A New Catch To catch to 'catch and release'

"The educational process in this has been poor,"

Gulf anglers have exactly one month to gear up for catching reef fish - snappers, groupers, amberjacks, triggerfish, porgies, sea bass, hogfish and tilefish.

New state and federal rules require anglers who catch those species to do so with non-stainless steel circle hooks, and to have a dehooking tool and a venting device on board. The rules don't apply to anglers fishing from shore, but they apply to all boaters fishing for any of the designated reef fishes.

"It's not illegal to catch a fish if you don't meet those requirements," said Lee Schlesinger, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
But Schlesinger said fish caught outside the letter of the law must be released alive and unharmed - the guiding principle behind the new rules.

If, for instance, an angler caught a legal-size mangrove snapper in the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River while fishing for snook, but it was caught on a traditional J-shaped hook, it would have to be released. Likewise, if the angler did not have a dehooking device or a venting tool in the boat, that too would be a violation if the fish were not released.
Both the federal rule, originally crafted within the context of new red snapper regulations by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, and the corresponding state rule go into effect June 1.

"I think it's unfortunate that the state and the feds couldn't have synchronized their rules a little better," said Capt. Ralph Allen, who will make a presentation at a seminar introducing the new rules on Tuesday, May 13, in Port Charlotte. No seminars are scheduled in Lee County.

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The Recommendations for catch & release fishing

It's great to see that every day I find more and more articles on the promotion of "catch and release" fishing. Educating the general public and the angeling community is surely a work in progress, with support coming from all directions we are sure to make an impact before do irreversible damage to our fisheries.
Today I would like to share this article on The Recommendations for catch & release.These recommendations apply to freshwater and saltwater and when followed will give your fish an excellent chance to fight another day. After all the whole idea is that we preserve our fisheries so that our children and our children's children will get to experience the same feeling we did for the first time. YELLING - I GOT ONE ! I GOT ONE !

Recommendations for catch & release

Don QuiliciMarch 13, 2008, 4:01 AM Comments Print Email

According to the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), with the ever-growing interest in conservation, many anglers have adopted the practice of catch-and-release fishing.

This practice involves catching a fish and then releasing it, in a timely and controlled manner, back into the water where it was caught.

The key to successful catch-and-release fishing is doing so in a manner that gives released fish the greatest opportunity for survival, otherwise, the practice is nothing more than window dressing.

NDOW offers the following guidelines for giving a released fish the greatest chance of survival:

It's hard to imagine using a fish hook with no barbs, but the first step in catch-and-release fishing is using barbless hooks. Without the barb, it's much easier to remove the hook from a fish's mouth. While barbless hooks can be purchased, they also can be made by bending a barb over with a pair of pliers.

Bait fishing with a treble hook is not the way to go.

One of the fun aspects of fishing is playing the fish, but playing a fish to exhaustion will almost ensure a released fish will die. That's probably not a real issue if you plan on eating your fish, but if you plan on releasing it, land your fish as quickly as possible. When you land your fish, use a fine-mesh landing net. Doing so will prevent the fish from thrashing on the shore and make landing the fish much easier.

Fish are covered with a mucus coating that provides them with a level of bacterial protection. To protect that coating, it's important to keep your fish in the water as much as possible. It's also a good idea to wet your hands and net before handling the fish. Avoid touching or putting your fingers inside the gill slits. Hold the fish by placing one hand under the fish near its head and the other hand near its tail.

Once you have control of the fish, use hemostats or needle-nose pliers to remove the hook. This will help to protect your hands from hook-related injuries and is much easier on the fish than sticking your fingers in its mouth.

If necessary, cut the line or the hook itself. This can be very beneficial if a fish is hooked deep.

To release a fish, hold it upright in the water and allow it to swim away under its own power. If the fish is bleeding from the mouth or gills due to your actions, you'll need to keep it and keep working on your catch-and-release skills.