In regard to links throughout this
Site, you may see a word that is underlined but NOT highlighted blue
like a link, It IS a link and these are words that can be found in
our Dictionary. In case you're unfamiliar with some of the
fishing lingo.
If
you plan to release your catch, bend down the barb to make it easier
to remove the hook.
Catch
and Release
If
the decision is to release fish, all fish should be handled as
little as possible and fish should be returned to the water as
quickly as possible.
The
best method is to hold the fish in the water - reach to the
fish and remove the hook with needle nose pliers. If you need to
remove the fish from the water, return it as quickly as possible. In
warmer water, moving the fish back and forth with water entering the
mouth will help the fish recover more quickly.
However,
in some cases, fish caught from deep in a lake (cool water) can not
swim back down to the cool water due to air bladder expansion.
They
may not survive if released in warm surface water, and anglers
should consider keeping legal fish rather than releasing them.
To
release a fish, keep it in the water if you can. Handle it carefully
with a wet hand so it can be released unharmed. If it's a fish
without sharp teeth like a bass, hold its lower lip between your
thumb and index finger. If it has sharp teeth like a walleye or
northern pike, carefully hold it around the body. Never hold a fish
by the eyes or gills if it is to be released.
Tearing
a hook out can harm the fish so badly that it may not live. If the
fish is hooked deeply and the hook can't easily be removed, cut the
line to release the fish. The hook will rust, dissolve, or become
loose without harming the fish. The use of barbless hooks makes it
easier to release fish.
If
a fish loses consciousness, try to revive it by gently moving it in
a figure-eight pattern so water moves through its gills. When the
fish begins to struggle and can swim, let it go.
Today,
some species of fish exist in limited numbers. More and more anglers
know this and participate in "catch and release" fishing.
Now, many anglers take only what they need for food and release the
rest unharmed. This makes it possible for other anglers to enjoy
catching them again.
Some
fish take longer to become adults and may not spawn (lay their eggs)
until they are three to seven years old. Then, they spawn only once a
year. You should release many of these fish. They include bass, lake
trout, muskellunge, northern pike, sturgeon, walleye, and most large
game fish. Catching and then releasing these species is a good practice.
Other
fish species mature earlier and spawn more than once a year. For
example, bluegill and many other panfish spawn when they are two to
three years old.
Until
recently, few anglers realized that the populations of certain
gamefish in the large oceans could become threatened. However, to
increase fish populations, fish hatcheries are raising and stocking
fish in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Gulf of Mexico.
Today, redfish, snook, seatrout, striped bass, and other saltwater
fish are being raised for stocking.
Some
fish are far too valuable to be caught only once.
Many
angler's
now take only what they need for food and release the rest of their
catch unharmed.
This
is called "catch and release"
and it helps to keep enough fish in the rivers and lakes for everyone
to fish for.
Here
are several tips for
practicing a successful catch
and release.
1.
After landing the fish, try to keep it in the water as much as possible.
Try
to avoid removing the fish from the water.
Do
not let fish flop about in shallow water, on the ground, or in the
bottom of your boat.
2.
Use wet hands or wet cloth gloves to handle the fish.
Fish
have a slime coating, which seals out infection.
Rough
handling can destroy this protection.
Keep
your fingers out of and away from the gills
and eyes.
Never
squeeze the fish.
Fish
can not remain healthy out of water for longer than you can hold
your breath. Picture
running a 4-minute mile, then someone sticks your head under water
and tells you hold your breath. This
is what a fish goes through after a fight at the end of a line.
3.
Remove the hook from the fish's mouth. If the
hook is deep in the throat and cannot be removed easily, cut the line.
The hook will usually dissolve or fall out later.
4.
Have your partner take a picture of you and your catch.
QUICK
SHOTS Make
sure the camera is ready and film is loaded before boating the fish.
Nothing puts more stress on a fish than “sunbathing” on the
deck, waiting for a slow poke to ready a camera. When the camera is
ready, then lift the fish from the water and snap the shots you need
and release the fish immediately.
5.Release
the fish back into the water -
never
throw it.
Once
a fish has been landed, quickly turn the fish upside down and more
times than not the fish will immediately become disoriented and cease
struggling. Removing the hook becomes a great
deal easier and the fish is left in much better condition for the
release to follow.
Point
your catch into a slow current, or gently move it back and forth
until its gills are working properly and it maintains its balance.
When the fish recovers and attempts to swim away, let it swim from
your hands.
Large
fish may take some time to revive.
Watch
your fish swim away.
It
is a great feeling and you know others will have the opportunity to
catch and have as much fun as you did!
It is important that people who
fish follow all fishing rules and regulations.
These rules help conserve fish
populations and also help anglers be successful.
Regulations may limit the size of,
number of, and season that a type of fish may be caught, and may
require a license to fish. In some cases, only “catch and
release” fishing is allowed, which means the fish must be let
go. Some bait is illegal in certain areas.
Contact your state wildlife agency
by visiting Our Rules
and RegulationsPage.
If
you have
any hints, suggestions, techniques or anything that you would like to share
or
have me put onto this web page, please feel
free to Email
me
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