Catch & release tips

The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife offers the following tips for catching and releasing fish:

. Time is of the essence. Play and release the fish as quickly and carefully as possible. An exhausted fish may be too weak to recover.

. Keep the fish in the water as much as you can. A fish out of water is suffocating, and may injure itself on rocks, etc. Try to keep the fish out of water no more than 15 seconds.

. Be gentle. Wet your hands before handling any live fish. Keep your fingers away from the gills. Don’t squeeze the fish. Small fish may be held gently around the middle; let them swim away once they’ve recovered. Larger fish may be held securely by the tail and bottom jaw. If a net is used, make sure it is fine-meshed to avoid injuries to the gills or eyes.

. Remove the hook with small pliers or a similar type tool – If the hook is deeply embedded or in a sensitive area such as the gills or stomach, cut the leader close to the snout. Make an effort to use regular steel (bronzed) hooks to promote early disintegration. Do not use stainless or gold-plated hooks.

. To revive a fish once it is back in the water, hold it in a swimming position in the water and move it gently back and forth until it is able to swim away.

. Lake trout (togue) often have expanded air bladders after being pulled up rapidly from deep water. If the belly appears expanded, release the fish from the hook first, then gently press your thumb along the stomach near the paired belly fins and move it forward a few times to remove air from the bladder. Finally, proceed to revive and free the fish.

. One good way to aid you in releasing your fish quickly is to use barbless hooks in the first place or bend the barbs over or simply file them off.