How to "keep a grip" on Trout to Release them W/O Harm to the Fish?

[Fozzy]

Fishing from a Boat, trolling for Trout today, caught several Rainbows and released them on lures.

How do you hold these fish? A Largemouth, you grab the mouth of course, don't dammage the Slime on the fish.

These Rainbows are slick as eels! You get a 10-12 inch "Stocker" fish and they flip around....i never grab them under the gills.

I feel bad when they hit the carpet in my boat cause i know i'm dammaging the slime protective covering. I get them released, but you can't hold them...

Would a "Fish glove" they sell at BPS help? How do you grab them so they don't Flop all over? What am I missing?

[Kansas Fly Fisher]

I don't fish from a boat so I don't know if this is much help. Since I wade fish I use a catch and release style net. It's made from a fine mesh. The one I use also has a ruler stenciled into the net for ease of measure. Anyway, by keeping the net and the fish partially in the water and and using a barbless hook it's fairly simple to release them. Very little, if any, hand contact is needed and if it is needed you can use the wet net to help buffer your hand from direct contact. I believe the make a longer handle version of this same net for those that boat. Hope this helps.

John

[Terry Beeson]

Oh my gawd! The GLOVE issue has bled over to this forum... Phil, take cover, Bud!.... This may get ugly!

For those not "savy" to my above comment, there is a "controversy" over the use of "gloves" to handle trout during picture taking or releasing. Much like the "hit the carpet in my boat" comment, some people think the use of gloves has the same effect. Until substantiated scientific proof is available, I, personally, don't think it is any more harmful than the use of bare hands.

The "best" way to release a fish is to use something like a "Ketchum Release" where the fish never touches a net, glove, hand, boat, carpet, or anything. You get him "to hand" and slide the "ketchum release" down the line to release the hook (best to use barbless for this, but will remove barbed ones as well...) Of course, it's hard to take a picture this way. Otherwise, John's use of a C&R net is a good way... and yes, they do sell a longer handled version for boats.

If you need to handle one, the two methods are to turn them over on their backs and cradle them in you hands. This supposedly relaxes the fish, but they will still squirm a bit. The other is what you see in many trout magazine pics... hold one hand under the belly just behind the gills and one hand gripping the tail section. This seems a good way to hold them long enough to snap a quick picture....

Phil, should we get the "Great Gloved One" to come over and chime in on this thread?

[MOBass]

If you are trolling cranks or spoons consider removing the trebel hooks and replacing them with a single hook (barbless is even better). You may have to play around with hook sizes to get the baits to run correctly but it helps a lot with making a release. I leave the fish in the water and grip the hook with hemostats and turn it out for a pretty painless release for all parties. If I have to grip the fish I try to use wet hands and turn the fish on its back.

[motroutbum]

quick and easy....you need to get a long handled rubber bagged net. the hooks of the plugs wont get caught in the net and it doesnt do damage to the fish.

[Fozzy]

Ok thanks for the tips i will try them....

[Phil Lilley]

Terry- I don't think any of those guys wander too far from home... and for sure- don't say anything!

[Terry Beeson]

Don't worry, Phil... the secret is safe with me and the first 3-400 people I run into...

[Rusty]

Terry, Stirring the pot like that...hahaha. It must be the moon phase.

[Wayne SW/MO]

To grip a fish you either have to hold it tight enough to bulge its eyes or cut through its protective coating.

I agree with motroutbum, use a net and remove the hooks without touching them.