Thanks Trailblazers

[SWH]

I just wanted to thank the trailblazers for doing what you do. I hiked into this out of the way lake this weekend not knowing what we were going to catch. The fishing was slow but we were seeing big fish rise just out of our casting distance. Finally after about an hour I hooked into this nice rainbow. It made the whole trip worthwhile.

Thanks

[SWH]

one more pic

[Keith Peter]

Congrats on a fine fish. Atleast we know there was a decent fish there when you turned it back.

[Sandy McKean]

….when you turned it back

I’m not sure what you meant by this phrase. If you mean “catch and release”, that is returning the fish to the lake after catching it, you are not doing THIS fish any favors. If one desires to release a fish after catching it, studies show that one must NOT handle the fish very much or very long. Mortality rates can be quite high if you remove the fish from the water, or tire it out from fighting it too hard. Another probelm for those the use lures (and absolutely if you use bait) is what’s called “hooking mortality”. Any sort of deep hooking, or excessive tissue damage (easy to do if you are using treble hooks), and almost certainly if you see any blood, often causes the fish to die within an few days of release. From these photos, it is clear that this fish has been handled too much to be returned to the lake. If you are going to hold it up for photos etc, then take it home and eat it!

[Keith Peter]

Well lets see if I can’t injest a little humor into your response. It is quite obvious that he kept the fish and that I was having fun with him.
But I like the information you are providing. I would appreciate it you could be a presenter at one of the Hi-Lakers meetings on the proper catch and release procedure should be using. It is strange that a fair amount of lakes or more so rivers have gone to catch and release. When instead of helping the fish they would be hurting and thus reducing the population.As with a catch and release(say Lenore) area people catch and release many fish. I have however heard of areas where if the limit is 2 fish that you keep the first 2 you catch. I also know of areas in the sound where if you catch a fish it cannot be brought out of the water and if it is you get a ticket. Perhaps this topic should be move to a discussion thread with “catch and release” as the topic. So Sandy there studies out there have addressed this particular topic? Perhaps this it the time to do a poll thread where we could find out how many anglers actually keep all the fish they catch, catch and release after measuring,weighing, etc. I am glad you opened a whole so called “can of worms” for discussion.

[allison]

If my memory serves, it is against regs to remove a fish from the water if you plan to release it. In high lake fishing without a net, that can be tricky, but if there’s a net involved, that’s a no-brainer. My big fish pics are rarely all that sexy because the only time the fish leaves the net is after I’ve released it.

[Keith Peter]

this is what it says under catch and release in the regs

---

Catch -and-Releas e Fish ing
A type of fishing where all of the fish caught
are immediately released back into the water.

HOW TO RELEASE FISH
When you need to release a fish, there are some special
precautions you can take to give it the best chance of surviving:
· Minimize handling by leaving the fish in the water.
· Do not net your fish – but if you must, use a soft,
knotless net or rubber mesh net. Knotless nets are now
required in fly-fishing only areas and freshwater areas
with selective gear rules.
· Use a hook remover (dehooker) when hooks are
imbedded in the mouth or jaw.
· If a fish has swallowed the hook, cut the leader.
· Keep fingers away from the eyes and gills of the fish.

tough to get an accurate fish weight and length measurement when the fish is not taken from the water.

SALMON and TROUT HANDLING RULES
FRESHWATER: “It is unlawful to totally remove salmon, steelhead, or Dolly Varden/bull trout from the water if it is
unlawful to retain those fish, or if the angler subsequently releases the salmon, steelhead, Dolly Varden, or bull trout.”

[Sandy McKean]

So Sandy there studies out there have addressed this particular topic?

There are dozens of them just on trout. A Google search will provide you with a long list. Going to scientific research sites will provide higher quality studies.

Here’s just one (picked at random) — not the greatest study (a study of studies really), but it gives you an idea.

http://www.acuteangling.com/Reference/C&RMortality.html

P.S. Research tends to discourage the use of nets. But some nets are better than others. Naturally, a lot depends on the actual situation; for example, it is likley that trapping a fish in a net and leaving it in the water would be better than picking up the fish by hand and putting in a boat.

[Keith Peter]

That was a very intresting article!! Some parts especially caught my eye. like: Studies show that when fish are hooked in the lips or jaw area (shallow hooked), mortality is negligible, typically less than 1% (4,5). I have noticed that some lakes at different times of the year are more aggressive and would think water temp is the main reason. This in turn would possibly contribute to how the fish was hooked. With this being said it sounds like a person try to get the fish in as fast(so called-horse it in) as possible to release it?
Then there was the table that showed the LM Bass have the highest mortality rate. These fish are probably highest catch and released fish in the U.S.
I will have to do a search on what it says about fish dying after a substantial time from being released.
With this being said i don’t think I have heard what the optimal number of fish to be caught to satisfy our lake surveys is.

[caveman]

Wow, I think your going to the extremes here. You belong on the Washington Flyfishing Forum, you would fit right in. A trout only lives 4 to 5 yrs max and the larger ones you catch and release are on there last leg any how. I catch and release 99 % of my fish and the other 1% I keep if hooked wrong or they are not going to make it. I think your being a little to anal about this topic. Most fish in the alpine don’t reproduce and I have been to lakes where you catch 40 fish in an hour. I don’t think it would hurt to kill one or two of them anyhow.

Adam

[Brian Curtis]

In high lakes, fish can live for a long time, depending on the lake. I caught a high lake RB that was 13 years old and WDFW bios have aged them older then that. In shallow, warm lakes where fish grow quickly they might only live 3 or 4 years. But in high, cold lakes where they grow slowly they can live much longer.

If you are catching 40 fish an hour then it is likely they are naturally reproducing and have overpopulated the lake.

[Author]

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