Proper Fish Handling for Catch and Release Fishing, by Katie Anderson

Our own Katie Anderson with some fantastic tips on how to properly handle fish when practicing catch and release.  During the heat of the summer, with higher water temps and lower dissolved oxygen levels, these tips are even more critical to healthy fish releases.

To review:

-Warm water stresses fish due to low dissolved oxygen levels.

-Pinch the barbs on hooks for easy de-hooking of fish, plus it protects the angler!

-Rubber coated nets, along with wet hands help protect the fish from loosing its slime coat, which functions as part of it's immune system.

-Minimalize handling time, and keep the fish in the water as much as possible.

-Revive the fish facing upstream into the current, to allow oxygenated water to pass by the fish's gills.

-Instead of just letting the fish go, hold it into the current until the fish is revived enough to swim off on it's own.

Please feel free to share Katie's video with your angling friends and on your social media.  You can also read more about Katie and her fishing adventures by following the links under her biography on our Ambassador Page.

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