Fish look best when wet, with their colors and markings even more stunning than imagined. Better still, they have a far better chance of survival after their release.
Every time a fish is hooked it experiences some level of stress until released. By following three simple principles you can reduce stress and improve the odds for survival.
- Minimize air exposure – for a fish to recover it needs to be in the water to breathe and pump oxygen throughout its system and allow its muscles to recover. If you take a fish out of water, hold your breath. If you can’t breathe, neither can the fish.
- Eliminate contact with dry surfaces – fish have a protective mucus which protects them from diseases and other foreign elements. Contact with any dry surface will remove this protective layer and make fish more susceptible to disease. Make sure to keep the fish away from any dry or hard surfaces.
- Reduce handling – the less you handle a fish the better off it will be. Prepare in advance by fishing barbless, using a net, and have forceps ready.