Catch and Release of Saltwater Fish

 

Whether fishermen choose to release fish or are required to do so by law, all released fish must be handled carefully to give them the best chance for survival.

ANGLERS SHOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE FOLLOWING FACTORS:
Water temperature and depth.  When water temperature exceeds 70 degrees, mortality of released fish, especially larger fish, goes up substantially.  Fish brought up from more than 30 feet of water have greatly reduced chances of survival, although some hardier species of snapper and grouper survive when brought up from depths of 150 feet.

Exhaustion.  A long fight on the line can upset a fish’s chemical balance.  Fish to be released should be brought to the boat quickly and while still fresh.

Loss of Slime.  Fish have a slime coating which seals out infection.  Rough handling can damage this protective layer.

Time out of the water.  As long as a fish is out of the water, it cannot breathe or restore its chemical balance.

Wounds.  Anglers should minimize the damage caused by hooks and by handling.

PLANNING AHEAD:
Use strong enough tackle.  Many fishermen use light tackle to be more sporting, but fish you plan to release should be brought to the boat quickly to minimize exhaustion.  This becomes especially important when fishing in warm water.

Use artificial baits whenever possible.  Fish tend to swallow natural baits, while they are usually hooked in the lip or mouth with artificial baits.  A lip wound is much less severe than a gut wound.  Set the hook quickly when using natural bait so the fish does not have time to swallow.

Use barbless hooks.  Barbless hooks can be removed from a fish much easier than barbed hooks, causing less damage and reducing time out of water.  Anglers who have fished with barbless hooks for years say they hook and land just as many fish.

Barbs can be bent or filed down easily on bait hooks or artificial lures.  You can leave a bump instead of a barb to prevent the hook from coming out too soon.  Some barbless hooks are made with a bend to serve this purpose.  Reduce the use of treble hooks to minimize wounding and time out of water.  Often, single hooks can replace trebles or tines can be clipped without ruining the action of the lure.

Hook material.  Saltwater fishermen have several choices of hook material.  Chrome plated steel, gold plated steel and “bronzed” steel all corrode quickly, in or out of fish and should be used whenever possible.  Stainless steel hooks do not corrode and stay in fish.  Cadmium/tin plated steel hooks corrode slowly and may be toxic if left in fish.

If you must remove the fish from the water.  Remove fish from the water carefully, using a shallow landing net, preferably of rubber or knotless nylon.  These nets will remove less slime and will reduce wounding and time out of water.  Keep control of the fish so that it cannot flop around and cause further wounds or loss of slime.  To shorten time out of the water, have catch and release gear, including camera and ruler, ready at all times.

HANDLING AND RELEASING THE FISH:
Keep handling to a minimum.  If possible, release fish without removing them from the water.  Some tackle shops sell a device designed to grasp a fish by the lower lip, lift it from the water, weigh it and then quickly release the fish without any other handling.  While expensive, these devices are particularly useful for releasing fish with sharp teeth.

If you must handle the fish, use wet rubber gloves and place on a wet towel to minimize slime loss.  If you must use your hands, be sure to wet them first.  Cradle the fish on its back and calm it by covering its eyes

Always avoid touching the delicate gills which fish use to take in oxygen from the water.  After removing the hook, gently release fish into the water upright and head first.  Revive an exhausted fish by leading it through the water or by moving it gently back and forth in the water until it recovers enough to swim away.

VENTING:
Gases in the swim bladder of fish caught from 60 feet or more and brought to the surface quickly can over expand resulting in everted stomachs and/or a lethal buoyancy condition.  To relieve this pressure, insert a hollow, sharpened steel cannula underneath a scale an inch or two behind the pectoral fin.  Penetrate only far enough to vent the gas, and revive the fish in an upright position until it descends.

DIFFICULT HOOKS:
Carefully remove hooks inside the fish’s mouth, gill or gullet with tools such as needle-nose pliers that can grasp a hook, or with disgorger or deep throat-type tools.  Fish experience high mortality rates when  hooks are left in the gills or gullet.

When the hooks is in the stomach, leave it, cutting the line as close as possible to the hook.  Fish commonly expel hooks from their stomachs.

CONSERVATION:
Currently, dozens of the most popular saltwater fishing species have legally mandated size and/or catch limits, requiring anglers to release undersized, oversized, and over the limit fish.  If these fish are not released properly their chance of survival is minimal.  Conservation-minded anglers must learn the proper techniques for releasing fish in good condition, and must plan ahead to have the equipment necessary to apply these techniques. By increasing the survival rate of released fish, saltwater anglers help to ensure the future of their sport.