With more and more anglers practicing catch and release, fishing of many species continues to grow. Catch and release, when done properly ensures the continued sustanance of this wonderful renewable resource. There are many articles on effective fish handling regarding catch and release, but it never hurts to review these guidelines.
Why do we practice catch and release? The primary reason is so that the released fish can live to fight and/or breed another day. Knowing
we have released a large fish for another angler to enjoy, is enhanced by the knowledge that another angler somewhere, sometime has done the same for us.
So to have effective catch and release policies, the fish has to live, or else there is no point. Feel-good catch and release doesn't cut it. Dropping an exhausted fish belly-up to float off, is not catch and release. Many anglers think they have release fish alive, but do not realize that many die later. This is delayed mortality and the research into this makes for some interesting reading. So, in order to keep the fish alive during the catching and releasing, we need to understand what factors contribute to the death of the fish.
When a fish fights for extended periods of time, it experiences severe lactic acid buildup. The more exhausted the fish, the tougher it is for the fish to recover. Add to this some external physical trauma to the fish and it's chances decline even further. Once released, the water conditions can also affect the fishes chances of surviving. Let's break down the four main stages of catch and release and how these stages contribute to mortality.
Hooking - This is the first thing that happens during the catch and release phase. How and where the fish is hooked can have implications for it's survival. Baited hooks are often ingested deeply into the fish's mouth or throat. Scientific studies have shown that this is significant in determining the mortality rate of catch and release fish. Lures and flies usually result in lip or outer mouth region hookups which have much lower mortality consequences. Using circle hooks when bait fishing certainly has a big effect on reducing fatalities, because of it's consistent ability to hook in the corner of the mouth. With deeply set hooks that are difficult to reach, cutting the line at the eye of the hook may give it the best chance of survival. Bleeding is never a good sign.
With regard to the question of barbless hooks, the scientific literature is very clear that any flesh damage from barbed hooks contributes very marginally to mortality. Certainly the use of barbless hooks can't harm catch and release efforts, but is not a primary factor.
Fighting - From the time a fish is hooked, until it makes contact with a net or hand, is the fight time. This time should be as short as possible. Extending the fight time exhausts the fish and sets it on a death track, before you even release it. Fishing in warm water, especially when it's higher than the species concerned is tolerant too, can result in rapid exhaustion as warm water holds less dissolved oxygen than cold water. Recovery in warm water is extremely tough for most fish.
So keep the fight short. To do this, use the correct equipment. We all enjoy light tackle angling, but going too light can be very detrimental to the fish. When fishing warmer waters, increase the tackle weight to shorten the fight. Always match your tackle and line class to the fish you're trying to catch. When pulling fish up from 30 feet or more, pause periodically to give the fish a chance to deflate the swim bladder as the pressure changes.
Landing and Handling - Once the fish is brought to the bank or the boat, the handling that follows is critical. The first consideration is for the scales and the slime that protects the fish. Allowing the fish to flop around on a boat or on the bank can easily damage the scales and remove the protective slime. This then opens the fish up for later infection and disease.
If you have to handle the fish, at least make sure your hands are wet. Ideally, and whenever possible, leave the fish in the water and remove the hook quickly. If you need to photograph the fish, hold it gently by supporting the belly and tail of the fish. Do not grab the fish by the gills or eyes as these are sensitive organs. Using needle nose pliers helps qhickly remove the hook. Handle sharp toothed fish with a Boga Grip tool. If you have to use a net to land the fish, select a specific catch and release net. However you land the fish, try and keep the time out of water to no more than 20-30 seconds.
Using barbless hooks can reduce the time it takes to remove the hook. This means the fish can be returned to water faster.
Releasing - If the fish has fought hard and is exhausted, you can help it by gently supporting it in the water with one hand under the belly and holding it by the tail. Moving it gently back and forth can help move water over the gills. When it shows signs of vigor, it can be released. However, the benefits of this technique are still being debated. Give the fish as much time as it needs to swim away on it's own.
Some species of fish are much hardier than others and some can be downright tough to kill, no matter what you do. Be aware of the species biology and how that impacts on your catch and release strategy. Much of effective catch and release is common sense but following the above guidelines can certainly help to ensure that more of released fish will live to fight another day.
outer mouth region hookups which have much lower mortality consequences. Using circle hooks when bait fishing certainly has a big effect on reducing fatalities, because of it's consistent ability to hook in the corner of the mouth. With deeply set hooks that are difficult to reach, cutting the line at the eye of the hook may give it the best chance of survival. Bleeding is never a good sign. 