Quote:
Originally Posted by Dragless
Thats the worst possible way to hold a pike idk if u kept that fish or whatever but holding it verticaly and by the gills is not the best option if u plan to release that fish.
If youre using ur phone just put it to selfie mode set it to a ten second timer and set it somewhere where you can see urself press the button and lift up the fish out of the water.
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I'm actually holding her right behind the head, gripping her spine. All the weight was off her gills and directly on her head.
So many guys reach right in front there and hold all the weight on her gill plates. That wasn't what I was doing, though a couple fingers did slide around her head and in there. But the weight was all on her spine.
The biggest risk in lifting like this is depositing bacteria from your fingernails into their gills, and I agree I need to avoid that in the future. But the weight was not on her gills despite a stray finger or two. This is a spine grip that I learned actually calms them down. Its a big hunk of bone right behind their head that is probably the best place to grip a pike. If you're not a fumbling idiot like me, you can grab them good with the gill plate closed, so no errant fingers are possible.
I admit it wasn't perfect, but I also wasn't thinking straight. I never usually handle fish like this for pictures but this was a special occasion. She was up in the air for a split second, before laying down nicely. I splashed her down with water while I got the measurement, she was out of water for just over a minute total.
I know it looks bad in that one picture but she went back in the water completely safe and sound! Not even a drop of blood
I stayed with her in the current even though she wasn't out of water very long. She took off kicking strong, didn't roll on her side after release or display any signs of stress.
Trust me, I share your concern for the fish and I always try my best to be careful! And I don't mind one bit you pointing out that this isn't an ideal way to handle them. One time thing I promise