Catch & Release Tips
by Tom Rivers
Author with dinner on Cuttyhunk!
Catch and release efforts have a major impact on how anglers contribute to conserving our fish stocks. Keeping a few fish a year and releasing the majority of your catch, multiplied by millions of anglers, results in a responsible and substantial management of our precious fish resources. The real outcome however, can be dramatically reduced if all anglers don’t take the time to release fish properly. Mortality rates after anglers release their fish is a strongly debated issue. These guidelines are to help you ensure that the fish you release have the greatest chance for survival. By following these guidelines we can maximize the contributions anglers make in releasing their catch.
1) Pinch down your barbs on all hooks. This makes the damage done in removing hooks minimal. Yes, you have to maintain constant pressure so the hook won’t be thrown out but this will help you get more control during the landing of your fish. You will also land them sooner.
2) Wet your hands before you touch the fish to minimize disturbing the fish’s protective slime coating to ensure the release of a healthy fish.
3) Careful handling is necessary so that no damage is done to the fish’s internal organs. Avoid squeezing the fishes internal organs, hold them by the shoulders. With stripers you can hold them by lip, however, larger stripers cannot support their weight with their jaws so keep from lifting them entirely out of the water. If you're on a beach lay them down.
4) Resuscitating the fish to help them recover from the rigors of the fight is mandatory. Holding the fish in the current or moving it slowly back and forth to move water over the gills will help in reviving the fish.
5) A friendly tap to the tail will get the fish moving upon release. Sometimes a tired fish will not swim away with gusto, it's like they don’t know that they are free. A stern tap to the tail will get them swimming.
6) Release the fish in shallow water so that you can recover the fish if they don’t swim away. Move to a shallow pool or slightly out of the current so that you can grab the fish if it's still in trouble. Then take a little more time in resuscitating the fish.
7) Use pliers to get a secure hold on the hook (not the fish) you are removing. Ideally the pliers should have wide jaws with a pattern that offers a solid grip.
8) A BogaGrip or similar lip grabbing device will hold the fish securely making the unhooking of the fish easier.
Enjoy your fishing and help in managing our resources and give your gamefish a fighting chance to survive.
