How to Release Fish
Releasing
Fish. Do it Right
Whether
you intend to catch and release fish or not, knowing how to properly
release fish is a good skill for every angler to acquire. You may want
to release a fish that is too small to keep, or you may have to release
fish because of size or species regulations regarding the type of fish
you happened to catch. If you plan to catch and release fish, use barbless
hooks as this makes releasing the fish much easier, and never use treble
hooks. Also, keep a pair of needle nose pliers handy.
The
first thing to observe is how the fish is hooked. If the fish has swallowed
the hook, the best thing to do is cut your line as close to the fish
as possible without taking the fish out of the water. The fish has a
much better chance of survival if you do this. The fish will likely
digest the hook in a week or two. If you must touch the fish for any
reason, wet your hands first. This helps to preserve the protective
slime on the body of the fish. Failure to wet your hands may result
in removing the slime resulting in the fish becoming infected with a
fungus or other disease after release.
If
the fish has not swallowed the hook, release should be easy. Leaving
the fish in the water, use a pair of needlenose pliers to grab the shank
of the hook and twist to remove the point from the mouth of the fish.
This may take a little effort if the hook is barbed and the hook has
penetrated deeply. The fish may do some of the work for you.
If
you have an exhausted fish after a long battle and intend to release
it, remove the hook, wet your hands, and hold the fish in the current
with the head pointing upstream. Grip the fish just above the tail fin
and gently push it forward and backward to open the gill plates and
aerate the gills. The oxygen in the water should revive the fish after
a few moments. Allow the fish to gently swim away of its own volition.
Wait for it to seem fully revived especially in heavy current.
A
few other items to note:
- If
a fish has been accidentally hooked in the fin, back or other portion
of the body, remove the hook as quickly as possible trying, not to
damage the fish any more than necessary.
-
Avoid putting your fingers into the mouth or gills of a fish. This
can fatally wound them by breaking a gill or causing other excessive
bleeding. Fish also have teeth that can cause injury! The hook could
also come out unexpectely in your finger.
Please
also see our article on how to estimate
the weight of the fish you release from measurements, and the article,
Catch and Release, or Catch and Kill?
