Handling Catch And Release Fish For Survivability

[yakfishing]

Gday Raiders,

What is the general consensus on handling fish you are planning on returning to the water. If I'm gonna throw a fish back I'd like to know it has a good chance of surviving. The only dead fish I want are the ones in my stomach. Some people say use a wet towel to hold them, some say don't - just use your hands. People say you have oils and chemicals on your hands which dissolves their protective slime, some say a towel will rub the slime off. I had a good bream the other day and I was using a wet towel but I noticed afterwards that some of its scales had been dislodged onto the towel and I wouldnt know what it did the slime layer. So I dunno, what do you think?

Cheers

Edited November 29, 2007 by yakfishing

[michaelrdoyle@gmail.com]

What is the general consensus on handling fish you are planning on returning to the water. If I'm gonna throw a fish back I'd like to know it has a good chance of surviving. The only dead fish I want are the ones in my stomach. Some people say use a wet towel to hold them, some say don't - just use your hands. People say you have oils and chemicals on your hands which dissolves their protective slime, some say a towel will rub the slime off. I had a good bream the other day and I was using a wet towel but I noticed afterwards that some of its scales had been dislodged onto the towel and I wouldnt know what it did the slime layer. So I dunno, what do you think?

I saw an advert a while back that suggested keeping the fish under your armpit is a good way to keep them alive for a long time. But make sure you aren't using deodorant.

Mike

[johnno]

Here is the DPI method of handling fish for release

Click Here

[Davemmm]

theres a whole range of things you can do to make the survival rate better but the simple fact is if you fish to throw them back - rig that way. Otherwise you are endagering the fish every time you land it.

ie if you want to throw them back your tackle must change to make it easier to get em back in the water asap. Flatten your barbs, use an environet, try and de-hook them whilst still in the water, use hooks that dont end up with a gut hook (circle hooks etc)and if you are dead set serious remove the middle hook from all your lures.

Otherwise just keep them so they dont end up wasted.

Dave