Handling and releasing fish

On this forum and others, I've seen some pics of fish/fishermen handling fish in a manner that doesn't look conducive to its survival. I don't like to kill the stoke by calling someone out, especially since I can recall times when I was starting to fish when I am sure I killed a lot of fish I didn't intend to. I still blow it from time to time and it's something I am really mindful of trying to get better at. For you more experienced anglers, what tips can you give the rest of us on keeping fish alive and healthy? Looking for more in-depth thoughts than the typical spiel you get from game and fish, magazine articles, and the like.

My biggest problem seems to come when I don't have a net for whatever reason and a fish is so full of energy that it seems like I can't do anything to calm him down long enough to remove the hook.

Good thread!

My two cents is that there is a real art to landing fish quickly, and then as you mentioned it can be difficult to calm down a "hot" fish enough to remove the hook. I think this is why some people, even long-term gurus, recommend you play the fish out pretty good before you bring them in.

I personally don't agree with this. I may not be able to cast worth a shit (it's true), but i like to think I'm pretty good about getting the fish to hand quick. It's all about side pressure, and fooling the fish into making a run to where you can scoop it up with the net, or tail it in some calmer waters. I'm usually fishing on light tippet too. The thrill of the fight is pretty much gone for me - as soon as I hook it, I'm thinking about how to land it ASAP. Consequently there is no reviving of the fish, they almost always strong enough to zoom out of my grasp as soon as I lighten up pressure on the tail slightly. This to me is a sign of a still-healthy fish. They are still in the middle of the fight upon release.

Of course, keeping them in the water is key but that's probably the typical spiel you're talking about. All I can say is there is a real knack to grasping the fish firmly enough to gain control while still not hurting it. You've got to be confident and aggressive in your grab, once you have control of the tail they usually calm down if you support the belly with the other hand. Now take your third hand and remove the hook - it's that simple ;-)

I kind of have a clock in my head as soon as I hook up - it runs faster or slower depending upon the water temp, speed of the water, season, etc. As soon as the fish comes out of the water time is running out...

However mishandling a hot fish is disastrous - flopping around on rocks / in the boat, the death grip, dropping back in to fight all over again is not good. So I can see why playing fish close to exhaustion is a better tactic for less experienced. Reading some articles / studies about fish mortality really changed my thinking. Now I want to sure that trout is going to be ok (but in reality you can never be sure - catching fish is stressful on them no matter how well you handle them, especially natives).

Let me pull up a seat on the couch and grab some popcorn, this should get good.

If your intent is to release a fish, here's what I've gleaned from years of trolling teh interwebz:
--Don't squeeze 'em too hard. If you're squeezing the shit, milt, or eggs out of 'em, you're doing it wrong.
--Don't lay 'em on rocks, gravel, sand, etc. If it's rubbing off the slime, you're doing it wrong.
--Bogagrip=uncool.
--Don't grip the fish by their mouths, jaws, or gills. Ever.
--Don't waste time bro'in down for the camera. Get the fish back in the water.

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Originally Posted by NMmatt

as soon as I hook it, I'm thinking about how to land it ASAP

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This should be the first thing on your mind.

Can't wait to hear from Underoos on this one.

(I know I've been guilty of some of these in the past. I have learned from my mistakes.)

I'd say fishing barbless and heavy tippet is the key thing. I just want to see the fish; if it gets off, I genuinely don't care beyond the minor disappointment of not seeing how big it really was. I don't carry a net wading because the barbless fly pushes out fairly easy. Some more advice would be to already have your hemos or ketch'um release out and in your hand before you start your release. For me, fish trauma is happening at hookset when the fish gets the fly too far back in the mouth and it gets into the gills (a bleeder) or when the hook pierces the roof off the mouth and gets into the orbit of the fish's eye (show me a jumping Yellowstone cutt and I'll show you a fish with a hook in its eye). Big hooks generally do more damage than small hooks but a lot of key flies are ties on big hooks so whaddayagonnado? Trout can really slurp a nymph or a streamer far back into vulnerable areas and I've never heard of a way to stop this. I just tell myself that the occasional mortality is offset by my best efforts, fishing barbless about 95%, fishing C&R 99.9%, and having lots of fish escape(the long distance release). If the fish dies, well, there's critters there that will eat it so it doesn't exactly go to waste.

Key to a good quick release is a big hook. You can see the hook and it is easier to dislodge!!

Like I said a while back, I'm not real sure about the hows and why's. I know some species of fish stress more. All the stripers you have seen pics of were released and swam away. How long did they make it? Not sure. I know over the last few years, we have lost a fish or two. I have recently started marking my fish, and haven't seen any marked floaters.

My friends and I caught about 20 browns in the 12" range a few weeks ago to use for bait. I used a three-treble hook Lucky Craft plug #97 pointer. All lived for three days in the bait tank. I iced them regularly, changed the filter, and put in some Stress Kote. In some, the hooks came out easily, others took some effort. All in all, I think they are pretty tough little bastards.

When I'm wading I generally don't handle a fish unless I have to. Barbless hooks, as mentioned pop out with ease and with less destruction than a barbed hook. Not that I'm a release pro but the way I do it it to lift the rod back and high with my left hand and slide the open hemos down to the fly with the fish still in the water. Clamp the fly and gently unhook the fish without touching it. The hot fish tend to release without having to do any maneuvering of the fly. Of course this method is not always practical and is much more difficult in a boat.

Small, feisty trout while fishing from a boat can be doomed unless they get off before the net. Wet hands and a wet net help. Again, in this situation, I try not to handle the fish if possible but sometimes those little guys just won't clam down. Obviously, squeezing the fish regardless of size is not good but there comes a time where you have to grab them gently or cut the line.

Holding the larger fish upside down seems to calm them.

Most C&R anglers are gonna kill fish no matter what we do. Like ND said, try your best, use barbless hooks, and understand a dead fish will contribute to the biomass of the fishery.

+1 If you do handle them, wet hands are a must! I see lots of people (including fishing buddies) forget about this rule. Down here we catch mostly browns and rainbows, I don't think handling them is as big a deal as cutts, if your hands are totally wet. It's not always easy in a boat or December to follow this "standard spiel" - but pulling slime off a fish with dry hands can lead to a fungus-coated fish. This has to be a slow death - we regularly see pigs in the San Juan with fungus grown over their eyes, or even one with a clear "handprint" fungus on the back. Of course these guys get handled a dozen or more times a year.

good thread

i'm awful about it and fumble the fish a lot without a net
a quality net is the answer for me

After the catch and release thread in the padded room I asked a friend about it, He is a sports fish biologist for the state. He stated that varies by species. Trout have good survival rates while coho salmon for some reason do not. Some salt water species like cod can sit on the deck all day and stay alive. I had been fishing grayling. My take was that the struggle to survive totally wasted the fish so I do not see how playing the fish out is a good idea. I did not catch and release any grayling as I doubted their ability to survive. He did not have any good info on arctic species survival rates.

I have recently begun letting pressure off the line while fighting a fish, even throwing a roll cast at em, and a good amount of the time with a pinched barb or barbless the hook will just pop out. Try it.

Fish stays in water, no handling, dropping on rocks, etc.

I agree with alot of what you guys are saying.

I too tend to try and play fish as quickly as possible. No need to tire them to exaustion most times. "Easy release" of small fish, either putting slack in the line like Lexi said, or just quick popping out the hook without handling. Wet hands always, barbless hooks 95% of the time, no longer than 30 seconds out of water (almost always less), almost never holding it over land. I have a system where I can quickly but gently grab the fish, hold it upside down to get the hook out, then hoist up (or not) for a quick second for a photo and bam, right back in the water and swimming away. If this takes more than 30 seconds, it's too long. Feel free to criticize me, if you think I'm doing it wrong.

Areas I could improve on are:

handling of hot fish near shore. I want to unhook them before they tire, cause alot of times they just flop around and tangle themselves which I hate. Sometimes they are still a little ornery after the "quick play" method, but I still think it beats letting every fish flop around near the surface for 5 minutes.

Bleeders. It seems that even at my best, I'll get one than gets hooked farther back, especially with bigger hooks. As has been said, there is no way anyone can be perfect, mortality is always part of the game, just gotta do what we can to minimize it. I usually eat the one out of 20 or so that I think is not gonna make it, so kill me over it.

I will say however, I see alot of videos on youtube and such with dudes handling big trophy trout for several minutes out of water, the thing gasping the entire time. Seriously, it's not your friend, let it go already. After seeing that I bet we are doing just fine.

Good thread...did not mean to get anything started if this was a result of one of my post in another thread. It just gets frustrating seeing pictures of fish in the dirt or on a hot rock, or with someones hands up their gills....now maybe these fish were never intended to be released and eaten???

Wet hands, wet net, once in net (preferably a rubber net) grab the fish gently and turn them upside down (seems to calm a hot fish down) and remove hook. In rivers, face the fish up stream and hold upright until it takes off under its own power. Do not stick your fingers in the gill plate or mouth unless you are planning to eat it. 3rded or whatever on barbless hooks.

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Originally Posted by Lone Star

Looking for more in-depth thoughts than the typical spiel you get from game and fish, magazine articles, and the like.

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I talk to the fish with a soothing and understanding tone, it seems to calm them down.

I'm open to any questions they may have and reassure them that they will see their friends and families again, and in fact, very soon.
(that is if they haven't gone off to school overseas)

A gentle cradling with a smooth continuous rocking, while softly "coo-ing", also seems to bring them down when they're hot.
-I will also kiss a boo boo if they have one

-Looking at them directly in the eyes, however, can enrage them as they read it as a challenge.

When I was in the wildlife business, I worked about half the time in the fisheries end of things. We used to run an electro-shocking boat to collect various species of fish. Black bass (largemouth/smallmouth) primarily. Used a 220 volt generator to stun them, dip them up, drop them in a tank, and add a little sedative. Inserted a tag kind of like a clothing tag into the bones just below the dorsal fin.

Never knew the survival rate, but there were always lots of tags turned in for the reward. Rarely lost a fish in the live well. Pretty tough treatment, and they seemed to survive pretty well. I suspect a hook to the lip is a lot less stress, maybe.

Bigger fish took the charge a lot harder than the smaller ones. I was changing lights on the boat one night, burned my hand, and stuck it into the water to cool it off. Grounded instantly to the boat and knocked the holy shit out of me.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lone Star

My biggest problem seems to come when I don't have a net for whatever reason and a fish is so full of energy that it seems like I can't do anything to calm him down long enough to remove the hook.

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i just about always bring the net along. really makes the landing process quite a bit easier. seems like most of the rubber ones are priced really high though. i searched around and found this $40 special from cabelos:

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fishi...3Bcat103892580

gets the job done and didnt break the bank. i wear a vest and slip it into the back pocket, no problems. seems like most people are using the fanny pack now which makes it a bit more cumbersome to tote a net around.

so far in my adventures with fly fishing, im finding out that the hardest aspect of it for me, anyways, is landing the big one. the difference between a 10'' dink and a 20+'' pig is ridiculous from a power stand point. the learned skill of knowing when to let them run and when to reef'em in is something i'm still working on.

wet hands, quick un hooking, and not a lot of time outside the water is my protocol. when pictures are being taken we try to be fast and let the fish hang out in the net, in the water, while we get the cam ready to fire.

Best thing I ever did for my fishing was switch to fiberglass rods. I can get the fish to net in a MUCH shorter time period because I'm not afraid of breaking him off on (usually) 6x. Plus, small fish actually bend my rod now. I guess you get the same effect on those 3x and under graphite rods, but glass is a whole lot less expensive.

barbless is key, also a good net really helps, that way the fish can just calm down in the water not flopping on rocks.

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Originally Posted by ricorides

Can't wait to hear from Underoos on this one.

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Why? So I can make a conceited comment that makes me look like an asshole that I will regret immediately after posting? That would be par for the course, I guess. I'll admit, I almost posted such a comment on the random pics thread, but I held my tongue. Glad this thread was started.

Most of the pertinent info on how to handle fish has already been posted, but there are a few things I would like to add.

-Learn how to fight a fucking fish instead of just leading it around. Big tippets help.
-I fish with barbs sometimes.
-I use LB's technique of shaking off smaller fish.
-Nets are handy if you want to take pics.
-Most of the time, a fish can be unhooked without ever touching it or taking it out of the water.
-It is sometimes ok to grab a fish by the lips depending on the type of fish, how big it is, and how you grab it.
-I had a fish die on me two days ago. Hopper in the gills. It happens.

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Originally Posted by ak_powder_monkey

barbless is key, also a good net really helps, that way the fish can just calm down in the water not flopping on rocks.

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You really should pm rootskier this very important and insightful information, instead of just saying what everyone has already said.

Both Alberta and British Columbia are barbless provinces so I've been fishing without barbs for most of my fishing life. I agree with everyones input into this post and try to abide by all of the tips above.

When it comes to the "hero" shots I never remove the fish from the water and lay it on the shore/rocks/boat. Keep the fish in the water as much as you can. I fish alone quite a bit, so when photo opportunities come around, I try to be prepared. I carry a point and shoot with a tiny webcam tripod that fits in my front pocket...with the fish in the net I place the camera and use the auto timer to take one shot. do a quick countdown in my head and left the fish out for a quick hero pic. My friends and I hate to see a fish gasping out of the water, so be quick and stay in the water.

I also try to carry the right tools in case of a deep hook. I carry tiny surgical clamps and a combo tool/nipper/knot tyer. I try my best not to use either, but the combo tool comes in really handy for those deep hooks. Extend the arm of the tool and slide the hook into the slot, push down gently and the barbless hook pops out w/o any force.

Also, I don't have a problem calling people out about this shit when I'm out on the water...most fly fishers in my area are pretty much on the same page, but do see some people mishandle fish. A little polite on the water education seems to go along way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fke7M...1&feature=plcp

This is a video from the guys from On the Fly that did Once in a Blue Moon...great fish porn

I've also become a believer in the arc dehooker gizmo, its badass for dinks you loop it on the line and just slide it down, fish gone instantly


Also make sure to kill the shit out of hatchery steelhead

I caught a nice brown in great shape on the river last week that had three visible hook scars. Nothing terrible looking, but I'd like to think that it shows that they can take some "use". This fish was fat and healthy and didn't look the least bit bothered otherwise. No photos, as I don't take many pics on the river as it is more problematic for my current camera operation.

It sucks to see one that has been mangled by a treble hook now and then, but I think there's a reason most heavily used major rivers are fishing awesome considering the amount of user days. Let's say 85-95% of em live nowadays, I think that's pretty realistic. We'd have collapsing fisheries otherwise but it's not the case cause most people turn them loose o.k.

My heart does sink when I see a fish manhandled though, in person or in pictures so it's understandable that people get upset. On the other hand I've known some people who think if you so much as lift a trout out of water for 5 seconds it's as good as dead so what do I know.

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Originally Posted by Underoos

Why? So I can make a conceited comment that makes me look like an asshole that I will regret immediately after posting? That would be par for the course, I guess.

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Yeah, something like that. You are the resident pro around here.:wink:

Lots of good stuff here everybody. Thanks!

I've never seen a trout with fungus up here and there's no shortage of fish handling going on. Perhaps the water is too cold. I have seen fish surviving with large wounds from eagles and pelicans so maybe the fish are a little tougher than we think as far as trauma goes. Seems to me that exhausting them does more damage than the occasional rough handling cuz a mishandled fish keeps struggling and jets away while a cooked fish just rolls overs and sinks. Join the 3x club. I used 3x for almost every fish I caught this year and I was using 2x when the water was muddy (ok, I admit, I've used 4x a few times lately now that I'm fishing dries in low clear water). I carry 5x for the heavily pressured sections on the Henry's. I never use 6x. I don't fight'em, I winch'em in. I get most 18" fish into my hand in less than a minute and most larger fish in under two. I think I broke off a nice fish 3 or 4 times this season.

I'm with nd i don't get the 6x thing 4x flouro is the least I'll fish.I reef on em I figure if the they were lightly hooked and it doesn't hold it's all part of the game. Personally I think overplaying em harshes their mellow a hell of a lot more than being handled w/ wet hands
or being out of the water for 30 seconds. Does the larger tippet cost me potential eats?
IDK but imo it aint anything good casts and presentations can't overcome.
I've had a few nice fish head toss the barbless this summer but there is no denying that
releases are faster and way less damage.
and I'm with lexi rollcast them dinks off and get your fly back out there.
Definately see a lot more mangled mouths on the provo then green

Thanks for the video AKami....I am fully convinced now to take my rods to NZ with me next month.

As for the whole tippet thing...yeah, I don't know...I see everyone's points, but it is pretty freaking hard to catch a nice trout on the South Platte with 4x...maybe I am doing it wrong though. The water is still in the high 40's in some places, in the mid 50s almost everywhere since it is almost all bottom release tail waters from deep resevoirs.

Anyhow...go with as strong of a tippet as you can get away with for sure.

For the record - if I'm the reason that all of this started I can explain myself. In Yellowstone Lake, lake trout are invasive and thus MUST be killed. The other pictures (the one of the bright, spawning cutt especially, with my hand grabbing his mouth) were a quick attempt for me to get those fish back in the water. Sometimes when you want to get a fish back in the water ASAP you grab at them any way you possibly can and snap a quick photo and get them back in the water. Of the probably 500 cutthroat I caught this year, not a single one of them died on the side of the boat. One almost did - I brought him up while downrigging for Lakers down at 70 feet - he was as bloated as they come, but I used up 15 minutes of a 2 hour fishing trip reviving that fish, and it finally swam away.

I've always thought that the ground was a pretty alright place to set fish while you're trying to get a hook out - I guess I could be wrong about this. However, if this is not the case, I imagine the bottom of the boat is far worse than a sandy beach, and I see fish in the bottom of boats constantly. While I'm out with clients, I don't allow them to take photos w/the cutthroat unless they can take it with the fish in the net. I think the biggest problem with any of this is when people are dropping fish on their head repeatedly. Thankfully we can't release any lake trout, because those things are so damn slimy they get dropped 3 or 4 times per photo op.

I think the biggest thing is to know when you need to be reviving a fish. If it's going belly up (even if it's not floating) it needs to be revived. Those big fish that immediately go belly up or sideways as they're trying to swim away will very rarely live.

It's hard to call out people based on a photo when you don't know all the facts - I feel the same way, but I learned to hold my tongue unless I witness it. Water temp is a huge factor. However, the SJ is cold as shit even in the blazing heat of summer (42 - 43 the first mile or so) and there are fungus fish up there. It might be contamination localized to that river? I really think it's the handling - those guys don't get a break, and may just get beat down to where their immune systems can't keep up.

I winch in redfish but usually not trout - side pressure and strateegery can usually put them in the net in a couple of minutes. However from time to time there is the martial artist rainbow that gets in the fast current and stays there regardless of what I do. I agree with the statement learn to fight the fish. Work it!

Fishing in Wyoming has been a different story in my experience - you have some 18" bruisers that fight like 5" bigger. I also am constantly amazed at how much more often you can hook fish in really fast water up there. In CO / NM there is certainly fish in the riffles but they aren't as often in the big currents. Or else there is a carnivorous brown under there that only comes at night - sometimes I wonder...

In my experience big browns like pocket water, so unless there's some giant rock below that fast riffle probably not. I think this is one of the reasons why you'll catch 10 whitefish in one hole before finally pulling out a brown. The rainbows, on the other hand, seem to loooove the riffles.

This is a great thread for a newb like me. I just picked up a net - didn't go rubber as I really didn't know. Can someone explain why rubber nets are better for a fish? I assume it has to do with the slime on the fish, but not really sure.

I basically fish the Truckee and never catch anything anyways..... But my casts in tight spaces and hard water are vastly improving.

Yeah rubber nets are easier on the fish, plus sometimes hooks can get wraped up in the mesh ones which is a pain as well.

I haven't been taking a net to fish the high country lakes, as it is just one more piece of clutter or something else to forget somewhere. I am rethinking now after reading this thread, and examining my own practices for what I could do better to be as fair as possible with the critters.

Sorry Yellowstoner...I guess I should not of called you out...I just saw that picture that you are mentioning of the spawning cut and after all the back and forth in the padded room thread about us fisherman killing more fish then we think, etc.

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Originally Posted by gretch6364

I see everyone's points, but it is pretty freaking hard to catch a nice trout on the South Platte with 4x...maybe I am doing it wrong though. The water is still in the high 40's in some places, in the mid 50s almost everywhere since it is almost all bottom release tail waters from deep resevoirs.

Anyhow...go with as strong of a tippet as you can get away with for sure.

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Agreed. Up in Montucky and Windoming you can get away with much heavier tippit. Try 4X on the Taylor or Platte and it's fun to watch them move out of the way. Yeah, CO sux.

Big as you can depending on fishery and hook size.

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Originally Posted by yellowstoner

In my experience big browns like pocket water, so unless there's some giant rock below that fast riffle probably not. I think this is one of the reasons why you'll catch 10 whitefish in one hole before finally pulling out a brown. The rainbows, on the other hand, seem to loooove the riffles.

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Yeah, I think they get that from their steelhead origins. Rainbows and steelies seem to know that predators cannot see them when they sit under surface chop. They love fast water with bubble trains and surface chop and, except for stonefly season, a dry fly guy will never know they are there. Cutthroat, by comparison, are a lazy, flabby fish. You can feel the difference in muscle power when you hold the fish. There's a five mile section of the Teton Canyon that drops about 400ft through continuous class 3-5 whitewater and you'll probably catch over 100 bows before you see a single cutt in that section. They simply don't like it in there despite abundant food. I do not understand this as cutts are capable of ascending steep spawning tribs during full runoff....why are they such wimps?

I think you get the 10 whities before the brown because the big brown usually won't move off its spot during daylight but the whities are not very light averse and will move up and down the water column to intercept nymphs. The big brown simply sez "go ahead and eat that nymph, whitey, cuz I'm going to get it back when I swallow your ass whole tonight.

Haha, that probably is exactly the case - and what I was trying to point out. The browns and whitefish like the same water, whereas you won't find many whitefish in the fast riffle-y sections. By the way, all of this is based on the greater yellowstone area, and might change vastly in places like southern utah/pnw/colorado/etc...

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Originally Posted by DeathVan

I talk to the fish with a soothing and understanding tone, it seems to calm them down.

I'm open to any questions they may have and reassure them that they will see their friends and families again, and in fact, very soon.
(that is if they haven't gone off to school overseas)

A gentle cradling with a smooth continuous rocking, while softly "coo-ing", also seems to bring them down when they're hot.
-I will also kiss a boo boo if they have one

-Looking at them directly in the eyes, however, can enrage them as they read it as a challenge.

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I've heard told that blowing pot smoke directly into their gills will really calm them down as well.

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Originally Posted by gretch6364

but it is pretty freaking hard to catch a nice trout on the South Platte with 4x...maybe I am doing it wrong though. .

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Are you doing it down and across? If the fish are really leader shy and the water is flat and clear, about the only way I have consistent success is to position myself well above the fish and send the fly down with a lot of stacked mend. Now, I know that is not "sporting" according to English chalk stream rules but I'm no English gentleman. And I do drop down to 5x for those sort of conditions UNLESS there are weedbeds and then I go back up to something that can pull a fish clear of weeds. I've seen a few dead fish hung up in weedbeds by anglers who broke off a two fly rig with light tippet. You can use a corky indicator in place of the big fly to avoid this.