02-25-2014, 07:06 PM
WARNING: It's long.
I'm going to respond to several things in this whole thread because not-a-purist said, "Any feed back is welcome."
not-a-purist
"We witnessed some very poor fish handling skills by other boaters..." "Other anglers would "drop (several) fish onto the bottom of the boat so hard we heard it from almost a hundred yards away, hold the fish by the gills vertically and have it out of the water for several minutes and then release the fish..." "most of the fish... were tossed from shoulder height back into the water."
I would agree that this is not likely the best treatment of a living organism. However...
"Remember, NO fingers in the gills. No need for further explanation."
While damaging the gills would be similar to puncturing a lung, the careful placement of the fingers under the gill cover isn't the same thing and can provide control of a fish (larger fish only) preventing it from hurting itself while unhooking and photographing it.
"Support the fish HORIZONTALLY. If the fish is large enough, the weight of the fish can actually separate the spine from the skull."
Yes, correct this has been documented.
"... fish can't hold its breath any longer than you can..."
Fish can't "hold" their breath at all. They simply run out of oxygen in their blood because they can't gather any. they are able to go for a minute or so without oxygen replacement, but the quicker they are returned to the water the better, no doubt.
"Don't toss them back into the water. Jump off a chair flat to your back and see how you feel..."
You can't do a direct comparison to human feeling and response, we aren't the same. Jam a hook in a humans face and crank them around for a minute or two and we would be in a hospital for a week and need counseling for a year. Dump a human out of an airplane going 100 mph at 100' off the deck and 999 out of 1000 would die. How many fish survive bear encounters and live with the deformities without surgery and without counseling. We can't compare humans to fish or other animals.
"There seems to be a loss of ethics and character."
+1,000,000+ Good luck fixing that any time soon.
wormandbobber
"Let's be clear here….good handling of fish will certainly maximize the number of released fish that survive and live to be caught again."
This is the bottom line for me!!!! +100M
"….I have seen trout handled much more rough in electrofishing, gill net, and stocking ventures than what was described above. We must remember that fisheries are managed and stocked with the idea [understanding] in mind that fish are going to die both by harvest and by handling."
Anglers shouldn't use that as an excuse for poor handling. I believe it's a responsibility to the fish, a living organism, to treat it properly for the desired outcome. Gentle care and quick release for survival OR proper cleaning, cooling and cooking for consumption.
line_dangler
"Big lakers are excellent eating..."
I have little doubt, but to me a "trophy" fish is worth more in the water to be caught and enjoyed again. Smaller fish are excellent eating and are far more common and perfect for harvest while older fish are usually a far more rare treasure. If you kill it you can't say with perfect knowledge that "I can always go catch another one tomorrow." Trophies aren't in endless supply for the demand. Everyone wants to catch the big fish but few seem to be able to let one go so it can grow up.
Not-a-Purist
"There are proven methods for how to handle and release fish. Why not use them? If it increases survival rates if only by 5 or 10%, without question it is worth it."
MasterDaad
"I think there are many anglers who don't know what proper fish handling is or the differences between the fragility of fish species."
The difficulty is getting anglers to learn and accept those reasons and methods. People are driven by self interest and for anglers, part of that is to be seen as successful. To be seen with the big fish or the heavy stringer is vital to some (which is legal and fine). Get em while the getting is good. For me the thrill of the catch is most important. A few years ago my oldest son (18 YO) caught & released his biggest LM bass ever, a 21" brute. His biggest previous was 16". He had no problem releasing it and ever since he talks about going back to catch it again. Well, last year I caught & released my largest LM bass from the same lake, another 21" brute. definitely not the same fish, but now my youngest son is talking about going and catching it. He has the real opportunity because it's likely still in there. If I had killed it by rough handling or harvest, he'd be saying, "I HOPE there's another one left in there for me." If you're going to release them, I view it as your responsibility to do so in a way that maximizes their survival so they can be enjoyed again and again.
[signature]
I'm going to respond to several things in this whole thread because not-a-purist said, "Any feed back is welcome."
not-a-purist
"We witnessed some very poor fish handling skills by other boaters..." "Other anglers would "drop (several) fish onto the bottom of the boat so hard we heard it from almost a hundred yards away, hold the fish by the gills vertically and have it out of the water for several minutes and then release the fish..." "most of the fish... were tossed from shoulder height back into the water."
I would agree that this is not likely the best treatment of a living organism. However...
"Remember, NO fingers in the gills. No need for further explanation."
While damaging the gills would be similar to puncturing a lung, the careful placement of the fingers under the gill cover isn't the same thing and can provide control of a fish (larger fish only) preventing it from hurting itself while unhooking and photographing it.
"Support the fish HORIZONTALLY. If the fish is large enough, the weight of the fish can actually separate the spine from the skull."
Yes, correct this has been documented.
"... fish can't hold its breath any longer than you can..."
Fish can't "hold" their breath at all. They simply run out of oxygen in their blood because they can't gather any. they are able to go for a minute or so without oxygen replacement, but the quicker they are returned to the water the better, no doubt.
"Don't toss them back into the water. Jump off a chair flat to your back and see how you feel..."
You can't do a direct comparison to human feeling and response, we aren't the same. Jam a hook in a humans face and crank them around for a minute or two and we would be in a hospital for a week and need counseling for a year. Dump a human out of an airplane going 100 mph at 100' off the deck and 999 out of 1000 would die. How many fish survive bear encounters and live with the deformities without surgery and without counseling. We can't compare humans to fish or other animals.
"There seems to be a loss of ethics and character."
+1,000,000+ Good luck fixing that any time soon.
wormandbobber
"Let's be clear here….good handling of fish will certainly maximize the number of released fish that survive and live to be caught again."
This is the bottom line for me!!!! +100M
"….I have seen trout handled much more rough in electrofishing, gill net, and stocking ventures than what was described above. We must remember that fisheries are managed and stocked with the idea [understanding] in mind that fish are going to die both by harvest and by handling."
Anglers shouldn't use that as an excuse for poor handling. I believe it's a responsibility to the fish, a living organism, to treat it properly for the desired outcome. Gentle care and quick release for survival OR proper cleaning, cooling and cooking for consumption.
line_dangler
"Big lakers are excellent eating..."
I have little doubt, but to me a "trophy" fish is worth more in the water to be caught and enjoyed again. Smaller fish are excellent eating and are far more common and perfect for harvest while older fish are usually a far more rare treasure. If you kill it you can't say with perfect knowledge that "I can always go catch another one tomorrow." Trophies aren't in endless supply for the demand. Everyone wants to catch the big fish but few seem to be able to let one go so it can grow up.
Not-a-Purist
"There are proven methods for how to handle and release fish. Why not use them? If it increases survival rates if only by 5 or 10%, without question it is worth it."
MasterDaad
"I think there are many anglers who don't know what proper fish handling is or the differences between the fragility of fish species."
The difficulty is getting anglers to learn and accept those reasons and methods. People are driven by self interest and for anglers, part of that is to be seen as successful. To be seen with the big fish or the heavy stringer is vital to some (which is legal and fine). Get em while the getting is good. For me the thrill of the catch is most important. A few years ago my oldest son (18 YO) caught & released his biggest LM bass ever, a 21" brute. His biggest previous was 16". He had no problem releasing it and ever since he talks about going back to catch it again. Well, last year I caught & released my largest LM bass from the same lake, another 21" brute. definitely not the same fish, but now my youngest son is talking about going and catching it. He has the real opportunity because it's likely still in there. If I had killed it by rough handling or harvest, he'd be saying, "I HOPE there's another one left in there for me." If you're going to release them, I view it as your responsibility to do so in a way that maximizes their survival so they can be enjoyed again and again.
[signature]