Catch and releasing fish

[mastercatter]

It is often necessary to release a fish because it is too small, illegal to keep, or you just don't want to take it home to eat. In some cases, releasing fish unharmed is a conservation measure that will assist in helping to maintain and build population abundance and size. Anglers who practice catch and release fishing should use a few simple precautions when doing so. Using the tips below will help to assure that the fish you release will survive to bite again another day.

•When catching a fish, play it quickly and keep the fish in the water as much as possible while handling. Avoid the use of a net in landing the fish and release it quickly to avoid exhaustion.
•Handle the fish gently and as little as possible. Do not put your fingers in its eyes or gills. Avoid wiping the slime or scales off the fish; this reduces their survival by making them more likely to develop a disease or infection.
•Remove hook promptly using needle nose pliers or a "hook out" device. If the hook is too deep or hooked in the stomach or throat, cut the line and leave the hook in. The hook will dissolve without harming the fish.
•Carefully revive the fish if it appears exhausted by holding it upright and moving it gently forward so water runs over the gills. Release the fish when it begins to struggle and is able to swim.
•Do not hold fish in a live well and later decide to release it. If you are going to release a fish, do so right away.
•With a little care and by following the guidelines set above, you can give released fish a better chance of survival.

[bobberguy]

What you release today may be a record fish n a few years! Maybe 10 kids will catch the same fish during the year and make their day! Tomorrow is right around the corner!

[tentfire]

Great information!!! I hate it when I see a pile of dead fish at the edge of the bank. It is such a sad, senseless waste!

[mastercatter]

Yes it is..We eat some fish but mostly it is from the store...No one here likes the taste of wild fish but me. They all want the ocean perch..

[dsmith]

Good good info there. We do usually keep our fish for eating, but now everytime. Sometimes, after fishing all day, we just don't feel like going home and cleaning fish

[daveedka]

Good info, I release a lot of fish when crappie fishing and bass fishing, I find it hard to release a catfish, I just like to eat fish too much. Hopefully UI'll release any monsters I catch, but it's hard to say what I'll do down the road.

Dave

[mastercatter]

It would be very hard for me to release a new record fish until after the payout from endorsements are received and in the bank.. ;D

[dsmith]

I've heard somewhere before that it is illegal to move fish from one lake to another. Is that true. Dennis' brother has a nice tank that he recently built. Nice and deep, good tank. We want to take some of the fish we catch out there to let them go. I don't see the harm in it. If we were gonna put it in the freezer, it'd still be gone from the lake.

[mastercatter]

Here in Ohio it is unlawful to catch fish in public waters and release in other public water. They can be released to private water..Fish can not be caught in any water to be released in public water unless it is from a licensed hatchery . Bait fish can not be released in the water but can be fished in it as long as the bait fish was bought at a licensed bait dealer...For years I would release large cats at several different city parks for the kids to catch but since the law was enacted I do not anymore...Sometimes I am asked to catch and release to private ponds and I sometimes will after I have a binding, notorized statement giving me and 4 guests permission to fish the pond for 20 years. Most are not willing to do that. They want their ponds freely stocked but do not want anyone but themselves to fish in them....

[olhillbilly]

Dennis' brother has a nice tank that he recently built. Nice and deep, good tank.

When you speak of "tank", I think yer speaking of what the rest of us call a "pond". And that would be private water. I dont think it would hurt any to stock it how ever you want to. But you might check with yer local Conservation Dept. and you might even check with the local Extension Office on stocking and/or maintaining a pond, er tank.

Here, if your going to get fish stock from the Conservation dept, then you give up your rights to your pond to them. Or perty much so. They're fish, they're rights.
Otherwise, if you want to keep it private, you get the fish stock from either a private stocking outfit or catch them yourself.

Whatever you do, I would not put a single Bullhead in there. They multiply worse than them fleas yer all talkin about.

[mastercatter]

By all means KEEP the bull heads out. They will ruin a small body of water very fast for other fish....

[dsmith]

Bullheads, yuck!!!!!!!!!!!! Dennis and I have an ongoing joke when fishing. We try to hide it from the other when we catch one of those beady eyed little pests. If I catch one and Dennis suspects I'm hiding it, he'll ask, "It's green , isn't it. Ha ha , it's green "

[daveedka]

aren't bad eating just not as good as real catfish. they make great trotline bait too.

Dave

[dsmith]

I always heard they are good eating. So we decided to try some. I couldn't eat them. Just thought about how gross and green they are. Kept gagging.