Catch and Release is a proven conservation method of safely releasing the fish you don’t want to keep. Whether you are fishing for food or fun, returning the fish to water with care will improve the survival of the released fish and help preserve the fisheries.
- Never play the fish to exhaustion.
- Handle the fish as little as possible and use wet hands, wet towel or wet glove.
- Avoid any contact with the gills.
- Keep the fish in the water as much as possible. Do not let the fish flop on a deck or beach.
- If you must remove the fish from the water, keep air exposure to a minimum.
- Use a landing net only when necessary. A soft, knotless mesh or rubber net is less damaging to the fish’s eyes, fins and mucus coating (slime).
- Circle hooks, barbless hooks or hooks with crimped barb make removal easier.
- If the hook is deeply buried, cut the line as close to the hook as possible.
- Return the fish to water as quickly as possible. If it is sluggish, gently hold it and move it forward and back to get water moving across the gills.
