DFG News Archive

DFG Urges Anglers to Catch and Release with Care

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is encouraging anglers to exercise care when they fish “catch and release” waters or land non-target species. When anglers catch and release fish that are too large, too small, or are restricted species, proper handling of the fish is imperative in order to protect and preserve California’s fish populations.

“Most anglers would agree that few outdoor experiences beat the thrill of landing the perfect catch,” said Department of Fish and Game Director Ryan Broddrick. “Unfortunately, not all fish are perfect. When anglers land less-than-ideal fish, or are in catch and release waters, it is crucial that they follow certain steps to avoid unnecessary injury to the fish.”

Caught fish will benefit when anglers use the following techniques:

For all species, these general guidelines apply for both tackle and technique:

• Use unscented artificial lures (no bait) to minimize deep hooking. Barbless hooks or hooks with flattened barbs make unhooking easier and less stressful on the fish.
• Use tackle strong enough to bring the fish in quickly and reduce exhaustion.
• Avoid stainless steel hooks.
• Avoid and replace treble hooks on lures, especially with saltwater species.
• Land fish as carefully and quickly as possible, and avoid playing the fish to exhaustion.
• Use an appropriate sized landing net to assist in catching, handling, and releasing the fish. Small knotless mesh nets are easiest on fish.
• Try to avoid removing the fish from the water.

Once a fish is landed, these steps will help reduce stress on the fish:

• Use wet hands or wet cotton gloves when handling the fish.
• Do not squeeze the fish or touch its eyes or gills.
• Remove only those hooks that are seen and removed easily, otherwise clip the line near the mouth on deeply hooked fish.
• Remove the hook quickly. Underwater unhooking and release is preferred.
• Avoid having the fish hit the deck of the boat or flop around on the shore.
• Minimize the time the fish is out of the water.

For reviving and releasing the fish:

• Hold the fish horizontally and upright facing into the current.
• Gently move the fish forward and backwards until it swims away on its own.
• For fish that have buoyancy issues, have a release device (such as a weighted plastic crate) on hand and ready.

Some marine and anadromous fish require additional care due to their size or the depths at which they are caught. For instance, sturgeon are prone to overharvesting because they mature late, spawn episodically, live long, and grow to be very large. To limit harvest and preserve the best spawners, it is only legal to possess sturgeon 46 to 72 inches long. Careful handling of all sturgeon to be released is important for the species’ survival, especially the oversize sturgeon. Oversize sturgeon are very powerful and often difficult to handle protectively. They are best left in the water and should never be lifted (or snared) by the gill cover.

“All too often we see pictures of anglers improperly holding up sturgeon and other fish that they intend to release,” said DFG Wildlife Inland Fisheries Division Deputy Director Sonke Mastrup. “Sturgeon are especially vulnerable to being damaged, especially oversized fish that the angler wants to get a quick picture before releasing it.”

Another large species that requires special handling is giant sea bass, a protected species that may not be retained by sport fishermen. Giant sea bass are being caught with increasing frequency in southern California waters. If anglers happen to catch giant sea bass they should try to release the fish as soon as they have identified the species ? either at the beginning of the fight or at color. Anglers are asked to avoid bringing giant sea bass to the surface if possible. The gas in a giant sea bass’ swim bladder expands as water pressure decreases, which increases the fish’s buoyancy and prevents it from returning to depth.

If a giant sea bass is brought to the surface, anglers should use the following techniques to help the fish recover and return to its normal depths:

• Keep the fish in the water and do not gaff it, even in the lower jaw as the jaw isn’t designed to support the weight of the fish out of water.
• Do not try to deflate the fish by puncturing its swim bladder. This may result in severe injury to the fish or later infection which is fatal.
• If possible, use a pole, weight or other device to help a giant sea bass lower to a depth where it can swim away on its own.
• If no device is available, stay on site with the fish and keep it safe while it regains its strength to swim away. (Gulls will begin pecking at a floating fish quickly so keep them at bay.)

These same conditions and techniques apply to rockfish that current regulations require saltwater recreational anglers to release.