| Catch & Release Guidelines and Procedures | |
| • | The most important contribution an angler can make to a successful release are to hook and land the fish as quickly as possible. The fishing tackle used should be strong enough to enable the fish to be brought in quickly; taking into account the prevailing conditions and the possible size of the fish that might be caught. Avoid over exhausting the fish. Always use the heaviest line possible for each species of fish. Again; the longer you fight a fish, the more lactic acid is built up, the more exhausted it becomes, the greater the chance it will not survive. |
| • | Use barb-less hooks or de-barb the hooks as they do less damage, are easier to remove and reduce handling time which can be an important factor in ensuring survival. Barbed hooks can have the barb pinched with a pliers to allow fish to be unhooked and released quickly. |
| • | Wet your hands before handling a fish. Dry hands will remove its protective mucous (slime) coating and scales. These protective layers help prevent infection by waterborne diseases. Do not beach a fish or let it flop around the deck or any hard surface. Try not to remove the fish from the water. If you must, be quick and gentle, do not squeeze the fish. Keep the fish in the water. Handling of the fish should be minimized. When necessary the fish should be supported from beneath and the hook gently removed either by hand or by means of long-nosed forceps/pliers. |
| • | Do not throw your fish or toss it in the water. It may hit an object in the water or stun the fish. Revive the fish if required. Be patient and give the fish as much time as it needs to recover and to swim away on its own. |
| • | By returning your fish back into the water it allows the fish to continue with it's life, to reproduce; allowing the population to grow and remain healthy. CATCH AND RELEASE IS AN INVESTMENT IN YOUR FISHING FUTURE AND FUTURE FISHING FOR GENERATIONS TO COME!!!!!!!!!! |
| How
to perform Catch & Release Click for photos |
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| How
to perform Catch & Release
from a Fishing deck Click for photos |
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| SFAS Tag & Release Program | |