Fish Handling Techniques

Safety & Procedures

The province of Alberta has regulations in place to maintain healthy fish stocks for the benefit of current and future Albertans. To help achieve this goal, it’s important to ensure released fish survive. Releasing a fish doesn’t guarantee its survival, but careful handling and release reduces stress on fish and gives them the best chance to live and reproduce. Where, when, and how you fish along with the gear, equipment and methods you use to catch, handle, and release fish all have a drastic effect on the survival of fish.

Barbless Hooks

In Alberta, you must fish with a barbless hook. A barbless hook does not have barb(s) or has barb(s) that are completely pressed against the shaft of the hook so they are not functional.

Barbless hooks are easier to remove from fish, allowing more fish to be released without being handled or removed from the water. They are also easier to remove from clothing or your fingers.

Using Bait

Bait and still fishing increase the chances that a fish will ingest the hook deeper and into a vital area, which increases mortality. Many water bodies have bait restrictions. Even where it’s legal to use bait, survival of released fish is usually higher if you don’t use bait to catch fish.

Handling

When handling a fish that is to be released, be gentle. Don’t squeeze the fish or put your fingers in its eyes or gills since this increases mortality. Limit the time the fish is out of the water, and whenever possible, unhook the fish without removing it from the water.

When fishing where there is a size limit, carry a measuring stick. Leave the fish in the water and hold the stick beside it to determine if it’s legal length. If it is legal length and you are keeping it, hold the fish in a rubber mesh net or a holding cradle to measure it again to ensure it is legal. If it’s not legal length, gently remove the hook with needle-nose pliers and release the fish.

The following practices reduce handling time, damage and stress for fish:

• Using proper tools such as jaw spreaders, needle-nose pliers, hemostats, fish-holding crate, rubber landing net
• Using soft, wet gloves
• Working with a partner

Removing a hook embedded deep in the gullet or gills causes damage that reduces survival rates. You should always leave the hook in, cut the line, and release the fish. This gives it a much better chance of survival.

When releasing a fish, never throw it into the water. If you have to handle a fish, release it gently and headfirst. A fish will often swim away on its own. If it doesn’t, hold the fish gently in front of its tail and slowly move it back and forth to push fresh water over its gills. Release it when it begins to swim away.

Culling

Holding fish in a livewell or on a stringer with the intention of releasing them once a larger fish is caught reduces survival rates after release. Studies show that mortality of released fish significantly increases if they are held in rough and/or warm waters. If you plan on keeping a fish, you should dispatch it quickly and keep it cool, preferably on ice.

Livewells needed to transport fish during a tournament must meet the following criteria:

• Used only in calm water for short periods
• Contains 15 litres of water per fish
• Equipped for continuous fresh water replacement
• Equipped to keep the water cool

Water Temperature

More released fish survive in cooler water temperatures. Mortality of released fish (including walleye and trout) increases as water exceeds 18 C.

Use a thermometer to check for high water temperatures. Reducing the number of fish that you catch and released when waters are really warm will also help to limit overall mortality.

Shallow or Deep Water

Walleye and perch should be fished in relatively shallow water. Fish have a reduced chance of survival if they are caught in water deeper than seven metres, brought to the surface, and then released. These fish will have sustained internal damage that will likely kill the fish, including swollen swim bladders that prevent them from submerging.

Do Not “Fizz” Fish

Fizzing fish with swollen swim bladders (poking a hole in the swim bladder so the fish sinks) does not increase survival, but causes increased injury, stress, and likely mortality.

Posted: April 21, 2008