growth from handling when the slime layer is disturbed. They have an advanced air bladder that can only vent air through their bloodstream. The process of venting enough air through the bloodstream to surface from depth can take hours. If the fish is caught on a hook and pulled to the surface the air within the air bladder expands when the pressure decreases as the fish surfaces (SCUBA Divers will know what I am talking about). If the pressure differential is large enough the air bladder will rupture. Walleye caught at more than 50 - 60 ft. depth have a 100% mortality. You can release them and they will swim way but they will die. They can no longer regulate their buoyancy.

Each species of fish is unique from others and should be treated differently. In general the less we handle the fish the better.

I dont think you have handled too many sturgeon. Most are as slimy as a pike.

[chimpac]

It is so virtuous to put back the fish you catch but this thread admits they die so where in lies the virtue.

I do not know why it bothers me so much. I am not an animal rights nut but when I catch a fish to eat and see the damage that has been done before it makes me mad and this is a fish that survived the carnage.

[Lefty-Canuck]

It is so virtuous to put back the fish you catch but this thread admits they die so where in lies the virtue.

I do not know why it bothers me so much. I am not an animal rights nut but when I catch a fish to eat and see the damage that has been done before it makes me mad and this is a fish that survived the carnage.

Not all fish that are caught and released die....but all fish that are caught and kept do....:)

LC

[Geezle]

Not all fish that are caught and released die....but all fish that are caught and kept do....:)

LC

Thanks for pointing out the hypocrisy so I didn't have to :)

[Secret coulee]

i dont think you have handled too many sturgeon. Most are as slimy as a pike.
x2 .

[Wild&Free]

Good thread to resurrect.

Only thing I can add is that not all fish are cooperative, and sometimes chit happens. Just try your best to release as many fish in the least harmful manner as you can. Just don't post pictures here of the uncooperative fish ;)