Catch and Release: How to Handle Fish Properly

Catching fish is exciting. Releasing them well is a skill — one that determines whether that fish swims away to be caught again or becomes a statistic.

Here’s what the research shows: with average handling, 16-18% of released fish don’t survive. With proper handling, survival rates exceed 99%. The difference comes down to a few simple practices that every angler should know.

This guide covers everything you need to handle fish properly — from the moment they’re hooked to the moment they swim away.

Why Proper Handling Matters

Fish aren’t as robust as they appear. Several factors affect whether a released fish survives:

• Hook location: Mouth-hooked fish have about 3% mortality. Gill-hooked fish can have up to 87% mortality.
• Air exposure: Every second out of water counts. At 3 minutes exposure, mortality can reach 40%.
• Handling damage: Removing the protective slime coat exposes fish to infection.
• Exhaustion: Prolonged fights deplete energy reserves needed for recovery.
• Water temperature: Warm water holds less oxygen, making recovery harder.

The good news: you control most of these factors. Proper technique dramatically improves survival rates.

Before You Even Cast: Set Yourself Up for Success

Use Appropriate Tackle

Line and rod strength should match your target species. Too-light tackle means longer fights, more exhaustion, and lower survival rates. A fish landed in two minutes has far better chances than one fought for ten.

Consider Barbless Hooks

Barbless hooks are significantly easier to remove, causing less tissue damage and reducing handling time. Studies show mortality with barbed hooks can be nearly double that of barbless.

How to crimp barbs: Use flat-nose pliers to squeeze the barb flat against the hook shank. Verify it’s completely flattened by running your finger over it.

Will you lose more fish? The main concern is fish slipping off with slack line. Solution: maintain constant tension throughout the fight. Many experienced anglers report no difference in landing rates.

Have the Right Tools Ready

Before you hook a fish, have these accessible:

• Long-nose pliers or fishing forceps
• Rubber or rubber-coated landing net
• Wet towel or wet hands
• Camera ready (if you want photos)

Landing the Fish

Use a rubber net: Rubber or rubber-coated mesh is gentler on fish than knotted nylon. It removes less slime and causes less fin damage.

Keep the net wet: A dry net strips the protective slime coat. Dip it before use.

Land over water: If possible, keep the fish over water the entire time. Never land a fish over rocks, hot boat decks, sand, or dry ground.

Work quickly: The clock starts the moment the fish leaves the water. Have your plan ready before landing.

Handling the Fish

The Wet Hands Rule

This is non-negotiable: always wet your hands before touching a fish.

Why it matters: Fish have a protective mucus (slime) coat that acts as their first immune defence against bacteria, parasites, and fungi. Dry hands act like sandpaper, removing this protection and exposing the fish to infection.

Infections like Saprolegnia (visible as white patches) commonly appear days after a fish is handled with dry hands. The fish looked fine when released but dies later.

Support Fish Horizontally

Fish are designed to be supported by water on all sides. When you lift them, support them properly:

• One hand under the belly/pectoral fins
• One hand supporting the tail
• Keep the fish horizontal — never vertical

Why horizontal matters: Vertical holding stresses the jaw and can damage internal organs, especially in larger fish. It’s how they naturally swim; it’s how they should be held.

What NOT to Touch

• Gills: Extremely fragile. Damage prevents oxygen absorption. Never touch them.
• Eyes: Highly sensitive. Can cause permanent damage.
• Gill plates: Sharp edges can cut you, and pressure can damage the fish.
• Don’t squeeze the belly: Internal organ damage.

Removing Hooks

Easy Removals (Hook Visible in Lip or Mouth)

1. Keep the fish in water if possible (in the net)
2. Grasp the hook by the bend (curved part), not the shank
3. Back the hook out the same way it went in
4. With barbless hooks, a simple twist often releases the hook

Difficult Removals

If the hook is deep in the throat or stomach, here’s what research shows:

Cutting the line results in higher survival than forced removal.

Studies have found:

• Fish with hooks left in (line cut) had 99% survival rates
• Fish that underwent forced deep hook removal had significantly higher mortality

Best practice for deep hooks: Cut the line as close to the hook as possible. The fish can encapsulate the hook with scar tissue, and non-stainless hooks will eventually corrode. Never yank or dig out deeply embedded hooks.

Minimising Air Exposure

This is critical: air exposure should ideally be 10 seconds or less.

Think of it this way: a fish out of water is holding its breath after running a race. They’ve just expended massive energy fighting you and desperately need oxygen to recover — not less of it.

What happens during air exposure:

• Gills collapse without water support
• Oxygen absorption stops
• Carbon dioxide accumulates
• Blood becomes acidic
• Cell damage begins

At 3 minutes of air exposure, mortality can reach 40%. Many fish that “swim away fine” after extended air exposure die within 24-48 hours.

The “hold your breath” test: Take a breath when you lift the fish. When you need to breathe, the fish has been out too long.

Taking Photos Without Harming Fish

If you want photos, preparation is everything:

Before landing:

• Camera/phone ready and accessible
• Settings adjusted (no fumbling)
• Helper briefed on their role

The quick photo technique:

1. Keep fish in water while unhooking
2. Camera person counts down: “3, 2, 1, lift”
3. Lift, click, back in water
4. Target under 10 seconds
5. Get ONE good shot rather than multiple attempts

Better alternatives:

• Photograph the fish in the water while still in the net
• Keep fish partially submerged
• “Release shots” — fish swimming away
• Skip the photo entirely if the fish is gut-hooked or distressed

Reviving Exhausted Fish

Sometimes fish need help recovering before they can swim away. Signs a fish needs revival:

• Won’t swim away when released
• Tips over or rolls to the side
• Gills not moving normally
• Appears exhausted or lethargic

In Moving Water (Rivers/Streams)

1. Hold the fish upright facing into the current
2. Support under the belly, grip the tail lightly
3. Keep mouth and gills submerged
4. Allow water to flow naturally through gills
5. Do NOT move the fish back and forth — this pushes water backward through the gills

In Still Water

1. Move the fish gently in a figure-eight or forward circular motion
2. Only move forward — never backward
3. From a boat, you can slowly motor forward with the fish in the water beside you

Signs the fish is ready:

• Strong tail kicks
• Tries to escape your grip
• Gills working normally
• Maintains upright position independently

Let the fish swim away on its own. Don’t throw or toss it back.

UK and US Regulations

UK Requirements

In the UK, virtually all coarse fish must be returned alive. This isn’t just best practice — it’s the law. Specific regulations include:

• Mandatory catch and release for salmon on many rivers
• Bass: minimum conservation size 42cm with seasonal restrictions
• Foul-hooked fish must be immediately released
• Extra caution required when water exceeds 21°C (70°F)

US Regulations

Regulations vary by state and species:

• Some species (goliath grouper, certain sharks) are catch-and-release only
• Certain states require specific tackle (circle hooks) for some species
• Size limits effectively require release of undersized fish
• Some areas require fish to remain in water (Florida tarpon over 40″)

Always check local regulations for the waters you’re fishing.

The Three Principles of Good Release

Conservation organisations worldwide agree on three core principles:

1. Minimise air exposure: Target 10 seconds or less. Keep gills submerged.

2. Eliminate contact with dry surfaces: Wet hands, rubber nets, never on hot decks/rocks/sand.

3. Reduce handling time: Work efficiently. Use dehooking tools for in-water release when possible.

Final Thoughts

Every fish you release properly is a fish that can be caught again — by you, by another angler, or by your kids years from now. It’s also a fish that continues its role in the ecosystem: predator, prey, spawner.

Good catch-and-release isn’t about following rules. It’s about respecting the resource that provides us with so much enjoyment. The few extra seconds of care make the difference between a fish that survives and one that doesn’t.

Handle them well. They’ve earned it.