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Pacific Region Recreational Fishing
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Catch and Release Tips
The survival of Pacific salmon
is important to recreational anglers - and non-retention, or
catch-and-release, is one way to help ensure that survival.
Studies have shown that the majority of sport-caught and
released salmon survive, as high as 85% to 95% in the ocean,
and in some cases even higher i n rivers and streams.
Practicing good catch and release techniques begins before
you catch the fish and doesn’t end until after you set it free
and it swims away.
Techniques to Remember:
- Remember: when fishing for
salmon, barbless hooks are mandatory.
- Use large lures or artificial
baits to reduce the incidental catch of undersize fish.
- Do not overplay the fish, bring
it in as quickly as possible.
- For a salmon under 30 cm, unhook
it at the water surface to minimize handling.
- For a larger salmon, if it is
too difficult to unhook it in the water, bring it onboard,
remove the hook quickly and release it. This will cause
less stress and damage to the fish.
- Use a soft knotless mesh net to
minimize scale loss.
- Handle the fish securely.
Keep it immobile while the hook is removed then quickly release
it into the water.
- Remove the hook with needle-nose
pliers or surgical hemostats.
- Do not touch or handle a fish by
its gills.
- To avoid injury, support the
fish when lifting by placing one hand around the base of its
tail and the other under its belly. Do not lift it by the tail
as this will stretch the vertebrae.
- To return the fish to water,
release it at a 45° angle with the head pointing down and just
above the waterline. If the fish is exhausted, revive it in the
water by keeping a grip on its tail; move it back and forth
slowly to increase water flow over the gills; wait until it is
strong enough to swim out of your hands.
- Some fish may be hooked deep
inside the mouth. If this is the case, cut the line as close to
the hook as possible and leave it in. The hook will erode in
time
Additional tips for freshwater flyfishers:
- Flyfishers require room - leave
enough space between you and the next angler.
- Never step downstream in front
of another angler.
Note:
Most rockfish will not survive catch and release. The
pressure difference between the surface and depths
they inhabit will inflate the swim bladder to the
point where it will push the fish’s stomach out its
mouth, thereby killing the fish. |
Did You Know?
- If you wet your hands prior
to handling a fish, you improve its chances of survival.
- Scales are important to a
fish; however, they can survive some scale loss.
- Make it easy to measure your
fish by marking your boat (ie., side or floor) with the
legal lengths.
- To change a barbed hook to a
barbless one, simply squeeze the barb tightly against the
hook shank with a pair of pliers.
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The following
publications/videos on catch and release are available to the
public:
Angling
for the Future,
Release 'Em
Right , through the website or by calling (604) 666-0384. |
