So, moving in a positive teaching direction.....

Is there any science or studies that would be useful to promote catch and release methods? Do s and don't s? What will stress a fish the least? The most? From a boat, the surf, a pier? I think starting such a discussion would be more productive than the bashing in the OTW thread. Maybe this should be a regular piece of such publications, ie. reducing mortality.

Here is a pretty good article on the subject: http://www.thefisherman.com/index.cfm?currentpage=1&fuseaction=feature.display&feature_ID=139&ParentCat=2&start=0

May be not hanging big fish from a boga for pictures.
Check out The state of Florida F&G regarding the damage to the isthmus on suction feeding fish like snook. It's a little band of cartilage that allows the fish to inhale their food. They determined that hanging heavy fish ruptured that cartilage and even though the fish swam away fine it may have been doomed to a slow death of starvation.
Not preaching just a curious read on their Web page.
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Simple, be as gentle as possible and never take the fish out of the water,

Simple, be as gentle as possible and never take the fish out of the water,

I'd add be as quick as possible.

go with single hooks as opposed to trebles. i'm a little surprised plugmakers haven't gone to single or even a double hooks, with the push for conservation. do single hooks not work on pluggage? I seem to catch alot of bluefish on single hook plugs

Take as much time as needed to properly revive a fish.

Last season catching was so infrequent I began practicing "strike and release".
All kidding aside, surf releases come with a huge amount of potential problems/issues. Quick turn around, less hook points the better (and barbless), light tackle kills big fish so use adequate tackle to shorten fight times especially during warm water periods, and give the bass ADEQUATE time to revive... then release.

No bait
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go with single hooks as opposed to trebles. i'm a little surprised plugmakers haven't gone to single or even a double hooks, with the push for conservation. do single hooks not work on pluggage? I seem to catch alot of bluefish on single hook plugs

I asked Steve Musso this question, VMC has not released their single hook in the US yet. He released some show specials this year with the single hook offering but said they were special order. I believe owner has some available but they look like they will rust quickly.

If there ever was a time for permasteel singles it's now.
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For striped bass. Another thing to add is complete removal of rear hooks. If plug ballance is an issue... cut or round over the hook points.

Even if the fish survives...if its eye is KO....its gonna have a rough life as a cyclops.

Some of my plugs have a single front treble....and nothing on the rear. For my other plugs I might recycle last years rusty trebles to trim the tips on and dump them onto the rear position.
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Crush your barbs. If you cant stay connected to a fish you suck as an angler. Work on staying connected.
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Its shocking just how many fishermen dont know that you need to revive a fish. They think if you just throw it back in it instantly swims away.
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Here is a pretty good article on the subject: http://www.thefisherman.com/index.cfm?currentpage=1&fuseaction=feature.display&feature_ID=139&ParentCat=2&start=0

Excellent article, Toby. I really like the author's closing sentence too. This is exactly the type of article that needs to be put out to emphasize the C&R message for all anglers...


On a humorous note, still waiting on Clammer's illustrated article on How to release Bloofish article.... step one, get hatchet....

Golf
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go with single hooks as opposed to trebles. i'm a little surprised plugmakers haven't gone to single or even a double hooks, with the push for conservation. do single hooks not work on pluggage? I seem to catch alot of bluefish on single hook plugs

I crush barbs

single hooks do work
most times though the bass hit the front of the plug

go with single hooks as opposed to trebles. i'm a little surprised plugmakers haven't gone to single or even a double hooks, with the push for conservation. do single hooks not work on pluggage? I seem to catch alot of bluefish on single hook plugs

Actually, I have been seeing ads lately for a line of plug hooks made by Owner. These are single hooks. They are expensive!! I bought a package of 5/0 single replacement hooks, Owner part # 4102-159.
$9.00 for 4 hooks.

Hard part with plug making is that the plugs we make are used for loads of fish from striper to muskie. I've had pics of GTs on my plugs ,tuna,dorado,snook,albies,sharks and so on. Most of us use a split ring so you can change things out if you wish but be forwarned. The plugs many of us make take a bit of testing to get them to work and catch fish. So if you decide to opt for a single say a siwash you've just changed the balance of the plug plus single hooks have a tendancy to hug the plug body . You miss more fish. Flatening the barbs works great for releasing fish. There used to be several hooks that came barbless but sales were so low they took them off the market. Single siwash on the back is a good way to go but for striped bass the belly hook is important. Release mortality is from rushing of as is often seen flipping a fish up in the air and laughing when it lands on its side or numerous photo ops. Wearing a glove helps in releasing and taking time to let the fish revive so it swims away from you. A good release gets you a face full of water from the tail. I call this the kiss good bye LOL. The reality is we fish to catch fish otherwise we wouldn't be fishing. Too light gear may be fun but it kills fish. Schoolie gear is a death sentance to big fish.

Very interesting post. I did not know that "light schoolie gear" was a death sentence for stripers. I take it because it takes longer for you to retrieve the fish and by then it is too late. I think that most would have guessed just the opposite.

I just read an interesting blip on the net this morning while heading for coffee. it stated that pulling up a fish too fast from the deep is also not good for the fish ? I would be interested in hearing comments about this.

I did realize that "flipping" the fish into the water was a No-No but did not realize that reviving a fish was as critical as it is stated here. I see that John Skinner does it all the time on this vids.

I guess this is the time for me to ask the question that came up this morning...... if you catch a keeper soon after you get on the water with a boat but definitely on the small side is there a way that you can keep it alive and healthy while you try for a larger one as we like to eat striper and obviously you'll get more filet on a larger one.

Is it legal to fish for a larger striper with intentions of releasing the smaller one on a stringer ?

Since I am knew at this looking for best advise, both legal and moral.

There is a tool that works great for keeping fish alive to release latter. It's a tube that youn mount on the transom that has saltwATER PUMPED THROUGH IT.You put the striper head down in it so it still can breathe in it. It's used in a lot of saltwater an freshwater catch n release tourneys. Great rigs but outlawed in many areas do to hiden rules backed by PITA that make no sence. These rigs are way cool when it comes to releasing fish.

lt's illigal to keep a bass alive period. The only reason to keep a bass alive is so you don't feel so bad morally when you toss it back in once you get a bigger one.
Those tubes are for keeping bait alive. Like little tunas and other fast swimming fish that don't do well swimming in a livewell. They will just beat themselves to death slamming into the sides.
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They used to give bonus points in striped bass tournaments for a live fish release after weighing it. They were generally in fine shape upon release.
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Never have understood the anti live well thoughts in the saltwater. They use them in freshwater with great sucess with many fish. I got a chance yrs ago to fish on a boat down south with a large bait tank doing a research project an we had stripers over 30 lb in it an they did very well. This lasted for 2 weeks an we only had one fish go belly up an that was more to how deep it was hooked an not the tank time.Sometimes we are too closed minded to ideas that do work as we don't want someone else to have an edge in a derby or tournament. A good release is a good release.

Very interesting post. I did not know that "light schoolie gear" was a death sentence for stripers. I take it because it takes longer for you to retrieve the fish and by then it is too late. I think that most would have guessed just the opposite. ......yes, you possibly exhaust the fish beyond revival. They may not be able to maintain their stability due to fatigue and just not stay right-side-up long enough to revive.

I just read an interesting blip on the net this morning while heading for coffee. it stated that pulling up a fish too fast from the deep is also not good for the fish ? I would be interested in hearing comments about this. ......"If the fish rises quickly from the deep, the pressure on its body from the surrounding water decreases quickly....
The pressure decreases on the swim bladder as well. This allows the gases inside the swim bladder to spread out and fill more space, so the swim bladder expands."...

I did realize that "flipping" the fish into the water was a No-No but did not realize that reviving a fish was as critical as it is stated here. I see that John Skinner does it all the time on this vids.

I guess this is the time for me to ask the question that came up this morning...... if you catch a keeper soon after you get on the water with a boat but definitely on the small side is there a way that you can keep it alive and healthy while you try for a larger one as we like to eat striper and obviously you'll get more filet on a larger one.

Is it legal to fish for a larger striper with intentions of releasing the smaller one on a stringer ?...........I believe High-grading or Culling, is still Illegal in our local state(s).

Since I am knew at this looking for best advise, both legal and moral........"if you don't know, now you know"...:D ........

Here is an excellent article on this topic, but focused on steelhead. Same principles are at work in both fresh and salt water, I think.

HOW MANY WILD STEELHEAD DID YOU KILL THIS YEAR?

By Jeff Mishler

Let’s just say for the purpose of this piece that you’re a catch and release angler. You release all wild steelhead, salmon and trout because, well, it’s the law on most rivers here in the pacific northwest and more importantly, an angler concerned about the future of the sport, mostly likely, has come to realize that the future of any fishery lies in the preservation of genetic diversity which can only be ensured through abundant wild adult escapement. Releasing wild fish keeps the gene pool rolling along its natural way. And while some anglers are good at catching fish and others are not, it’s very probable that some anglers catch a lot of wild fish because they target them specifically; for whatever reason, they ignore the put and take fishery available to sport fishermen in most states and choose to pursue wild fish presumably using tackle and techniques that minimize mortality of the resource.

No angler of good intentions wants to admit that their catch and release routine, routinely kills wild fish. But these routines are often old habits passed down the family line and they can be hard to break, even if they negatively impact the resource we think we are protecting.

Consider the following scenario:

It’s early March. You and a buddy are drift fishing for winter steelhead on one of Oregon’s many coastal rivers. You hook six steelhead, land four and released all of them because most of the fish in the system at this time of year are in fact wild. Three of the steelhead you landed, you hooked drifting a pearl/pink corkie with a single hook and one of the steelhead was hooked after you threaded a sandshrimp under the corkie rig. Let’s say you are fishing from a drift boat. The water is high and off-color making it difficult to find a place to step to shore. So, for every fish hooked, you had to fight them longer than usual because the swift current made it difficult to bring the fish alongside the boat. Each fish hung in the current downstream from the bow until it was exhausted---In fact, that is when you lost the other two. You were certain they were ready, but they made one last turn away from the boat, towards the shore and the direction of pull on the line changed. The hook pulled free and those two got away---But not the other four. After three attempts, your buddy slides a net under the steelhead and hauls it into the boat. It flops around a bit but you eventually unhooked the size 1 bait hook from the corner of its mouth. You hold the steelhead up for a picture or two and then slide the fish over the side. You hold it upright for a moment because that’s what they say you should do to revive a tired fish, but it kicks out of your hand and swims off. Let’s just say the four steelhead you landed responded similarly. From your perspective, it would be reasonable to assume that all of the steelhead survived after release because they did in fact swim off on their own.

Could you believe that the opposite might be true? More than likely, all four steelhead died from a long-term, delayed mortality, a truth difficult for the angler to confirm because in most instances, death occurs hours, if not days later.

In the previous scenario, you, the angler, made specific choices that directly affected the overall mortality of catch and release fishing. What we do once the hook is set has more bearing on a wild fish’s survival than the gear we choose. Whether we fly fish only or pinch the barbs on our favorite plugs, equipment has little statistical impact on the overall percentage of mortality associated with catch and release---It is widely promoted that a fish hooked in the corner of the mouth or outside the mouth experiences a 3% chance of mortality if it is landed promptly, kept in the water and released quickly. The use of barbed or barbless hooks doesn’t seem to change that percentage significantly. Mortality is determined greatly by our behavior, or habits.

Dr. Bruce Tufts is a professor of biology at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. He has studied the physiological effects of catch and release fishing since the late 1980’s. The findings from his research have helped shape catch and release regulations throughout North America.

According to Tufts, factors such as time out of water and length of fight combine to determine a released fish’s chance of survival. In his study, “Physiological Effect of Brief Air Exposure in Exhaustively Exercised Rainbow Trout: Implications for “Catch and Release” Fisheries”, Tufts studied the effect of time out of water periods of zero, 30 and 60 seconds for rainbow trout after exhaustive exercise. In 57-degree water, after 12 hours of recovery time, the control group-- fish that were held in captivity but not exercised--experienced no mortality. The group not exposed to air immediately after exercise experienced 12% mortality. The group exposed to air for 30 seconds after exercise experienced 38% mortality, and the group exposed to air for 60 seconds after exercise experience 72% mortality. 7 out of 10 trout died after 12 hours when exposed to air for 60 seconds.

Tufts concluded, “…the brief period of air exposure which occurs in many “catch and release” fisheries is a significant additional stress which may ultimately influence whether a released fish survives”. According to Tufts’ study, any exposure to air significantly decreases a salmon, trout, or steelhead’s chance for survival.

In the above fishing scenario, how long would it take you to clear the net, unhook the fish, take the pictures and then put the fish back into the river? It is very, very difficult do it in less than a minute. I’ve timed numerous anglers trying to do exactly what I have described and in most instances, it takes two minutes or more once the fish is brought on board. So one might conclude that if 7 out of 10 rainbow trout die after an air exposure of 60 seconds, then 3 of the 4 steelhead netted and brought into the drift boat, died within 12 hrs after release.

Tufts states in a 2004, In-Fisherman, article, “When you remove a fish from water the secondary lamellae in the gills collapse, inhibiting gas exchange”. Tufts and I use similar analogies when trying to explain how detrimental it is to hold a fish out of water for long periods of time after landing it. Imagine running 100 meters as fast as you can and when you cross the finish line someone grabs you my the back of the head and forces it underwater for a minute. What’s your chance of mortality? Salmon, trout and steelhead breathe air about as well as we breath water.

Tufts states in an article published in, Atlantic Salmon Journal, Spring 2001, “There’s No Excuse Not to Stop Killing Salmon” that, “the studies have documented (delayed mortality) in salmon and other species…it is not something that occurs immediately after the period of exhaustive exercise…therefore not something that would be apparent to an angler releasing a fish. Delayed mortality can occur in fish that appear absolutely normal at the start of the recovery period.”

60 seconds out of the water and you’ve killed 7 out of 10 fish. This is somber news.

Additionally, Tufts does not take into account the cumulative affects of removing a fish’s protective slime by netting and bringing the fish on board, increasing the chance of bacterial growth on the skin after release and the accompanying increased stress levels. Nor does he address the mortality impacts of hook placement and the increased blood loss from the most vital organ, the gills, when a fish is hooked inside the mouth on a delicate gill rake. Some states have made laws requiring anglers to use single barbless hooks and to keep fish in the water at all times if it is to be released to reduce the chance for post release mortality.

The whether the capture of wild salmon and steelhead is intentional or accidental, catch and release fishing causes mortality at a rate higher than most well intended anglers could ever imagine. It is possible that the angler who chooses to target wild fish, kills more wild steelhead, salmon or trout than the equally effective angler who chooses his angling opportunities according to the run timing of specific hatchery returns and kills every legal hatchery fish he or she catches; the determinant being the combination of variables the angler has no control over, and a few that one does. If I catch 20 wild steelhead in four days of fishing and handle them carelessly, it is possible that I might have killed 14 of them, six more than the eight fish, four day limit of the angler whacking and stacking hatchery fish. One has to ask, whose behavior is better for the resource?

So, considering the previous angling scenario, the high water day from the drift boat, what could you have done differently to increase the chance of survival for those four wild fish you released?

---First, wear waders if you can. Hip boots are fine. An angler has to get down into the water to properly release a fish. If the water is in fact too high and there is no accessible shore, pull anchor and find calmer water to land the fish.
---Use a net with a rubber or soft mesh. Hard nylon is too hard on the fish. If you can get to shore, slide the fish into the net but leave it in the water. Don’t reef up on the handle and haul it out onto shore. If you net the fish from the boat, don’t bring the fish into the boat. Leave it hanging over the side.
---The fish must stay in the water. Make sure its head is submerged. Get down on your knees, wait for the fish to calm down, and reach in carefully to remove the hook with a pair of pliers.
---Don’t rip the hook out of the mouth. Gently back it out, the direction it went in. Even with a barb, if the hook is lodged in the corner of the mouth or lips, the hook should come out easily with a soft tug.
---If the hook is buried in a gill rake, down in the gullet or buried in the tongue, don’t remove it. The fish’s chances of survival with such a hook placement are reduced as it is. Removing a barbed hook from these areas will certainly kill it. Clip the leader, leaving at least 18 inches trailing outside the mouth and do your best to revive the fish. The old myth that the hook will dissolve over time can be questioned when one uses stainless steel or chrome hooks designed not to rust. (How many shiny hooks have you found hanging in the shoreline brush long after the mono has rotted away?)
---When you are ready to release the fish, gently hold it upright in the current. Don’t move it back and forth. This drives water and sediments under the gill plate from the wrong direction inhibiting the all important gas exchange, effectively smothering the fish.
---When the fish seems ready to go, hold on to it a little longer. Its fins should be erect and its movements positive. Most fish will bolt from the hand out of fear when they start to get their senses back but haven’t recovered enough to hold themselves upright in the current. If allowed to swim away, they often roll over and die under a rock somewhere downstream. This is the “not apparent” part of the delayed mortality Tufts refers to. Yeah they swim off, but some of them die.
---Don’t touch the gills. The angler who puts his fingers into the gills of a fish they plan to release, for whatever reason, has probably killed that fish by damaging the delicate lamellae needed for gas exchange (breathing).

If you want to take a picture of the fish hold it gently at the wrist of the tail while supporting the girth under the pectoral fins. Keep the head in the water while the photographer focuses and sets the exposure. Only when the photographer is ready, when they say so, should you lift the fish out of the water an inch or two. Take the picture and immediately place it back into the water. Reset and repeat if you like. Don’t stand up and hold it out. Stay low. If you drop the fish, it’s close to the water and won’t be injured. How many times have you seen someone drop a squirming fish onto the rocks or into the bottom of the boat? All bad. I can always tell if a fish has been out of the water for a long period of time by the amount of water running off its body. Sadly, most fish are bone dry when pics are taken.

Unfortunately, ego and pride often overtake common sense in those exciting moments when a big wild fish works us over. Taking a fish out of the water is purely a convenience for the angler or guide. Yeah, we want that baby. Gotta get a picture of that bad boy. But, if you fish with the intent of releasing the wild ones, why wouldn’t you, in good conscience, do everything you can to ensure that the trophy you plan to release, realizes its purpose? Go buy the right net. Pinch your barbs. Get out of the boat if you can. Don’t use divers and bait during the wild run. (Gut and gill hooked fish experience 68-80% mortality depending on which study you use) Keep the fish in the water at all times. Fight the fish quickly.

The wild ones are amazing creatures and should be released unharmed to spawn and provide future angling opportunities. It’s our responsibility as stewards and primary users of the resource to make sure that happens. I know that some habits die hard and the processes we’ve used for years are often second nature, but taking additional care when releasing wild fish is just plain ole’ common sense that doesn’t compromise the experience, so why not try. We will all benefit from your effort.

I'm skipping out on a catch and release tournament this year. Most times I had a quick release and spent as much time as the fish needed to make a good strong kick and swim away healthy. But in that time how many fish did I miss out on? Ultimately I decided it will be less stressful for the fish and me if I don't remove them from the water. There may be instances where I decide to take a picture of one but it will be quicker and less stressful on the fish.

Personally, I:

1. Use the least amount of hooks possible.
2. Use properly sized tackle to bring the fish as timely as possible.
3. Handle the fish with care and respect.
4. Revive the fish before releasing it.

PS

When I chunk, I only use in-line circle hooks. I have never lost a fish due to a gut hook using an in-line circle hook.

The use of single belly hooks on plugs (instead of trebles) is very interesting. To be honest, I have not tried them yet. Logic suggets that they may actually hold a fish better than a treble hook once the fish is hooked.

Personally I think making sure that you get the fish in quick is a pretty big factor as well as keeping them in the water. However, I notice a lot of people saying to crush your barbs or don't use trebles, admittedly I don't think this is a bad thing as I do believe it will make the dehooking process faster, but I do not think that that a couple extra hooks in their mouth is going to do them any more harm than one hook.

The fish with a treble to the gills might disagree with you ;)
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Don't use barbs, don't use treble hooks, don't take them out of the water.....how about just don't fish???!!!! I am as cautious as the next guy when I land and release my fish but I don't crush my barbs and I have no issues as far as I can see. Its sport fishing for crying out loud! The people I hear crying the loudest are the folks that have a treble in the back of a mack or pogie and that bass is gonna swallow that rig whole and you guys want to complain about switching belly hoos on plugs? LOL! Just fish guys....be good to the fish. Bring them in in as short order as possible and give them a good revival period. Do your best thats all.

No trebles here big boy- shouldn't you be drinking beer in the backyard
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No trebles here big boy- shouldn't you be drinking beer in the backyard
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Envy can be an ugly thing.....there will be time for beer soon enough! Busy making things that hold treble hooks!:wave:

Fish killer - you r going to hell
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Some of the threads of late are starting to sound like a PETA site. If killing fish becomes that much of an issue then it's time for those that it is to take up another sport. Yup not every fish I release survives. That is a reality. I enjoy fishing and when one dies I eat it. from time to time I even weigh in a fish at a Derby an still will. Perfect doesn't exist. Never will. Get over it. Enjoy what you do and be as good a sportsman as you can. Treble hooks,bent barbs, are tiny things compared to net by-catch by the tons are the problem not icidental release kills. The fish are starting to move. the season is right around the corner. Plan what you do an try some different things and respect the fish you release.

No body is asking anyone to change their methods if they don't want to.

note the original query of the thread....


Is there any science or studies that would be useful to promote catch
and release methods? Do s and don't s? What will stress a fish the
least? The most? From a boat, the surf, a pier?


This thread is just a conversation, and it seems to me everything suggested is
pretty constructive and logical. I may not follow all the suggestions,
but I try to follow some of them....as most of them do not affect me
and my enjoyment of the sport.

Hahahahaaha... most of us could never be members of PETA. If
there were a shack selling seal burgers, I think I would order a double
decker. If the fishery were much more stable, I would not think
twice about using barbed trebles or whatever it takes to secure the
prey I am after. The sensitivity I have for the fishery is relative to its
health.

Catch and Release is widely accepted these days, but really... isn't
the concept is only a few decades old. Change is slow. Its been a while
since I have seen someone drop kick a short bass into the wash, and
I think that is a good thing. I think each of us are entitled to decide what
the boundaries we want to place on the well being of the fish and fishery.

If it is not for you, thats cool too.

Eric, This article is great. It definitely opened my eyes as to HOW we release the fish. It seems like us, as saltwater anglers, could take a lot from the freshwater anglers. Some comments are spot on though, you can only do the best you can to insure survival. Most of these conversations are just "food for thought". Regardless of your preferred angling style or values.

For me, I’m just not out there to kill the fish. Its more about the hunt to FIND the fish, the rush of fighting the fish, and the satisfaction of releasing the animal back to the wild. But, that is just MY values. Respect each other’s choices and have some humility.
-Joe:buds:

Here is an excellent article on this topic, but focused on steelhead. Same principles are at work in both fresh and salt water, I think.

HOW MANY WILD STEELHEAD DID YOU KILL THIS YEAR?

By Jeff Mishler

Let’s just say for the purpose of this piece that you’re a catch and release angler. You release all wild steelhead, salmon and trout because, well, it’s the law on most rivers here in the pacific northwest and more importantly, an angler concerned about the future of the sport, mostly likely, has come to realize that the future of any fishery lies in the preservation of genetic diversity which can only be ensured through abundant wild adult escapement. Releasing wild fish keeps the gene pool rolling along its natural way. And while some anglers are good at catching fish and others are not, it’s very probable that some anglers catch a lot of wild fish because they target them specifically; for whatever reason, they ignore the put and take fishery available to sport fishermen in most states and choose to pursue wild fish presumably using tackle and techniques that minimize mortality of the resource.

No angler of good intentions wants to admit that their catch and release routine, routinely kills wild fish. But these routines are often old habits passed down the family line and they can be hard to break, even if they negatively impact the resource we think we are protecting.

Consider the following scenario:

It’s early March. You and a buddy are drift fishing for winter steelhead on one of Oregon’s many coastal rivers. You hook six steelhead, land four and released all of them because most of the fish in the system at this time of year are in fact wild. Three of the steelhead you landed, you hooked drifting a pearl/pink corkie with a single hook and one of the steelhead was hooked after you threaded a sandshrimp under the corkie rig. Let’s say you are fishing from a drift boat. The water is high and off-color making it difficult to find a place to step to shore. So, for every fish hooked, you had to fight them longer than usual because the swift current made it difficult to bring the fish alongside the boat. Each fish hung in the current downstream from the bow until it was exhausted---In fact, that is when you lost the other two. You were certain they were ready, but they made one last turn away from the boat, towards the shore and the direction of pull on the line changed. The hook pulled free and those two got away---But not the other four. After three attempts, your buddy slides a net under the steelhead and hauls it into the boat. It flops around a bit but you eventually unhooked the size 1 bait hook from the corner of its mouth. You hold the steelhead up for a picture or two and then slide the fish over the side. You hold it upright for a moment because that’s what they say you should do to revive a tired fish, but it kicks out of your hand and swims off. Let’s just say the four steelhead you landed responded similarly. From your perspective, it would be reasonable to assume that all of the steelhead survived after release because they did in fact swim off on their own.

Could you believe that the opposite might be true? More than likely, all four steelhead died from a long-term, delayed mortality, a truth difficult for the angler to confirm because in most instances, death occurs hours, if not days later.

In the previous scenario, you, the angler, made specific choices that directly affected the overall mortality of catch and release fishing. What we do once the hook is set has more bearing on a wild fish’s survival than the gear we choose. Whether we fly fish only or pinch the barbs on our favorite plugs, equipment has little statistical impact on the overall percentage of mortality associated with catch and release---It is widely promoted that a fish hooked in the corner of the mouth or outside the mouth experiences a 3% chance of mortality if it is landed promptly, kept in the water and released quickly. The use of barbed or barbless hooks doesn’t seem to change that percentage significantly. Mortality is determined greatly by our behavior, or habits.

Dr. Bruce Tufts is a professor of biology at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. He has studied the physiological effects of catch and release fishing since the late 1980’s. The findings from his research have helped shape catch and release regulations throughout North America.

According to Tufts, factors such as time out of water and length of fight combine to determine a released fish’s chance of survival. In his study, “Physiological Effect of Brief Air Exposure in Exhaustively Exercised Rainbow Trout: Implications for “Catch and Release” Fisheries”, Tufts studied the effect of time out of water periods of zero, 30 and 60 seconds for rainbow trout after exhaustive exercise. In 57-degree water, after 12 hours of recovery time, the control group-- fish that were held in captivity but not exercised--experienced no mortality. The group not exposed to air immediately after exercise experienced 12% mortality. The group exposed to air for 30 seconds after exercise experienced 38% mortality, and the group exposed to air for 60 seconds after exercise experience 72% mortality. 7 out of 10 trout died after 12 hours when exposed to air for 60 seconds.

Tufts concluded, “…the brief period of air exposure which occurs in many “catch and release” fisheries is a significant additional stress which may ultimately influence whether a released fish survives”. According to Tufts’ study, any exposure to air significantly decreases a salmon, trout, or steelhead’s chance for survival.

In the above fishing scenario, how long would it take you to clear the net, unhook the fish, take the pictures and then put the fish back into the river? It is very, very difficult do it in less than a minute. I’ve timed numerous anglers trying to do exactly what I have described and in most instances, it takes two minutes or more once the fish is brought on board. So one might conclude that if 7 out of 10 rainbow trout die after an air exposure of 60 seconds, then 3 of the 4 steelhead netted and brought into the drift boat, died within 12 hrs after release.

Tufts states in a 2004, In-Fisherman, article, “When you remove a fish from water the secondary lamellae in the gills collapse, inhibiting gas exchange”. Tufts and I use similar analogies when trying to explain how detrimental it is to hold a fish out of water for long periods of time after landing it. Imagine running 100 meters as fast as you can and when you cross the finish line someone grabs you my the back of the head and forces it underwater for a minute. What’s your chance of mortality? Salmon, trout and steelhead breathe air about as well as we breath water.

Tufts states in an article published in, Atlantic Salmon Journal, Spring 2001, “There’s No Excuse Not to Stop Killing Salmon” that, “the studies have documented (delayed mortality) in salmon and other species…it is not something that occurs immediately after the period of exhaustive exercise…therefore not something that would be apparent to an angler releasing a fish. Delayed mortality can occur in fish that appear absolutely normal at the start of the recovery period.”

60 seconds out of the water and you’ve killed 7 out of 10 fish. This is somber news.

Additionally, Tufts does not take into account the cumulative affects of removing a fish’s protective slime by netting and bringing the fish on board, increasing the chance of bacterial growth on the skin after release and the accompanying increased stress levels. Nor does he address the mortality impacts of hook placement and the increased blood loss from the most vital organ, the gills, when a fish is hooked inside the mouth on a delicate gill rake. Some states have made laws requiring anglers to use single barbless hooks and to keep fish in the water at all times if it is to be released to reduce the chance for post release mortality.

The whether the capture of wild salmon and steelhead is intentional or accidental, catch and release fishing causes mortality at a rate higher than most well intended anglers could ever imagine. It is possible that the angler who chooses to target wild fish, kills more wild steelhead, salmon or trout than the equally effective angler who chooses his angling opportunities according to the run timing of specific hatchery returns and kills every legal hatchery fish he or she catches; the determinant being the combination of variables the angler has no control over, and a few that one does. If I catch 20 wild steelhead in four days of fishing and handle them carelessly, it is possible that I might have killed 14 of them, six more than the eight fish, four day limit of the angler whacking and stacking hatchery fish. One has to ask, whose behavior is better for the resource?

So, considering the previous angling scenario, the high water day from the drift boat, what could you have done differently to increase the chance of survival for those four wild fish you released?

---First, wear waders if you can. Hip boots are fine. An angler has to get down into the water to properly release a fish. If the water is in fact too high and there is no accessible shore, pull anchor and find calmer water to land the fish.
---Use a net with a rubber or soft mesh. Hard nylon is too hard on the fish. If you can get to shore, slide the fish into the net but leave it in the water. Don’t reef up on the handle and haul it out onto shore. If you net the fish from the boat, don’t bring the fish into the boat. Leave it hanging over the side.
---The fish must stay in the water. Make sure its head is submerged. Get down on your knees, wait for the fish to calm down, and reach in carefully to remove the hook with a pair of pliers.
---Don’t rip the hook out of the mouth. Gently back it out, the direction it went in. Even with a barb, if the hook is lodged in the corner of the mouth or lips, the hook should come out easily with a soft tug.
---If the hook is buried in a gill rake, down in the gullet or buried in the tongue, don’t remove it. The fish’s chances of survival with such a hook placement are reduced as it is. Removing a barbed hook from these areas will certainly kill it. Clip the leader, leaving at least 18 inches trailing outside the mouth and do your best to revive the fish. The old myth that the hook will dissolve over time can be questioned when one uses stainless steel or chrome hooks designed not to rust. (How many shiny hooks have you found hanging in the shoreline brush long after the mono has rotted away?)
---When you are ready to release the fish, gently hold it upright in the current. Don’t move it back and forth. This drives water and sediments under the gill plate from the wrong direction inhibiting the all important gas exchange, effectively smothering the fish.
---When the fish seems ready to go, hold on to it a little longer. Its fins should be erect and its movements positive. Most fish will bolt from the hand out of fear when they start to get their senses back but haven’t recovered enough to hold themselves upright in the current. If allowed to swim away, they often roll over and die under a rock somewhere downstream. This is the “not apparent” part of the delayed mortality Tufts refers to. Yeah they swim off, but some of them die.
---Don’t touch the gills. The angler who puts his fingers into the gills of a fish they plan to release, for whatever reason, has probably killed that fish by damaging the delicate lamellae needed for gas exchange (breathing).

If you want to take a picture of the fish hold it gently at the wrist of the tail while supporting the girth under the pectoral fins. Keep the head in the water while the photographer focuses and sets the exposure. Only when the photographer is ready, when they say so, should you lift the fish out of the water an inch or two. Take the picture and immediately place it back into the water. Reset and repeat if you like. Don’t stand up and hold it out. Stay low. If you drop the fish, it’s close to the water and won’t be injured. How many times have you seen someone drop a squirming fish onto the rocks or into the bottom of the boat? All bad. I can always tell if a fish has been out of the water for a long period of time by the amount of water running off its body. Sadly, most fish are bone dry when pics are taken.

Unfortunately, ego and pride often overtake common sense in those exciting moments when a big wild fish works us over. Taking a fish out of the water is purely a convenience for the angler or guide. Yeah, we want that baby. Gotta get a picture of that bad boy. But, if you fish with the intent of releasing the wild ones, why wouldn’t you, in good conscience, do everything you can to ensure that the trophy you plan to release, realizes its purpose? Go buy the right net. Pinch your barbs. Get out of the boat if you can. Don’t use divers and bait during the wild run. (Gut and gill hooked fish experience 68-80% mortality depending on which study you use) Keep the fish in the water at all times. Fight the fish quickly.

The wild ones are amazing creatures and should be released unharmed to spawn and provide future angling opportunities. It’s our responsibility as stewards and primary users of the resource to make sure that happens. I know that some habits die hard and the processes we’ve used for years are often second nature, but taking additional care when releasing wild fish is just plain ole’ common sense that doesn’t compromise the experience, so why not try. We will all benefit from your effort.

I once saw how some of the "freshwater anglers" release their fish! Watched a tournament weigh in quite by accident one day at a ramp I was launching my kayak! After having the fish in the live wells and coolers and buckets all day they weighed in the fish at the ponds edge and then flipped them all quite matter of factly, without any consideration for the fish, back into the pond!!!! So moral here....it depends on the individual and how much they care for and respect the resource! Still turns my stomach when I think about how they treated those fish! That about sums up how many, NOT ALL, tournament fishermen treat the resource!:realmad::realmad::realmad:

You ever watch how Charlie Moore releases his fish? Same flip into the water! Jackass!!!

Don't use barbs, don't use treble hooks, don't take them out of the water.....how about just don't fish???!!!! I am as cautious as the next guy when I land and release my fish but I don't crush my barbs and I have no issues as far as I can see. Its sport fishing for crying out loud! The people I hear crying the loudest are the folks that have a treble in the back of a mack or pogie and that bass is gonna swallow that rig whole and you guys want to complain about switching belly hoos on plugs? LOL! Just fish guys....be good to the fish. Bring them in in as short order as possible and give them a good revival period. Do your best thats all.

so in essence your saying, using 4 lb test and a loose drag, kicking fish back in from the canal service roads, and cartwheeling them back in are a no-no. :hee:

You ever watch how Charlie Moore releases his fish? Same flip into the water! Jackass!!!

Watching him is like nails on a caulk board, could never make it to the first commercial, waste of space.