a:74:{i:4610;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:2:"aa";s:5:"value";s:4:"2011";}i:4586;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:6:"action";s:5:"value";s:8:"editpost";}i:4641;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:13:"advanced_view";s:5:"value";s:1:"1";}i:4593;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:13:"autosavenonce";s:5:"value";s:10:"4643372aa2";}i:4595;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:20:"closedpostboxesnonce";s:5:"value";s:10:"5ad896de1e";}i:4642;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:14:"comment_status";s:5:"value";s:4:"open";}i:4634;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:7:"content";s:5:"value";s:5517:"<a href="http://www.coastalmariner.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/catch.jpg"><img src="http://www.coastalmariner.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/catch-300x177.jpg" alt="catch and release" title="catch and release" width="300" height="177" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-341" /></a><strong><em>Written by Mike Plaia</em></strong>

In today’s world of smaller bag limits, larger size-limits and general concerns as to the future of our fisheries, more and more anglers are releasing fish of all species. Whatever your reason for releasing your catch, you obviously want the released fish to survive. Here are some tried and true tactics to increase the odds of your fish’s post-release survival.

One of the keys to increasing the odds of your released fish’s survival lies in preparation. You can dramatically increase the odds of the fish’s survival by having some specialized tools on hand before the fish is hooked. The most important thing to keep in mind when preparing to release any fish is that the less contact you have with the fish the better the odds of its survival. The only exception to this general rule is for some species caught from deep water when their swim bladder has become distended due to the rapid decompression the fish experiences as it is being reeled to the surface. This phenomenon is called barotrauma and I will talk about it later.

The first factor you should consider if you are intending to release the fish you catch, comes even before you put a bait or lure into the water. What hooks should you be using and how should you modify them? If you are fishing bait, you should consider using circle hooks. Circle hooks are designed so that they normally hook the fish in the corner of the mouth, even if the fish initially swallows the bait. The hook is designed to slide along inside the fish’s mouth until the fish turns at an angle to the line. Then the hook will turn as the eye exits the fish’s mouth and the fish will be hooked in the mouth. Circle hooks that have the point offset from the shank of the hook are much more prone to hook the fish in the stomach, as opposed to those without the offset. Obviously a fish hooked in the mouth has a much greater chance of survival than one hooked in the stomach or other vital area. Fish are designed with a tough mouth to enable them to eat other fish, complete with spiny fins, as well as crabs and lobsters, which come complete with their own body armor, so a small hole in the mouth isn’t going to be life threatening.

If you elect to use the standard J shaped hook with either bait or a lure, you should consider reducing or removing the barb on the hook, to make it easier to unhook any fish that you catch. The barb is on the hook to help ensure that the hook stays in the fish. Unfortunately, it also makes the fish much more difficult to unhook even when it is out of the water. If you grind or file down the barbs on your hooks or simply crush them with a pair of pliers, you will make it much easier to unhook any fish that you catch and thus minimize the amount of handling of the fish, and maximize its chance of survival.
You should also consider substituting single hooks for treble hooks on any lures or jigs. Treble hooks will almost invariably hook the fish with more than one hook point, and make the job of unhooking the fish much more difficult. Single hooks without a barb will hook almost as many fish and will make the task of unhooking the fish much simpler.

Once you have your catch close to the boat or the beach, you have to accomplish the release, as quickly and with as little contact with the fish as possible. First you have to unhook it. The simplest way to accomplish that goal is simply grab the fish, and gently work the hook out of the fish’s mouth. This isn’t the ideal technique, but it does work. Be sure to avoid grabbing the fish by the gill plates or anywhere near the gills. The gills are very sensitive organs, and any damage to the gills will most likely doom your fish. A better technique would be to put on a wet cotton glove or use a wet cotton rag to grab the fish. Grabbing the fish with your hand, particularly a dry hand, will damage the fish’s slime coat, which protects it against infections much like your skin protects you. Using a wet cotton glove or wet soft rag will minimize the damage that you do to the slime coat and help insure that the fish is not infected by bacteria or fungi.

All of this works quite well with smaller fish, but what happens when you hook something much larger? The obvious difficulty with larger fish is controlling the fish while you work to remove the hook. It is generally not recommended that you use any type of gaff on a fish that you intend to release. We have all seen the pictures of Florida guides holding tarpon half way out of the water by a gaff expertly placed through the fish’s mouth. Unless you have the gaffing ability of one of those guides and are play- ing with fish that have mouths the size of buckets, keep the gaff away from the fish. A hole in the fish anywhere other than in the mouth is going to virtually guarantee that the fish will die. For the larger fish a net is a much better choice. The net will do some damage to the fish’s slime coat, but it will also do the job of controlling the fish while you remove the hook. For best results the fish and the net should not be removed from the water. Keeping the fish and the net in the water will minimize the damage to";}i:4619;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:6:"cur_aa";s:5:"value";s:4:"2011";}i:4621;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:6:"cur_hh";s:5:"value";s:2:"20";}i:4617;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:6:"cur_jj";s:5:"value";s:2:"08";}i:4615;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:6:"cur_mm";s:5:"value";s:2:"12";}i:4623;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:6:"cur_mn";s:5:"value";s:2:"32";}i:4635;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:7:"excerpt";s:5:"value";s:0:"";}i:4596;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:14:"gdsr_post_edit";s:5:"value";s:4:"edit";}i:4600;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:23:"gdsr_recc_vote_articles";s:5:"value";s:1:"H";}i:4597;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:11:"gdsr_review";s:5:"value";s:2:"-1";}i:4598;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:19:"gdsr_review_decimal";s:5:"value";s:2:"-1";}i:4599;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:18:"gdsr_vote_articles";s:5:"value";s:1:"H";}i:4611;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:2:"hh";s:5:"value";s:2:"20";}i:4618;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:9:"hidden_aa";s:5:"value";s:4:"2011";}i:4620;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:9:"hidden_hh";s:5:"value";s:2:"20";}i:4616;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:9:"hidden_jj";s:5:"value";s:2:"08";}i:4614;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:9:"hidden_mm";s:5:"value";s:2:"12";}i:4622;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:9:"hidden_mn";s:5:"value";s:2:"32";}i:4604;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:20:"hidden_post_password";s:5:"value";s:0:"";}i:4602;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:18:"hidden_post_status";s:5:"value";s:5:"draft";}i:4605;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:22:"hidden_post_visibility";s:5:"value";s:6:"public";}i:4660;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:2:"ID";s:5:"value";s:3:"327";}i:4609;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:2:"jj";s:5:"value";s:2:"08";}i:4594;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:20:"meta-box-order-nonce";s:5:"value";s:10:"ba97524812";}i:4638;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:12:"metakeyinput";s:5:"value";s:0:"";}i:4637;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:13:"metakeyselect";s:5:"value";s:6:"#NONE#";}i:4639;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:9:"metavalue";s:5:"value";s:0:"";}i:4608;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:2:"mm";s:5:"value";s:2:"12";}i:4612;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:2:"mn";s:5:"value";s:2:"32";}i:4627;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:11:"newcategory";s:5:"value";s:17:"New Category Name";}i:4628;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:18:"newcategory_parent";s:5:"value";s:2:"-1";}i:4587;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:14:"originalaction";s:5:"value";s:8:"editpost";}i:4590;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:20:"original_post_status";s:5:"value";s:5:"draft";}i:4624;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:16:"original_publish";s:5:"value";s:7:"Publish";}i:4643;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:11:"ping_status";s:5:"value";s:4:"open";}i:4588;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:11:"post_author";s:5:"value";s:1:"1";}i:4645;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:20:"post_author_override";s:5:"value";s:1:"1";}i:4661;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:12:"post_content";s:5:"value";s:5517:"<a href="http://www.coastalmariner.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/catch.jpg"><img src="http://www.coastalmariner.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/catch-300x177.jpg" alt="catch and release" title="catch and release" width="300" height="177" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-341" /></a><strong><em>Written by Mike Plaia</em></strong>

In today’s world of smaller bag limits, larger size-limits and general concerns as to the future of our fisheries, more and more anglers are releasing fish of all species. Whatever your reason for releasing your catch, you obviously want the released fish to survive. Here are some tried and true tactics to increase the odds of your fish’s post-release survival.

One of the keys to increasing the odds of your released fish’s survival lies in preparation. You can dramatically increase the odds of the fish’s survival by having some specialized tools on hand before the fish is hooked. The most important thing to keep in mind when preparing to release any fish is that the less contact you have with the fish the better the odds of its survival. The only exception to this general rule is for some species caught from deep water when their swim bladder has become distended due to the rapid decompression the fish experiences as it is being reeled to the surface. This phenomenon is called barotrauma and I will talk about it later.

The first factor you should consider if you are intending to release the fish you catch, comes even before you put a bait or lure into the water. What hooks should you be using and how should you modify them? If you are fishing bait, you should consider using circle hooks. Circle hooks are designed so that they normally hook the fish in the corner of the mouth, even if the fish initially swallows the bait. The hook is designed to slide along inside the fish’s mouth until the fish turns at an angle to the line. Then the hook will turn as the eye exits the fish’s mouth and the fish will be hooked in the mouth. Circle hooks that have the point offset from the shank of the hook are much more prone to hook the fish in the stomach, as opposed to those without the offset. Obviously a fish hooked in the mouth has a much greater chance of survival than one hooked in the stomach or other vital area. Fish are designed with a tough mouth to enable them to eat other fish, complete with spiny fins, as well as crabs and lobsters, which come complete with their own body armor, so a small hole in the mouth isn’t going to be life threatening.

If you elect to use the standard J shaped hook with either bait or a lure, you should consider reducing or removing the barb on the hook, to make it easier to unhook any fish that you catch. The barb is on the hook to help ensure that the hook stays in the fish. Unfortunately, it also makes the fish much more difficult to unhook even when it is out of the water. If you grind or file down the barbs on your hooks or simply crush them with a pair of pliers, you will make it much easier to unhook any fish that you catch and thus minimize the amount of handling of the fish, and maximize its chance of survival.
You should also consider substituting single hooks for treble hooks on any lures or jigs. Treble hooks will almost invariably hook the fish with more than one hook point, and make the job of unhooking the fish much more difficult. Single hooks without a barb will hook almost as many fish and will make the task of unhooking the fish much simpler.

Once you have your catch close to the boat or the beach, you have to accomplish the release, as quickly and with as little contact with the fish as possible. First you have to unhook it. The simplest way to accomplish that goal is simply grab the fish, and gently work the hook out of the fish’s mouth. This isn’t the ideal technique, but it does work. Be sure to avoid grabbing the fish by the gill plates or anywhere near the gills. The gills are very sensitive organs, and any damage to the gills will most likely doom your fish. A better technique would be to put on a wet cotton glove or use a wet cotton rag to grab the fish. Grabbing the fish with your hand, particularly a dry hand, will damage the fish’s slime coat, which protects it against infections much like your skin protects you. Using a wet cotton glove or wet soft rag will minimize the damage that you do to the slime coat and help insure that the fish is not infected by bacteria or fungi.

All of this works quite well with smaller fish, but what happens when you hook something much larger? The obvious difficulty with larger fish is controlling the fish while you work to remove the hook. It is generally not recommended that you use any type of gaff on a fish that you intend to release. We have all seen the pictures of Florida guides holding tarpon half way out of the water by a gaff expertly placed through the fish’s mouth. Unless you have the gaffing ability of one of those guides and are play- ing with fish that have mouths the size of buckets, keep the gaff away from the fish. A hole in the fish anywhere other than in the mouth is going to virtually guarantee that the fish will die. For the larger fish a net is a much better choice. The net will do some damage to the fish’s slime coat, but it will also do the job of controlling the fish while you remove the hook. For best results the fish and the net should not be removed from the water. Keeping the fish and the net in the water will minimize the damage to";}i:4662;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:12:"post_excerpt";s:5:"value";s:0:"";}i:4646;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:11:"post_format";s:5:"value";s:1:"0";}i:4592;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:7:"post_ID";s:5:"value";s:3:"327";}i:4659;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:14:"post_mime_type";s:5:"value";s:0:"";}i:4644;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:9:"post_name";s:5:"value";s:0:"";}i:4607;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:13:"post_password";s:5:"value";s:0:"";}i:4603;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:11:"post_status";s:5:"value";s:7:"publish";}i:4632;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:10:"post_title";s:5:"value";s:26:"Release Fish the Right Way";}i:4589;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:9:"post_type";s:5:"value";s:4:"post";}i:4625;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:7:"publish";s:5:"value";s:7:"Publish";}i:4649;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:14:"pyre_critera_1";s:5:"value";s:0:"";}i:4650;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:20:"pyre_critera_1_score";s:5:"value";s:1:"0";}i:4651;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:14:"pyre_critera_2";s:5:"value";s:0:"";}i:4652;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:20:"pyre_critera_2_score";s:5:"value";s:1:"0";}i:4653;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:14:"pyre_critera_3";s:5:"value";s:0:"";}i:4654;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:20:"pyre_critera_3_score";s:5:"value";s:1:"0";}i:4655;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:14:"pyre_critera_4";s:5:"value";s:0:"";}i:4656;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:20:"pyre_critera_4_score";s:5:"value";s:1:"0";}i:4657;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:14:"pyre_critera_5";s:5:"value";s:0:"";}i:4658;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:20:"pyre_critera_5_score";s:5:"value";s:1:"0";}i:4647;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:19:"pyre_featured_image";s:5:"value";s:2:"no";}i:4648;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:18:"pyre_overall_score";s:5:"value";s:1:"0";}i:4591;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:10:"referredby";s:5:"value";s:47:"http://www.coastalmariner.com/wp-admin/edit.php";}i:4633;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:20:"samplepermalinknonce";s:5:"value";s:10:"44a82fba82";}i:4613;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:2:"ss";s:5:"value";s:2:"06";}i:4663;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:7:"to_ping";s:5:"value";s:0:"";}i:4636;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:13:"trackback_url";s:5:"value";s:0:"";}i:4585;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:7:"user_ID";s:5:"value";s:1:"1";}i:4606;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:10:"visibility";s:5:"value";s:6:"public";}i:4601;a:2:{s:3:"key";s:10:"wp-preview";s:5:"value";s:0:"";}}