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11 good tips for Catch & Release
Approximately six out of ten fish caught in sport fishing are released back into the water through Catch & Release. The key to how the fish fares is that they are handled correctly when caught. Fishing consultant Carl-Johan Månsson at CJ Natur has put together a list of tips for successful release fishing.
1. Do not fish in water deeper than 10 meters.
2. Use adapted equipment that minimizes the time spent fishing. Having weak equipment so that the fish can rush and feel the rod a lot is not good fishing ethics.
3. Preferably unhook the fish in the water and let it swim away.
4. If you are going to weigh, measure and photograph the fish, do this quickly, the fish should be in the air for a maximum of 20–30 seconds.
5. Do not fish for more sensitive species when the water temperature is above 20 degrees. Do not fish for pike and zander when it is too cold in winter, preferably no colder than a couple of degrees below zero if you are going to release the fish.
6. Hold the fish with support under the abdomen and hold the fish horizontally to avoid straining the internal organs.
7. Wet your hands, net and surface when handling fish.
8. Practice C&R to become fast and protect the fish.
9. A fish that is to be released is held in the water for a while before it is allowed to swim away under its own power. A good way is to unhook the fish while it is lying in the net and when this is done, the net can simply be turned over and the fish is free.
10. There is now a lot of good equipment that can be used in C&R; mats, nets, scale bags to weigh the fish in, hook removers/pliers, etc.
11. Report the catch (both catch and 0-catch) to iFiske