Versions of this piece appeared in Mote Magazine, a quarterly publication of Mote Marine Lab, and Florida Fishing Weekly.

Catch and release fishing is the standard for many fish species, so any action anglers can take to increase the survival of their catches is advantageous to the fishery. In Florida, for example, it is estimated that approximately half of all fish caught by recreational anglers are released.

Catch and release can be a valuable tool in fisheries conservation, but it is essential to practice responsible fishing and fish handling techniques for catch and release to be effective.  Here are a few tips that should help increase the survival of your released fish.  Hopefully, many of you are already using these techniques.

Bait, Lures, and Hook
A few simple changes to your terminal tackle can increase survival of released fish.  First, use steel or bronze hooks.  They are less toxic than cadmium coated hooks and dissolve faster than stainless steel hooks.  Second, use pliers to pinch down the hook barbs on your lures and flies.  By pinching the barb you reduce the amount of time needed to handle the fish, and less handling time is better for the fish.  Don’t worry about the effect of barbless hooks on your catching – plenty of research has shown that pinching the barbs does not increase the loss of fish (except in the case of tarpon, of course).  Third, on lures that come with treble hooks, I usually replace the trebles with single hooks.  It’s easy to do, and the single hooks help reduce handling time when releasing a fish.  I realize that changing from treble to single hooks changes the action of the lure, but a few wraps of lead wire on the hook generally fixes that.  Maybe it’s time that lure manufacturers started to make single hook versions.  Fourth, if using live bait, use circle hooks.  Circle hooks are designed to hook the fish in the jaw, which greatly reduces the risk of deep-hooking a fish – a major cause of fish mortality.  Remember, when using circle hooks, don’t rear back with the rod to set the hook.  When you feel a fish take the bait, just reel until you feel pressure.  The hook will set itself.  Overall, lures and flies are better than bait because there is a lower chance of deep-hooking the fish.

Fish Handling
In addition to choosing the best terminal tackle, how the fish is handled can have huge effects on survival.  The best approach is to never remove the fish from the water.  While keeping the fish in the water, remove the hook.  If the fish doesn’t swim off on its own, it may need some recovery time.  Gently hold the fish under the head and base of the tail until it’s regained the wherewithal to swim off.  If there are sharks present, some recovery time in the livewell may be beneficial.
If it is necessary to remove fish from the water, be sure to wet your hands first. This reduces the amount of slime removed from the fish – slime that is important barrier against infection.  Never use a towel to hold a fish, even if wet – too much slime is removed. 
Although it is tempting, don’t lift a large fish by the lower jaw.  The weight of the fish hanging from the lower jaw can tear ligaments in the isthmus (the narrow stretch of flesh between the underside of the gills).  These ligaments are essential for opening and closing the jaw during feeding, so damage can inhibit feeding for a long time.  Holding the weight of a large fish by the jaw has also been shown to stretch the spine, separating the vertebrae, which causes death within a few days.  If you want a photo of the fish, try to do so while keeping the fish in the water until you are ready for the picture, and then supporting the fish under the head and anal fin. 
For smaller fish, it is most important to reduce handling time and keep them in the water.  For these fish, a boga grip or similar jaw-holding device can be used to hold the fish while the hook is removed.  However, even for these smaller fish it is best not to dangle them in the air. 

Where to Fish
It may seem obvious, but to many it apparently is not.  As a general rule, don’t fish in areas where a lot of predators are present.  Research in the Bahamas, for example, showed that survival of released bonefish was very high in areas where sharks were not present, but dropped significantly when sharks were present. The same can probably be said for tarpon and other species. So if predators show up to spoil the party, move along to another location.

Photographing Your Catch
With the accessibility and quality of digital cameras, we are taking a lot more photos of our catches.  One common mistake is to take the fish out of the water, then get the camera ready, then take the photo.  It’s best to keep the fish in the water until your fishing partner has the camera ready for the photo.  Before taking the photo, decide where the subject and photographer will be, and get everyone in position before the fish is removed from the water.  When holding the fish, support it with wet hands under the head and the anal fin.

All material copyright Aaron Adams 2007, 2008, and beyond, unless noted.