We caught up with Bryan Huskey from Keep Em' Wet Fishing who gives some great advice to the catch and release angler.
After fish have been caught, they are vulnerable due to the stress they have endured. By keeping fish as wet as possible, anglers can dramatically curb their impact on fish and can release them as healthy as possible. This can be achieved by following a few basic principles:
Keeping Fish In The Water As Much As Possible
Holding Fish In Or Slightly Above The Water With Wet Hands
Handling Fish As Little And Carefully As Possible
Following the keepemwet principles is something everyone should easily be able to do. In addition, by incorporating these tips into regular fishing practices, you can eliminate contact with dry surfaces, minimize air exposure, and reduce handling. This list of tips is by no means exhaustive, but rather a starting point of simple and easy steps every angler can take to keepemwet.
TIP 1: REDUCE ANGLING DURATION
By landing a fish quickly and without playing it to exhaustion, you can dramatically reduce stress the fish incurs. This can be achieved by ensuring tackle is appropriately matched to the targeted species and fighting fish aggressively.
TIP 2: HOLD FISH OVER WATER
Fish are slippery creatures and can easily be dropped. So when holding a fish, keep it in or slightly above the water - not over boats or land. That way if dropped, it falls back into the water unharmed.
TIP 3: FISH BARBLESS HOOKS
Crimp the barbs on hooks. Not only do barbless hooks cause less damage to a fish’s mouth, but they are also much easier and quicker to remove - especially important when one ends up in your ear or finger!
TIP 4: FISH WITH NETS
Nets are not always necessary, but often they help land fish quicker and in deeper water. Nets also help reduce handling by allowing you to keep fish in the water while unhooking, reviving, and photographing them. As opposed to knotted and mesh nets, rubber nets are less abrasive and will not get caught in a fish’s gills. Plus, hooks don't snag as much on rubber nets, and they look great in photographs.
TIP 5: CARRY HOOK REMOVAL DEVICES
Carry easily accessible pliers or other hook removal tools, which enable quick and careful hook removal and reduce handling or gripping of the fish.
TIP 6: PHOTOGRAPH WET FISH
Photograph fish in the water. If a fish is momentarily taken out of the water, keep it as close to the water as possible and fully submerge it between pictures to allow the fish to recover during photos. Let the photographer call the shots – 1, 2, 3…raise the fish…. click, and dunk.
TIP 7: GRIP FISH CAREFULLY
Fish have sensitive internal organs, so hold them lightly without squeezing. Avoid placing your hand over their mouth and gills as it obstructs breathing. With larger fish, grip the tail wrist with "A-Ok" finger formation and gently support the body under the front fins with a flat hand.
TIP 8: CAREFULLY REVIVE FISH
An exhausted fish needs reviving. This can be done in a river by submerging the fish and holding its head facing upstream so that the water runs in the mouth and through the gills. In stillwater situations, move the fish in a figure 8 pattern to simulate this effect. Avoid pulling a fish backwards or pointing it downstream as water moving in the reverse direction can harm fish.
Please visit the Keep Em' Wet website for more information