The Art of Catch and Release

There are some of us who fish to put food on the table and then there are some of us who fish just for the fun of fishing. If you are the latter, catch and release tactics are important to ensure that you are not sending a hurt fish back into the water. We will cover a few tips to help perfect your catch and release fishing game.


The first thing to remember is to always handle a fish with wet hands. This well help to reduce the damage to the fish's protective mucous coating. This mucous helps to prevent disease to the fish and makes glide smoothly through the water.


Our goal is to provide protection to the fish while we are fishing, one of the ways to accomplish that would be to use a rubber net rather than a knotted nylon one. Doing this will help you to prevent abrasions to the fish. When you are handling the fish, always use two hands to support the weight if it is over 5lbs. If it is a smaller fish, you can hold it vertically by the lower jaw.


Once you have finished with your photo shoot it is time to release the fish. You will want to gently lower the fish into the water until it begins to swim away. You may have to slowly swish the fish back and forth to encourage him to start swimming.


The biggest tip to ensure that you have a successful catch and release day would be to plan ahead. Take along a de-hooking tool or needle nosed pliers to assist in removing the hood as quickly and safely as possible.


Now we have covered the basics for a catch and release fishing trip you can learn more here. Go out and practice your newly discovered catch and release tips and make sure to send us a picture with your catch! Let's go fishing.