Question About Fishing

[orleans]

i read that when people go fishing and throw the fish back most of those fish die due to injuries from being hooked

it this true? anyone know about this?

someone told me of course they don't die--otherwise you'd see a hundred dead fish floating on the water at a local pond where people go to fish

so...

i'm just wondering....

[Gonzo Gardener]

1. It depends on how you handle them.

I use non-barbed hooks and a special tool that removes the hook without having to pull and rip it out of them. On the occasion that I cannot remove a hook (because it has been swallowed too deeply), I cut the line as close to the hook as I can and let them go. Fish secrete an enzyme that will completely dissolve a metal hook within a day or two.

:hi:

edited to ad...

Key aspects of catch and release include:

Using strong tackle, to minimise fighting times
Using needle-nosed pliers to aid unhooking
Using barbless hooks, for quick, easy hook removal and reduced handling times
Leaving fish in the water during the unhooking and release process, to avoid any handling
If fish are removed from the water for unhooking and/or a photo, key aspects of handling include:

Avoiding the use of landing nets; if landing nets must be used, specially designed catch-and-release landing nets (e.g. Environets) are used
Avoiding touching the fish with dry hands or dry surfaces (e.g. shirt fronts) or putting them down on dry surfaces (e.g. rocks, boat gunwhales, boat bottoms)
Only touching the fish with wet hands and wet surfaces (e.g. wet towel)
Avoiding hanging fish from their jaw/mouth/gills
Holding fish horizontally, and supporting large fish with a second hand under the belly
Minimising time out of the water (e.g. 20–30 seconds)
The effects of catch and release vary from species to species. A number of scientific studies have shown extremely high survival rates (97%+) (e.g. <4>) for released fish if handled correctly and particularly if caught on artificial baits such as lures. Fish caught on lures are usually hooked cleanly in the mouth, minimising injury and aiding release. Other studies have shown somewhat lower but encouragingly high survival rates for fish gut-hooked on bait if the line is cut and the fish is released without trying to remove the hook. This procedure should be followed for any gut-hooked fish intended or required to be released.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch_and_release

[Lethe]

3. that is cool, i did not know that

they can dissolve a metal hook stuck in their throat?

[alarimer]

7. Depends on the metal it is made from

But, yet, they do usually disintegrate after a while.

[yellowcanine]

6. Correct - and how they are hooked in the first place. Barbless hooks help.

It is really easy to flatten the barbs with a small pliars. But unfortunately gut hooked fish are sometimes in big trouble even if the line is cut and the fish is immediately released. This is one reason why catch and release areas usually prohibit bait in favor of artificial lures and flies only.

[Adsos Letter]

2. If you use barbless hooks, and quickly release them

they don't usually suffer much damage (I'm talkin' about trout here) Lots of streams here in the West have significant sections which are catch and release ONLY...can't see Fish and Game doing that if it only made for dead fish.

Now, if the fish swallows the hook, that is an entirely different matter...but most of the time they just get hooked in their mouth or jaw.

[Paladin]

4. I'm A Real Believer In Catch-And-Release For Trout

Quick and gentle handling is the key, as others have mentioned, here. And the way the fish shoot out of my hands and disappear in the water indicates that they're in good shape, ready to fight another day.....

[bmbmd]

5. Google gives 131,000 hits on "catch and release mortality".

http://www.acuteangling.com/Reference/C&RMortality.html

Here's the first one.

Eight potential optimization techniques were assessed. Each of them demonstrated a positive effect on reducing mortality in catch and release fishing. If one or more of these techniques are applied, either by education or legislation, to a catch and release program, it can be inferred that significant reductions in fish mortality can be realized. Although it cannot be assumed that applying more than one technique will necessarily yield proportionately greater reductions, it can readily be extrapolated that some further improvement can occur with each incremental optimization of tackle or technique.

It may therefore be concluded, that a catch and release program, designed to utilize those parameters applicable to a particular fish, fishery or region, can provide a significant reduction in mortality. Real-world, empirical testing is indicated to test and determine actual performance improvements attainable by such programs. More knowledge is needed in this area to help further the efficacy of catch and release programs and their use as fishery management tools. Such information is also needed to educate conscientious anglers in the best ways to catch, handle and release fish.

A review of the current literature and an assessment of available statistics indicate that relatively low levels of fish mortality are associated with catch and release fishing. Scientific evidence further indicates that the use of selected optimized tackle and techniques can then further reduce catch and release mortality rates. A variety of tackle and technique options are applicable to individual regions and gamefish species, allowing the design of mortality reducing programs appropriate to specific fisheries.

[catmandu57]

8. I don't know how many fish I've caught

that had hook marks on their lips where they had been caught before, it depends on how one does it and the specie of fish.