Why Proper Catch-and-Release Matters
Catch-and-release fishing has become the cornerstone of sustainable recreational angling, particularly for pressure-sensitive species and trophy fisheries. But simply throwing a fish back isn't enough. Research consistently shows that improperly handled fish suffer elevated mortality rates hours or days after release — stress, internal injury, infection from scale damage, and physiological exhaustion all play a role.
The good news is that a few mindful adjustments to how you handle and release fish can dramatically improve survival rates — often to near 100% for many species when done well.
Before You Hook Up: Tackle Choices That Help
Good catch-and-release practice starts before you even make a cast. Your tackle choices significantly affect how easily and safely you can release fish.
- Use barbless hooks or crimp your barbs: Fish are much easier to unhook quickly, reducing handling time and injury. Many anglers find they lose very few fish with barbless hooks when they maintain tension.
- Match hook size to target species: Appropriately sized hooks reduce the chance of deep-hooking and gut-hooking.
- Use appropriate line strength: Undersized line prolongs fights to exhaustion. Use line heavy enough to bring fish in at a reasonable pace.
- Avoid treble hooks where possible: Single hooks cause less tissue damage and are far easier to remove.
The Fight: Keep It Short
Every second a fish fights, it builds up lactic acid in its muscles — the same compound that causes cramping in human athletes. A fish exhausted to the point of floating on its side may appear fine when released but can die hours later from physiological stress.
- Use appropriate tackle to land fish efficiently — not sporting gear so light it makes every fish a marathon fight.
- In warm water, shorter fights are even more critical. Warm water holds less dissolved oxygen, and stressed fish in these conditions face compounded recovery challenges.
- Where permitted, consider moving quickly to land fish rather than playing them to complete exhaustion.
Landing Fish Correctly
How you bring a fish to hand — or net — matters enormously.
- Use a rubber mesh net: Rubber or knotless nylon mesh removes far fewer scales and protective slime coating than traditional knotted mesh. The slime coat is a fish's primary defence against infection.
- Wet your hands before touching any fish: Dry hands strip the slime coat. This simple step takes one second and makes a real difference.
- Avoid dragging fish across dry surfaces — the bank, the boat carpet, or dry rock. These surfaces abrade scales and slime coat severely.
Handling: The Two-Second Rule and Beyond
If a fish can't breathe out of water, neither should it be kept out of water for extended periods. A general guideline: if you wouldn't hold your own breath for that long, don't keep the fish out of the water either.
- Support the fish's body weight horizontally — holding large fish vertically by the jaw can cause spinal injury, particularly in species like pike and walleye.
- Minimise photo time: Have your camera ready before the fish is lifted. A quick photo and back in the water is the goal.
- Never squeeze: Firm but gentle support. Internal organs can be damaged by excessive pressure.
- Avoid the gills: Gill tissue is delicate and bleeds easily. Keep fingers away from the gill plates.
Releasing: Give Them Time to Recover
Don't simply open your hand and let an exhausted fish drop. A fish that rolls over immediately needs more recovery time before it can swim on its own.
- Hold the fish upright in the water, facing into any current.
- Move the fish gently forward and back to pass oxygenated water over the gills.
- Wait until the fish kicks powerfully and swims away under its own control.
- In still water with no current, cradle the fish near the surface until it signals it's ready.
Special Considerations by Environment
| Condition | Key Concern | Best Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Warm water (20°C+) | Low oxygen, high stress | Very short fights; long recovery time |
| Deep water (barotrauma) | Swim bladder over-expansion | Use a descending device to release at depth |
| Cold water (below 5°C) | Slower recovery, ice on guides | Minimise exposure; release quickly |
| Spawning season | Disruption of breeding behaviour | Consider avoiding spawning areas entirely |
The Bigger Picture
Catch-and-release is a commitment to the future of fishing. Healthy populations of game fish don't just happen — they're the result of generations of anglers making conscious decisions to prioritise fish welfare and habitat quality. Share these practices with fellow anglers, especially newcomers, and the waters we fish today will remain productive for those who come after us.