Proper Catch & Release

[dgilchrist]

14 minutes ago, jdmidwest said:

Just stick a knife in it and call it done.  Put and take fish....

Fortunately, almost all our rivers have strictly catch and release zones so those who want to target older fish have a chance at catching big ones. Not yesterdays truck trout. Plenty of catch out holes full of 10' fish for those who just fish to fill a frying pan. 

[tjm]

Gee. if older smarter more challenging fish are wanted go after carp.  Required C&R is discrimination against bait fishers. That should be left up to the individual.

[fishinwrench]

Who designed those critters anyway? 

The most important muscle/cartiledge to its survival....and it's as delicate as tissue paper.   We probably shouldn't be dragging them upstream against their will by it either.   

"Land them quickly," they say.  But wait a minute.... don't put too much stress on that lip !      Maybe you shouldn't use anything heavier than 7x because putting more pressure than 1.8lbs. on that lip could cause severe deformation.   It's better to let them break you off, don't ya think?

I get that you care about not harming the fish, we all do, but let's try not to get overly stupid about it.   Nobody should ever preach "Take a kid fishing" after they've seen how kids handle fish.

[snagged in outlet 3]

I’ve seen this before like a train in a tunnel.  😁.  Please continue, @fishinwrench is ready.  Crank baits and stick baits really put the hurt on em.  

[tjm]

yeah but them trebles in the side don't harm the lips. Two or more hooks would also spread the force used over a larger area?

[jdmidwest]

Don't forget to lay them on bank and set the rod next to them for the glamor shot. Be sure they are calm and done flopping for the best shot.

[laker67]

Short of stabbing one in the gills, trout are a lot more durable than most experts give them credit. The C&R craze has set aside most common sense practices. If listen to them, don't touch them, don't pick them up, don't net them , and don't take a picture because you might expose them to UV rays. If you really want to get serious you might as well use a hookless fly and just count coup. I have touched them, netted them, pictured them and abused them. Turn them loose and caught them again the following week. I might add that I have boga gripped them as well.

[liphunter]

I had a buddy in the corp who would swallow a gold fish on a dare.  But being the environmentalist that he was. He always released them the next morning...  Life just isn't really that complicated.

[Flysmallie]

15 minutes ago, laker67 said:

If you really want to get serious you might as well use a hookless fly and just count coup.

Or join PETA and quit fishing. They have 100% survival rate if you stay home. 

[Mitch f]

25 minutes ago, liphunter said:

I had a buddy in the corp who would swallow a gold fish on a dare.  But being the environmentalist that he was. He always released them the next morning...  Life just isn't really that complicated.

Right about 9am after coffee?