Catch And Release Fishing – What Is It All About? And What Are The Benefits?

The purpose of catch and release is to ensure we preserve our fish stocks for the future. It’s that simple. 

Even though the purpose may seem obvious to most of us, a regular reminder is valuable.

For many locations and fish species, catch and release is the sole reason angling is still a viable sport or pastime.

Had we continued the way of our grandparents and generations before, it’s arguable that angling today could well have been in a desperate and dire state.

Catch and release is just one aspect of the fish preservation imperative. It’s fair to state that habitat degradation and commercial fishing have the lion’s share of impact on fishing resources.

While recreational anglers are a smaller part (arguably) of the pressure on fish stocks, it’s incumbent on us to be a large part of the solution.

Catch and release and the way we do it, is part of our fish management responsibility. This will be our focus today.

Firstly, let’s take a look at the impact the angler has on fish stocks.

What is Catch and Release Fishing? A Historical Perspective

This article will be read mostly by United States anglers. I’ve no doubt, however, that the following Australian anecdote will be remarkably familiar to US anglers, and anglers from all around the globe.

My Australian Grandfather fished solidly for at least 60 years. They kept everything they caught. 

man fishing in the 50s

I swore there were fish in his deep freeze that had been there since about the end of the Korean war. As a kid growing up in the 70’s I remember the astonishing trawler sized hauls while fishing with pop.

Hours at the cleaning tables, followed by the great fish distribution to friends and family. 

He’d feed the 5000 with the proceeds of a Saturday morning on the water, including the cats, always rewarded with the undersized fish.

Catch and release was never a thing in his day. Rules and limits were unheard of. 

And it wasn’t until his twilight years that the penny dropped…Maybe taking all he caught was a bad idea.

He had stopped fishing his favorite location lamenting there were no fish left. I told him that it was because of his take-all fishing ethic.

“Nothing ever went to waste,” he retorted. Unable to unpack such a response, I told him that the only waste was the fishing resource he laid to waste by fishing it to death.

It didn’t really occur to him that a thousand other guys like him were doing the exact same thing every other weekend. The consequences were devastating for his favorite lake.

With fishing laws, bag limits, and a healthy dose of catch and release, his favorite place is now returning to its former glory. Proof that management and catch and release actually works.

I would often read pop’s old anglers Omnibus. It had pictures from the ’60s of anglers with more than 25 blue gropers strung out on a rope between trees.

The Australian blue groper was and still is popular with rock anglers. It’s huge, and a culinary masterpiece.

By the time I was old enough to hunt these fish myself the fish was in dramatic decline. To this day, restrictions are severe.

The blue groper was not a commercial fish. And the ocean rocks are the least affected by environmental degradation.

The massive decline in blue groper numbers was directly attributable to the take-all attitude of anglers of decades past. Their legacy lasts today.

Best Practices – Catch and Release Fishing Handling

10 Percent of Anglers Catch 90 Percent of The Fish

This old adage is hardly a science, but many suspect a strong element of truth to it. And in my experience, it definitely rings true.

Of the 10 percenters I know, they’re almost exclusively catch and release. They’re dedicated sports anglers who devote the majority of their spare time to chasing fish.

And boy do they catch some fish, keeping the occasional catch for a meal.

Preaching the catch and release slogan to these guys is preaching to the converted. Ironically, it’s these guys who are most likely to read an article such as this. (Wanna join the 10 percent?)

So, who is keeping their catch? In my 40-plus years’ experience, there is a strong representation of highly successful weekend danglers who catch and keep plenty. 

However, I can’t recall anybody of my grandfather’s ilk. 

In my experience over the last couple of decades especially, the majority of anglers follow the local fishing laws and bag limits. 

For the most part, the fishing laws are working and the majority of anglers do actually care about fish stocks.

As I understand it, there are three main problems related to catch and release that hamper its efficacy:

1. Keeping a larger class of fish, i.e. trophy and prize fish
2. Poor fish handling technique leading to fish deaths following release
3. Keeping larger quantities of fish to freeze and consume much later

1. Release Big Fish, No exception

It doesn’t really matter what species of fish we’re chasing; we want to catch the biggest. The problem is that many of us like to keep our trophy fish, especially if it’s a PB or the biggest we’ve caught of that species.

This is a custom we need to change because the larger fish are the most prolific breeders by far.

When a dozen or so prize fish are taken from the lake over the weekend, we’re actually doing great harm to future fish stocks.

Some anglers will release females, and this is a good thing. However, few anglers know how to identify the sex of a fish.

But there’s an even bigger problem of Darwinian proportion. Studies show that we’re negatively impacting the fish gene pool when we take the largest of a species.

The biggest and strongest fish are not only the best breeders, but they are also the custodians of genetic code for big and strong fish.

When we take these fish from the gene pool, the smaller, weaker fish survive and then dominate the breeding, producing more smaller and weaker fish.

When we remove the alfa fish from an ecosystem, we condemn the gene pool to a far weaker future. 

These fish are likely to be less resilient and more susceptible to things such as disease or catch and release trauma.

I find it impossible to understand why fisheries put restrictions on catch numbers and big fines on undersized fish yet in many cases allow us to remove the prime breeding stock.

You never go anywhere without your cell phone. Take a tape measure, take some scales, take a picture, and return your prize catch to the water.

2. Poor Fish Handling Technique

This is probably the biggest catch and release issue facing the released fish mortality. I see fish get dropped on concrete, hooks torn from throats and gills, fish handled in coarse cloth, and even held down by a trusty boot.

Your intention to release is all good, but many anglers are likely condemning fish by the way they’re handling them. 

Sure, it may swim away but the chances are that the fish will die from the trauma you imparted.

Fish can Learn

Studies show that fish can learn that getting caught is traumatic, and have been observed adopting behaviors to avoid recapture. 

While this might be argued a good thing for fish preservation, a lake full of fish completely shy of your baits is not so cool.

In all honesty, I’m not sure of the full impact of this going forward. And I’m not sure how anglers can adapt to mitigate the consequences of more cautious fish.

My gut feeling, however, is to ensure every fish you release is done so with as minimal trauma as possible. 

That means honing your release skills and changing certain practices such as encouraging the long fight.

Light Tackle Fishing

Catching the biggest fish with the lightest kit has become a prominent feature of modern fishing. The problem is that the fight is much longer and can be completely exhausting for the fish.

When the time comes to release the fish it often requires significant assistance to regain enough strength to swim away.

Studies have shown that the stress levels from such a fight can stay with the fish for many days following the fight.

This stress can cause behavioral changes including abstaining from feeding. These fish are vulnerable and less likely to survive.

Consider upping your tackle class to reduce the battle time. This is applicable for the smallest of trout to record marlin.

Catch and Release mortality

On a positive note, there are numerous studies the are allowing us to improve techniques.

Studies are allowing scientists to make recommendations about equipment choices and adaptions likely to increase release mortality rates.

Here’s an example of one such study that will ultimately equip anglers with the knowledge to make a greater contribution to fish stock preservation.

The circle hook is a prime example of equipment development that has had a positive impact on release mortality.

The hook is designed to catch the mouth, a far better survival outcome for fish marked for release.

I had intended to add tips for catch and release. However, during my research, I found a brilliant article from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

I’m yet to find a better, more current, and concise presentation of the critical basics of catch and release.

There is also a video by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission which is a great companion to their article.

Here’s another example of scientific studies in catch and release. This one is from Australia.

It’s interesting to note the similarities in discoveries, the release issues we all share, and the near-identical approach to improving release mortality. 

A Note About Barbless Hooks

The barbless hook has long been hailed as an answer to protecting fish flagged for release. 

It’s true, a barbed hook can cause more damage to a fish, particularly when hooked deeply in at the back of the mouth or in the gills.

Removing hooks with a hook remover or long nose pliers is an important skill for anglers. Doing it quickly can be a challenge.

And therein lies the benefits of barbless hooks. Interestingly, the big benefit of barbless hooks is the speed at which a barbless hook can be removed.

Often with barbed hooks, we do more damage to the fish owing to the time out of the water and excessive handling as opposed to the flesh damage of the barbs.

Barbless hooks for catch and release can be beneficial for the fish. There are technique changes you’ll have to consider.

Check out this video below for some tips

Keep in mind, you needn’t buy barbless hooks, you can simply turn the barbs down on your current hooks with a good set of pliers.

3. Stocking the Freezer

For some species, catch limits can be quite generous. A few good successful weekends might see your deep freezer well-stocked for quite some months.

This is another practice that is best avoided. When we hit a purple patch and the fish are on in big numbers, there is no need to take your limit.

Take enough for a few family feeds and then start releasing the rest. And here is why. 

That fish in your freezer that’s been there for a few months? There’s a good chance that if it were swimming around in the ocean it would be breeding. 

Had you released that fish; it could have been the parents of hundreds of more fish. Now imagine if 10,000 anglers across the country did the same thing.

The Catch and Release Fishing Wrap-Up

Catch and release is a necessary practice for all recreational anglers. It’s critical that we hone our release skills to ensure we give the fish we send back every chance of a full recovery.

We should always weigh up the value of stocking our freezer with our bag limit, versus releasing our catch to create even more bigger and stronger fish.

It’s better to take pics of our BIG catch and return it to the water. These large fish are the key to future generations of lots of healthy and strong fish.

There is little we can do to fight the might of commercial fisheries, halt development and pollution, and its impact on angling. But we can certainly play our part by putting in more than we take.

Catch and release has been proven to protect and nurture our fishing grounds. If we keep up the good work, develop and refine our technology and techniques our grandchildren will inherit healthy fish stocks, enjoying angling into the future.

Sharing is caring!

Sean Ward

Sean Ward

Hey there, my name is Sean – OnTrack Fishing is my site. I’m based in the UK yet I’ve been fortunate enough to catch bass in the States, barramundi in Australia, trout here at home and carp on the Danube delta. If I’m not fishing, or talking about fishing, then….I’m probably asleep.

Follow

Join our Fishing Community

Subscribe today to get the latest Fishing Hacks and to be notified of the Best Prices on Fishing Equipment