Put ’em
Back Alive!
The Case for Better Catch and Release Methods
By Danny Suggs
Next time you’re on the water,
watch a group of anglers, especially the youngsters. Notice
their natural impulse when they bring in a fish. They’ll reel it
in, hold it aloft, smile and laugh, then almost automatically,
toss it back.
That’s amazing when you
consider that just 20 to 25 years ago, the concept of “letting
them go” at best raised eyebrows, and at worst, prompted a good
tongue lashing. Catch and release has come a long way.
I love catch and release. Not
being a big fish eater myself, the fun of fishing for me is in
the catching, plus there’s the satisfaction in knowing that
someone else can tussle with my releases another day.
With added fishing pressure
hitting the water every year, lake associations, the general
angling public, fisheries departments, and the tournament
community all are demanding more respect for conserving our
fisheries. Study conclusions vary dramatically over how many
fish die as a result of poor handling and release, but clearly,
it’s an area receiving more attention.
As a pro angler, I believe
tournaments have done an awesome job of showing the public how
to catch fish, but we tournament guys could probably do a better
job at demonstrating the best way to release fish.
Even though I’m exclusively a
catch and release guy, my livewell often contains fish. There
are some legitimate reasons for placing fish in a livewell, even
if you don’t intend to keep them.
For example, when I find a hot
little honeyhole, I’ll sometimes place the first couple fish I
catch into the livewell to avoid educating other fish. No, fish
can’t talk, but they somehow communicate that my wacky rig is
dangerous.
Think I’m crazy? Watch your
electronics next time you’re on a nice school. You’ll catch a
couple fish, throw ’em back, then the bite will stop. Yet you’re
still marking fish!
That’s happened to you, hasn’t
it? Next time, place the first couple in the livewell, and see
if you can extend that bite. Trust me, it will.
Of course, tournament anglers
often keep fish temporarily in their livewells during events.
These fish ultimately will be released, but we owe it to our
sport, and the fish, to release them as healthful as possible.
Enter the Oxygenator, from Aqua
Innovations. This revolutionary piece of equipment helps ensure
that fish leaving your livewell return to the lake in tip-top
condition.
When you haul a bucketmouth, or
any species, out of the water, he’s exhausted. Who wouldn’t be
after being dragged out of their home by their mouth?
Though I’m confident enough in
my handling of fish that the fish survive release, I figure I’ll
boost its odds by placing them in a livewell containing the
Oxygenator. Lake and river water typically ranges about 21
percent dissolved oxygen. With the Oxygenator, your livewell can
contain between 80 and 98 percent oxygen, regardless of
temperature.
The device accomplishes that
feat through its remarkable design, which splits the water
molecule into its two basic components — hydrogen and oxygen.
The hydrogen harmlessly dissipates into the air, while the
nanobubbles of oxygen saturate the surrounding water in your
livewell.
With that kind of oxygen
available, fish revive from their angling struggle in mere
seconds. Fish a spot, place a couple of eager biters in your
Oxygenator-containing livewell, and before you head out, release
them. You’ll be amazed at how fresh and lively those fish
return to the water.
It works at keeping your live
bait healthy, too. Just drop your entire minnow bucket into the
livewell, and your minnows will benefit from that surplus
oxygen. No more dead minnows after 60 minutes on the water, in
any weather.
Now let’s talk proper release
methods. I hate those TV fishing shows where the host flings the
bass, walleye, or whatever back into the water 30 feet from the
boat. Belly flops hurt fish, too.
Handle your fish delicately.
Instead of throwing them into the water, kneel down and gentle
lower them into the water and release.
Bass are a little more
resilient than walleyes, but still deserve a little TLC. For
instance, when lipping bass, especially big ones, support that
belly underneath. When you lip a bigger fish, it places a lot of
stress on the jaw.
You know the other basic rules.
Keep your hands wet to help protect the slime layer on that fish
when you’re handling them. And get them back into the water or
your livewell as quickly as possible.
I’ll leave you with one final
tip. If your game plan begins with working fish in the warm
shallows, say bass in the slop, stop first in the deeper, colder
main lake water to fill your livewell. Then put the livewell
into recirculate mode when fishing those warmer shallows.
That colder water will retain
oxygen better, so — combined with the Aqua Innovations
Oxygenator — it ensures a constant environment of cold,
well-oxygenated livewell water, even when you’re fishing over a
warmwater area.
That means fish in tip-top
shape when you release ’em, and more aggressive bass for your
next outing!
For more of Danny Suggs visit
www.keepfishalive.com.
