Catch and Release Fishing

General Catch & Release Guidelines

1. Use barbless hooks or pinch the barb flat with pliers when possible.
2. If you use a net use one made of cotton mesh or rubber. It is less harmful to fish. Only net your fish if it is the only way to control it.
3. Wet your hands when handling fish. Dry hands and gloves will remove its protective mucous (slime) coating. This protective layer helps prevent infection.
4. Do not let a fish flop around the deck of the boat.
5. Try not to remove the fish from the water. If you must, be quick and gentle, and do not squeeze the fish.
6. Do not hold the fish near the gills or eyes.
7. Needle nose pliers, hemostats, de-hookers etc., will speed up the removal of a deep set hook. They are a necessity when catch and release fishing.
8. To revive a fish, hold it under the belly and by the tail, and keep it in an upright position underwater. Do not move the fish back and forth. This is also a good time to get a measurement and take a photo. If you are fishing in a river or stream, hold the fish facing the current. Be patient and give the fish as much time as it needs to recover and swim away on its own.

1. Physical Injury
2. Oxygen Deprivation
3. High Ammonia or Carbon Dioxide
4. High Water Temperatures

1. Oxygen Deprivation
2. Toxins in the Bloodstream
3. Infections

1. Fill your live well at your first fishing spot using water from open areas of the lake.
2. Turn on your recirculating pump immediately and leave it on all day (set pump switch to manual for continuous operation). If the aerator must run on a timer, run as often as possible as oxygen depletion occurs quickly when the pump is off. Make sure aeration system provides proper aeration while boat is moving or on a trailer. If you don’t have a recirculating system, add one.
3. Only pump in fresh water when lake surface water temperatures are below 75 degrees.
4. When water temperatures are above 75 degrees, recirculate livewell water continuously, but do not pump in hot water from the lake. Use ice to cool the water and slow fish metabolism (block ice melts slower) and try to maintain water 10 degrees cooler than lake. Don’t overcool the water which can also be stressful to fish. Use only non-chloronated block or bagged ice.
5. Use non-iodized salt (available at feed stores) to maintain electrolyte balance and reduce effects of stress. Salt should be added at 1/3 cup per 5 gallons of water. Pre-measure and store in ziplock bags. Commercial livewell additives, such as BassMedics' Rejuvenade, may also be added as directed. Don’t oversalt if using both.
6. Drain half of the livewell water every three hours to remove toxic waste products (carbon dioxide and ammonia). Add 1/2 the amount of ice, salt, and commercial livewell additive each time.
7. Keep fish in rear livewells, evenly distributed between compartments. Fish in forward livewells are more likely to be injured from bouncing on rough water.
8. Land fish with cotton or rubber nets. Land fish quickly and avoid damage to slime coating. Grasp fish by lower jaw only, holding them vertically. Support large fish with a wet hand under the belly. Do not allow fish to touch boat or carpet and rub off protective slime.
9. Remove hooks quickly with as little tissue damage as possible. Remove deep hooks carefully with pliers or hemostats. When attempts fail, cut line five or six inches above the hook.
10. Do not keep fish out of water longer than you can hold your breath.
11. Do not use livewells when you are not competing. Practice catch and immediate release or selective harvest by keeping smaller fish (for the kitchen on ice) and immediately releasing large fish.

Good fishing.

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