Handling Fish for Release

[Chris Young]

I know most of us on here practise catch and release and most of you also know the do's and don'ts when handling these great fish.

I'm not pointing fingers at anyone as we all learn from experience.

First thing we must remember is fish don't weigh as much "IN" the water, they're skeletal system is not the same as ours!

Never hold a fish up by the tail or try to remove them from the water by the tail only as this can break the fishes back.

Never place hands inside the gills or hold fish up by the gills, Gills are how they breathe , Holding fish up by the gills can damage and tear vital nerves and blood vessels.

To remove fish from the water allways try to lift them from both ends, use the popper or leader and grab the tail. If you choose to use a lip gaff make sure you don't pierce the tounge.

When holding a fish up for a photo try to support the fishes belly, If he's too big get a friend to help

I know these GT's are tough fish but lets do our best to ensure they swim away in the very best condition we can so they are still there in years to come.

[Brandon Khoo]

That's very well put, Chris
There have been some quite scary photos we've seen posted of late. If you're not going to handle the fish properly, you're significantly reducing its chances of survival

[Stan Konstantaras]

Great reminder Chris,
I work with Bill Sawynok from Recfishing Research via my connections to ANSA.
Bill runs a very informative website at http://www.recfishingresearch.org/released_fish_survival.asp
Worth having a look at and refreshing ourselves in best practices.
Chris just about summed it up, but these rules apply to all fish as well.
Well done,
Cheers
Stan

[Fraser Simpson]

I'm a pom and the Carp fishing scene over there really is at the forefront of care for fish.

It is a RULE that all fishermen have a large landing net and an unhooking mat which is a large padded mat for resting the fish on when a fish is caught. The hook is then removed and believe it or not, the angler then uses a medical grade antiseptic and antfungal gel to wipe on the hook hole and any other cuts and grazes. The fish is then placed into a large very fine mesh "Sack" which is secured to the bank. This fine mesh is not see through, and seems to calm the fish. The fish remains in the sack for several hours until it has regained strength, and is then weighed and photographed before being released. Upon leaving the fishery, you are then required to wash your gear in a disinfectant bath to avoid transmission of diseases.

Most of this is not practical for GT fishing I know, but it shows how serious we could take the issue of fish care.

[John Campbell]

  wow fraser that is amazing, i wont even mention what most people do to carp in aust !!!!

   cheers john
 

[Brandon Khoo]

it's the same type of carp too, isn't it? 

[John Campbell]

 have only seen pictures but they look like the same beast
 streamlined, muscled features with a face somewhere between alien and predator 
 i think they get pretty big over that way too ?

[Fraser Simpson]

Yep, they are exactly the same. The big difference is that Carp have been in England for over 1000 years and are classed as indigenous rather than feral as Carp are here. I do know what fate most Carp meet in Aus, but I have no problem with it as they are a feral species and do cause lots of problems in rivers and lakes (Although I hear that Murray Cod are rather partial to carp!)
They are one of the main sport fish in the UK as there is not much else to chase! The record is around 30kg and they pull very hard. Believe it or not, anglers will travel the country to fish on a lake for several thousand pounds per year JUST TO CATCH 1 FISH. That fish will be so well known that it will have a name. SERIOUSLY! There are pro carp fisherman who make a living doing this as they get sponsored by tackle and bait manufacturers. I know one bloke who fishes 4 days and nights per week, camping by the lake, and he makes a good living.
Brandon, you could give up the day job!

[Scott Maybury]

No wonder there was such anguish recently in the media about some 60 year old carp that died in England, they said it had been caught hundreds or maybe even thousands of time and it had a name

Freaked me out at the time

[David Noble]

That's dedication!  Paying that much money, to camp, in the UK, to catch crap, er I mean Carp...     

[Brandon Khoo]

thank you Fraser but if I think I would rather work than fish for carp professionally     At least in between my work commitments, I get to chase GTs.

It's amazing as some of our waterways are loaded with the mongrel things and they're so prized in the UK. A friend of mine from the UK, David Irving was telling me about the fact that some of the carps have been caught hundreds of times and have names. I didn't beleive him initially! I've caught some of them here locally before and they actually are a powerful fish.

Yep, they are exactly the same. The big difference is that Carp have been in England for over 1000 years and are classed as indigenous rather than feral as Carp are here. I do know what fate most Carp meet in Aus, but I have no problem with it as they are a feral species and do cause lots of problems in rivers and lakes (Although I hear that Murray Cod are rather partial to carp!)
They are one of the main sport fish in the UK as there is not much else to chase! The record is around 30kg and they pull very hard. Believe it or not, anglers will travel the country to fish on a lake for several thousand pounds per year JUST TO CATCH 1 FISH. That fish will be so well known that it will have a name. SERIOUSLY! There are pro carp fisherman who make a living doing this as they get sponsored by tackle and bait manufacturers. I know one bloke who fishes 4 days and nights per week, camping by the lake, and he makes a good living.
Brandon, you could give up the day job!

[Chris Young]

The famous carp's name was Benson. He was caught 63 times and weighed 64lb when he carked it They are blaming his death on contaminated bait
Even though carp are feril in Aus they are regarded as quite the sportfish on fly. Most are sightcast on light gear with some real thumpers amongst them

[Chris Young]

There are many small scale fish that develope ulsers from being handled without gloves. To name a few....Bonefish, Golden Trevaly , Most tuna's (that I know of).
There has even been a study that has shown some Tuna's losing they're tail from being lifted by the tail wrist. Result: no tail tuna dies.
I have personaly felt the bones in the tail of a tuna "click" when I have landed them solo on fly

[Alex Jordan]

Hahah believe it or not I still indulge in a spot of carp fishing - they grow bigger down your way too ...

A decent syndicate ticket costs upto $8000AUS a year - but we are talking superb facilities in old country lakes with awesome scenery and heritage. Carp are considered a sport fish here to the extent of thousands of man made lakes catering for all tastes - its a UK angler's bread and butter ... my brother is a religous carp fisher and a decent setup can cost $20000 AUS easily ... although not alot of carp flyfishing over here hmmmm

Fish care - carp fishermen are at the forefront of fish care as the carp are treated like royalty - unhooking mats are used (big padded mats to rest the fish on the ground) - carp sacks are generally frowned upon now and fish are strictly catch and release after revival ... many of the fish stocked cost thousands of pounds each...care kits are also used quite a bit too!

Its worth looking at unhooking mats for the bottom of your boats and weighing slings too ... there are some very good compact scales that weigh upto 200KG's - mostly used for catfish fishing in Spain which has developed under the UK carp fishing influence
http://www.worldseafishing.com/reviews/accessories/gameon_predator_sling.html for instance

http://www.fisherkinguk.com/ they do a 200kg big game scale - based on a strain guage too ...


***edit - just read Benson (the famous dead carp) was valued at over $40,000AUS***