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Posts: 532
Location: Chicago, IL | After reading the post on people keeping a 30"+ fish and hearing the different views in the posts, I got to wondering about delayed mortality of a released fish.
Yes! It is very important to teach catch & release and have new or unexperienced anglers releasing fish.
One big subject not really hit on too much is the fact that it's great to see a picture of a nice fish released, but how are these released fish being handled?
I can recall numerous times of experiencing another boat getting a fish, and being happy for that boat up untill I see how the fish is handled. As far as I'm concerned a mishandled fish is just as bad as a kept fish. Most of these boats are Musky fishing on top of it.
So yes, we can preach of catch and release helping the fisheries which I truly beleive, but are we preaching enough about the proper handling of a fish when it's boated? I just thought this might be a good idea for some new member's who aren't too experienced to read our catch & release process so they can make sure the next fish they release is a healthy one.
So let's post our release tactics to better educate newer anglers on the handling of a catch.
-Phil Cali |
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Posts: 532
Location: Chicago, IL | Here is mine:
- After hooking a fish I try to keep the fight from lasting too long so I don't wear out the fish to the point of exhaustion
- The fish is netted in my Beckman Magnum, and the net is left in the water making sure the fishes head is submerged.
- I next work on the submerged fish still in the net and remove hooks with my 12" needle nose, if a hook is deep I cut the hooks.
- After the hooks are out I quickly place the fish into my livewell which has the aerator on so the fish can recoup and calm down
- I then make sure the fish is ok for release (check for lodged hooks that might lock down the fishes mouth or gills).
- I then measure the fish in the livewell if possible.
- Once the camera is ready and the boat is in position, I quickly raise the fish up for a quick picture.
- The fish the is then gently lowered into the water and rocked sideways untill the fish can swim from my hands on its own strength.(I also make sure the spot is safe for release)
- Once the fish has swam away I will stick around while I am cleaning up the boat to make sure the fish doesn't surface.
I know it's a long process, but I know my releases are handled with all the care in the world while in my boat. If I didn't have a livewell I would keep the fish in the net instead of the livewell where I mentioned.
-Phil |
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| I think each boat should contain a team of three; 2 release peeps and a fish doctor to examine the fish before it swims away! Actually, I'm not making light of the stuff, but feel that you can only do the best you can, hope for the best, but in the end, some fish will die, so it is better not to go "overboard", be it physically or figuratively. I have seen giant rockfish carefully released, only to be found floating later, usually expired from being caught and fought in warmer water. In thses cases, better to keep the fish, or NOT fish for them in hot weather. I remember Ben Remer saying once that he felt 'skis were tougher than most peeps thought, and he may be onto something. Taking care should be of the utmost importance, but realize stuff happens. Truth be known, many have left a fish that later went belly up. I do think the bigger the fish, the harder it is to revive if fought too long, especially in a hot water lake; rivers are a little different in my opinion... |
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Posts: 355
Location: Silver Lake, WI | Good topic Phil. I made a couple of changes/additions to explain what happens in my boat.
1. After hooking a fish I try to keep the fight from lasting too long so I don't wear out the fish to the point of exhaustion. My goal is to get the fish into the net as soon as possible.
2. The fish is netted in my FRABILL BIG KAHUNA, and the net is left in the water making sure the fishes head is submerged.
3. Next, I work on the submerged fish still in the net and remove hooks with my 12" needle nose, if a hook is deep I cut the hooks. This is extremely important to stress. Don’t rip a fish apart. Hooks are very inexpesive. Get yourself a good hook cutters and use them.
4. After the hooks are out I leave the fish in the FRABILL BIG KAHUNA and make sure the fish is ALWAYS in the water and make sure the fish is upright. Don’t let it sit there upside down.
5. Get the camera out and in position and the measuring stick in position.
6. The fish comes out for a quick measurement and a quick photo. Make sure you are careful of the gil rakers – for the fish’s sake as well as your own hands. ALWAYS SUPPORT THE FISH! Don’t just drag it around the boat holding it by the head. Use both hands and support the muskies midsection. Cradle it like a baby!
7. Put the fish back into the water.
8. Once the fish is in the water, hold it by the tail and make sure you keep the fish upright. When the fish is ready to go, it will swim out of your grasp.
9. I stay in the general area for 15 to 20 minutes to make sure the fish doesn’t come back up to the surface. This is important because there are times when a fish will swim away and it stays near the surface. Since I fish a lot on Metro Lakes, the boat traffic could be detrimental to the fish if you don’t stick around to help protect it.
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Posts: 1185
Location: Wishin I Was Fishin' | Great topic!
According to the WDNR there is a 17% mortality rate for released fish. That's around 1 in 6. We need to reduce this number and education is the only way. |
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | Well said Scott, most fish under 38 inches will never leave the water. I will do all work in the net then lay a measuring stick in the water to get a size. If a picture is needed for a client or if the fish is big enough, then everything is layed out and ready before the fish is picked up from the net.
In the 70 degree plus water temps the stress on a fish is critical, fish sould not even be removed from the water if posible. This is the time when I see fish floating every year due to bad releases, last year a couple of 50 plus fish were in trouble and might have made it but for how long. A 52 incher was found floating over a hour after it was released, she was caught on a top water by a experenced musky fisherman and released. A friend of mine found her floating upside down and nursed her for over a hour before she was ok to let go. Good job Roy. The other fish was caught and released only to be found two days later floating on the west end. Both of these fish swam away but had problems, my point is during warm water months fighting time and handling time of fish is very very critical. The more time the fish is in the water the better your odds of a quality release. This is a great thread lets keep it going with more tips and tricks to better all of us. |
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Posts: 532
Location: Chicago, IL | Thanks for the support on this guys! Scott, thanks for the other list definately covered some things I left out.
I just really think that some people are never taught a proper release and sometimes may be too embarassed to ask. These are fragile fish but I think most people have the idea that a big fish can take it, and in this case that is so far from true. Thanks for the posts guys..Let's hear some more.
-Phil |
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Posts: 51
Location: Sheboygan Falls, WI | Don't get too upset when you see fishermen who are not releasing properly. If at all possible, ask them if you can help them release the fish. Don't jump on a soapbox and preach, just say it would be an awesome experience of you could help them with the fish. Offer to take the pictures from your boat or something. If you preach, they won't listen. If you try to guide in a nice, non-threatening way, you could educate a fisherman without him even knowing it. If they refuse your help, just say you think it's great they are releasing the fish and hope they handle it properly. Just remember, a fish on the stringer has no chance, a mishandled fish has at least some possibility of survival. We have all seen fish with missing eyes, deformed mouths, and some have even seen parts of gill plates missing. Their ability to survive can be amazing.
On the other side of things, I've seen muskies that were handled with the utmost care turn belly up and refuse to be revived. |
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Posts: 484
Location: St. Louis, MO., Marco Is., FL, Nestor Falls, ON | MuskyPippo:
Better be careful putting that muskie into your livewell. In most states and provinces that constitutes a kept fish and could result in a ticket or worse if the fish is less than legal length. Keeping the fish submerged in your net is a better option. Don't want to suggest release techniques that might be at odds with the law. |
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