Catch and Release done Right

WallyWorld · 01-08-01, 10:38 PM

Since we are all hooking and letting go so many DH trout I think it is time we consider some ideas about the best way to successfully release fish. Mine are;

1) Use barbless hooks. There is nothing worse than ripping a piece of trout jaw loose while trying to pull the barb out.

2) Keep the fish in the water and touch it as little as possible. Use forceps to remove the hook, especially when the fish is deeply hooked.

3) Take your time putting the fish back in the water. No flop and drop. Give the fish time to catch it's breath. Trout build up lactic acid during their panic at being hooked and it can kill them if we don't take time to help them recover.

Any other thoughts?

The Owl · 01-11-01, 11:16 AM

1) Use barbless hooks. There is nothing worse than ripping a piece of trout jaw loose while trying to pull the barb out.

Well, since you asked....................

I'm not so sure there's "nothing worse" than "ripping a piece of trout jaw loose" ( who does that?)

Anyhoot,

it might be worse on the trout to have multiple cuts, holes, scratches, over various parts of his body, than to have one hole in his jaw. ( Obviously, tearing flesh is really bad) I was fishing a creek the other day, catching fish....having a grand time. The fish stopped biting the fly I was using, so I decided to change to a nymph. After sticking, but not hooking a few fish, I finally turned one....he ran downstream below me, hook firmly planted in jaw, or so I thought...then he jumped...ran back by me, hook on outside of head......another flop or two and he rolled over at my feet, hook in dorsal fin. How much did it hurt him( infection wise, not poor ole fishy wise...) to have three holes and who knows how many scratches ? I looked at the hook and .....vola....barbless......I promptly replaced it with an adequate hook designed to make only one hole.

A barbless hook going form mouth to head to back......or one hole inside the mouth?

Barbed vs. barbless is much like C&R........you do what you think is best for the fish....so you can catch them again......or eat them.

Owl

should I have preceeded this with a " Don't take this wrong, but..." ?

BLACK KNIGHT · 01-11-01, 11:22 AM

1) Use barbless hooks. There is nothing worse than ripping a piece of trout jaw loose while trying to pull the barb out.

Replace "trout jaw" with "your own flesh" and read above quote again.

BK
Organizer of flies by size and shape of scar they leave.

JC · 01-11-01, 12:26 PM

Does anyone know of any scientific studies explaining the health effects of barbless vs. barbed hooks? I remember reading in an old thread that the GA DNR almost eliminated the barbless rule because there is evidence that barbless hooks are not any "healthier" than barbed hooks. Intuitively, barbless hooks seem to be "safer" but may not be. I am tired of reading everyone's opinion. I do not condemn anyone for expressing their opinion, I just want to see some actual evidence.

WallyWorld · 01-11-01, 01:07 PM

You got that right Black Knight. Years ago in my youth a managed to hook myself in the eyelid with a #16 barbed caddis. I vividly remember what it felt like to remove it.

Stinkbait · 01-11-01, 02:55 PM

JC,

I'm with you on the opinion issue. I've read a number of threads on barbed vs barbless and have never been convinced either way. I fish
small hooks barbed, because I don't have a problem removing them with no obvious damage, and large hooks barbless. I rig up my kids and newcomers with barbless hooks to limit damage on human flesh.

I like to get the opinion of people who have money riding on an issue. On this debate, these would be people like Jimmy at Unicoi Outfitters and the owners of the Soque and other pay streams. I think they all require barbless hooks.

Spey · 02-02-01, 02:48 PM

What do you guys/girls think about the use of a net vs. no net?

------------------
I was michaeltak, I mean I still am but...you know what I mean!

BLACK KNIGHT · 02-02-01, 02:58 PM

I asked this a while back. I was on a steelhead site where one angler related being told in a very angry manner that since he had a net, why didn't he just kill the fish outright.
My feeling is use of an appropriate net is probably neutral. What is an appropriate net? Well, tight cotton mesh or the like, not the extruded plastic monstrosities you can buy at WallyWorld, (no offense WallyWorld, the angler). I don't have a real nice one, but the net material is soft and supple. I think this does not hurt the fish's "slime" coat as much as more abrasive material.
Why a net? Well, for me, I have trouble subduing the little guys with my hands, and you can't always just reach down and flip the hook out w/o handling the fish. So, is it better to net the fish, or grab it 10 times, squeezing it, rubbing hands all over it, dropping it on a rock or the bank, etc? You get the point. I am very concerned about handling fish I intend to release, but maybe we don't give them credit enough for being more hardy. After all, we drop the little guys out of helicopters in places, (and they don't even use zip lines!).

[This message has been edited by BLACK KNIGHT (edited 02-02-2001).]

Drifter · 02-02-01, 04:58 PM

Let me propose this scenario:

You have a 1/2 acre pond in your backyard. During the winter months you spend your hard-earned dollars, stocking it with 100 pounds of rainbow trout for a "delayed harvest" situation. The purpose is twofold:

1. to provide fishing entertainment during the winter months

2. to provide fresh fish for dinner in the Spring when the water begins to warm.

Now, given the money you have invested, would you use barbed or barbless hooks on your private water?

Drifter

Stinkbait · 02-02-01, 06:00 PM

Good point Drifter. As I mentioned above, you would go barbless if you were Unicoi, BlackHawk, etc. or even on closely managed public water like Dukes. If it was my pond, I would go barbless during winter and use the barb when it was time to harvest the crop. Don't know about a net. It seems like a net is good for the fish to the extent it shortens the time needed to land it, but bad for the fish to the extent it removes slime. I think that some privately managed streams allow nets and some don't. I've never heard of management rules on public water that prohibit nets. I only carry a net on a stream like the Chattahoochee where I might run into a big fish. If I think the fish is too small to break off the tippit, I just reach down and unhook it in the water. Unfortunately, my net stays dry on most trips.

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01-08-01, 10:38 PM	#1
WallyWorld Native Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Atlanta, Ga. Posts: 86	Since we are all hooking and letting go so many DH trout I think it is time we consider some ideas about the best way to successfully release fish. Mine are; 1) Use barbless hooks. There is nothing worse than ripping a piece of trout jaw loose while trying to pull the barb out. 2) Keep the fish in the water and touch it as little as possible. Use forceps to remove the hook, especially when the fish is deeply hooked. 3) Take your time putting the fish back in the water. No flop and drop. Give the fish time to catch it's breath. Trout build up lactic acid during their panic at being hooked and it can kill them if we don't take time to help them recover. Any other thoughts?

01-11-01, 11:16 AM	#2
The Owl Ex Member Join Date: Dec 2000 Posts: 4,178	1) Use barbless hooks. There is nothing worse than ripping a piece of trout jaw loose while trying to pull the barb out. Well, since you asked.................... I'm not so sure there's "nothing worse" than "ripping a piece of trout jaw loose" ( who does that?) Anyhoot, it might be worse on the trout to have multiple cuts, holes, scratches, over various parts of his body, than to have one hole in his jaw. ( Obviously, tearing flesh is really bad) I was fishing a creek the other day, catching fish....having a grand time. The fish stopped biting the fly I was using, so I decided to change to a nymph. After sticking, but not hooking a few fish, I finally turned one....he ran downstream below me, hook firmly planted in jaw, or so I thought...then he jumped...ran back by me, hook on outside of head......another flop or two and he rolled over at my feet, hook in dorsal fin. How much did it hurt him( infection wise, not poor ole fishy wise...) to have three holes and who knows how many scratches ? I looked at the hook and .....vola....barbless......I promptly replaced it with an adequate hook designed to make only one hole. A barbless hook going form mouth to head to back......or one hole inside the mouth? Barbed vs. barbless is much like C&R........you do what you think is best for the fish....so you can catch them again......or eat them. Owl should I have preceeded this with a " Don't take this wrong, but..." ?

01-11-01, 11:22 AM	#3
BLACK KNIGHT Hall of Fame Member Join Date: Nov 1999 Location: Greenville, SC, USA Posts: 3,328	1) Use barbless hooks. There is nothing worse than ripping a piece of trout jaw loose while trying to pull the barb out. Replace "trout jaw" with "your own flesh" and read above quote again. BK Organizer of flies by size and shape of scar they leave.

01-11-01, 12:26 PM	#4
JC Native Join Date: Oct 2000 Posts: 39	Does anyone know of any scientific studies explaining the health effects of barbless vs. barbed hooks? I remember reading in an old thread that the GA DNR almost eliminated the barbless rule because there is evidence that barbless hooks are not any "healthier" than barbed hooks. Intuitively, barbless hooks seem to be "safer" but may not be. I am tired of reading everyone's opinion. I do not condemn anyone for expressing their opinion, I just want to see some actual evidence.

01-11-01, 01:07 PM	#5
WallyWorld Native Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Atlanta, Ga. Posts: 86	You got that right Black Knight. Years ago in my youth a managed to hook myself in the eyelid with a #16 barbed caddis. I vividly remember what it felt like to remove it.

01-11-01, 02:55 PM	#6
Stinkbait Native Join Date: Jul 1999 Location: Atlanta, Ga, USA Posts: 654	JC, I'm with you on the opinion issue. I've read a number of threads on barbed vs barbless and have never been convinced either way. I fish small hooks barbed, because I don't have a problem removing them with no obvious damage, and large hooks barbless. I rig up my kids and newcomers with barbless hooks to limit damage on human flesh. I like to get the opinion of people who have money riding on an issue. On this debate, these would be people like Jimmy at Unicoi Outfitters and the owners of the Soque and other pay streams. I think they all require barbless hooks.

02-02-01, 02:48 PM	#7
Spey Stocker Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Lawrenceville Posts: 18	What do you guys/girls think about the use of a net vs. no net? ------------------ I was michaeltak, I mean I still am but...you know what I mean!

02-02-01, 02:58 PM	#8
BLACK KNIGHT Hall of Fame Member Join Date: Nov 1999 Location: Greenville, SC, USA Posts: 3,328	I asked this a while back. I was on a steelhead site where one angler related being told in a very angry manner that since he had a net, why didn't he just kill the fish outright. My feeling is use of an appropriate net is probably neutral. What is an appropriate net? Well, tight cotton mesh or the like, not the extruded plastic monstrosities you can buy at WallyWorld, (no offense WallyWorld, the angler). I don't have a real nice one, but the net material is soft and supple. I think this does not hurt the fish's "slime" coat as much as more abrasive material. Why a net? Well, for me, I have trouble subduing the little guys with my hands, and you can't always just reach down and flip the hook out w/o handling the fish. So, is it better to net the fish, or grab it 10 times, squeezing it, rubbing hands all over it, dropping it on a rock or the bank, etc? You get the point. I am very concerned about handling fish I intend to release, but maybe we don't give them credit enough for being more hardy. After all, we drop the little guys out of helicopters in places, (and they don't even use zip lines!). [This message has been edited by BLACK KNIGHT (edited 02-02-2001).]

02-02-01, 04:58 PM	#9
Drifter Former Director, HOF Join Date: Dec 1998 Location: Newnan, GA and on the banks of the Tuck Posts: 5,937	Let me propose this scenario: You have a 1/2 acre pond in your backyard. During the winter months you spend your hard-earned dollars, stocking it with 100 pounds of rainbow trout for a "delayed harvest" situation. The purpose is twofold: 1. to provide fishing entertainment during the winter months 2. to provide fresh fish for dinner in the Spring when the water begins to warm. Now, given the money you have invested, would you use barbed or barbless hooks on your private water? Drifter

02-02-01, 06:00 PM	#10
Stinkbait Native Join Date: Jul 1999 Location: Atlanta, Ga, USA Posts: 654	Good point Drifter. As I mentioned above, you would go barbless if you were Unicoi, BlackHawk, etc. or even on closely managed public water like Dukes. If it was my pond, I would go barbless during winter and use the barb when it was time to harvest the crop. Don't know about a net. It seems like a net is good for the fish to the extent it shortens the time needed to land it, but bad for the fish to the extent it removes slime. I think that some privately managed streams allow nets and some don't. I've never heard of management rules on public water that prohibit nets. I only carry a net on a stream like the Chattahoochee where I might run into a big fish. If I think the fish is too small to break off the tippit, I just reach down and unhook it in the water. Unfortunately, my net stays dry on most trips.