Release Them Right
- Thread starter jwood99
- Start date
fishbadger
Active Member
Sorry, didn't mean to strike a nerve!
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wolf
Well-Known Member
You fish the way YOU want to fish ,I fish the way I want to fish . I tell you right now you let DFO into your tackle box you WILL open up a huge can of worms, TRUST me you dont want it. Just do what you you do for now as it may not last long take it for what it is till its no longer.
Also Salt and fresh water is 2 totally diferent fisheries you cant even compare the two.
searun
Well-Known Member
The attached Exec Summary is quick reading. There were a number of research findings, including some what I would consider to be high mortality rates associated to specific fishing gear and fish handling practices. Also a correlation to the size of fish being released - smaller fish did not fair as well as larger fish. I wasn't privy to the presentation at your local SFAC, but am quite familiar with the research work.
I think this research points very clearly to our community needing to adopt best practices to manage our post release mortality. It is highly likely DFO will take this seriously, and if we stick our heads in the sand because we like certain ways of fishing and handling fish that are to be released that will not end well for our future opportunities. Others (not DFO) will make sure of that. We can't wishful think our way out of this one IMO.
I think this research points very clearly to our community needing to adopt best practices to manage our post release mortality. It is highly likely DFO will take this seriously, and if we stick our heads in the sand because we like certain ways of fishing and handling fish that are to be released that will not end well for our future opportunities. Others (not DFO) will make sure of that. We can't wishful think our way out of this one IMO.
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I am afraid they are going to study this to death, and when i mean death I mean the death of the sports fishery. All we can do as anglers is to put the fish first when releasing and try to use these best practices methods as much as possible. The method of releasing in the water having the best outcome is nothing new. I going to date myself but i remember Alec Merriman writing about this in the Victoria newspaper many years ago. He suggested making your own releasing gaff by using a 2 to 3 foot wooden stick with a large salmon hook attached to the end and cutting the point off and the barb. the hook is smaller than a regular gaff and can go into the fishes mouth to release the hook if deeper in the mouth vs a regular gaff.
Whole in the Water
Well-Known Member
That the kind of release gaff I use, simple and effective with single hooks.
EstevanPoint
Active Member
If anyone reads that document, I think most of us would not be surprised to see the results. And @Hardy Guy that's an important point - "Most anglers with any experience" - but there are roughly 250k licenses sold every year, and its pretty obvious that there are not 250k experienced anglers.
I think this work is important for the weekend warrior angler, or someone who may be new to the game, and not as invested as many on this site. Many of us here live and breathe this stuff, and so much of what they've "learned" with these studies is confirming things that the angling community has already learned through thousands of anglers and many, many decades of experience for many on the coast and on this site. The info from these studies are for the many anglers who don't share this collective knowledge that many of us have, because they aren't as invested.
You know who else doesn't have the collective knowledge of anglers? DFO. So, these studies are important to inform fishery managers that gear and methods can be modified within fisheries to improve release outcomes. Otherwise, we end up with the continued trend of over-regulation to account for the "precautionary" approach. There are more ways to reduce fishery mortality than turning on and off fisheries. Without empirical data, DFO won't have the option to listen.
DFO has already been in the tackle box to manage the fishery. Barbed hooks are not allowed to be used. Why, pretty simple. Changing practices around things like treble hooks is no different. There is a mortality effect. Plain and simple. Given the option, which would you rather have in your face. Pretty easy answer to me.
Smaller percentage points matter in fishery decisions now. If we can shave a couple % mortality off estimates that could mean the difference between fisheries opening and closing... I'd rather fish with a smaller single hook than not be fishing.
I think this work is important for the weekend warrior angler, or someone who may be new to the game, and not as invested as many on this site. Many of us here live and breathe this stuff, and so much of what they've "learned" with these studies is confirming things that the angling community has already learned through thousands of anglers and many, many decades of experience for many on the coast and on this site. The info from these studies are for the many anglers who don't share this collective knowledge that many of us have, because they aren't as invested.
You know who else doesn't have the collective knowledge of anglers? DFO. So, these studies are important to inform fishery managers that gear and methods can be modified within fisheries to improve release outcomes. Otherwise, we end up with the continued trend of over-regulation to account for the "precautionary" approach. There are more ways to reduce fishery mortality than turning on and off fisheries. Without empirical data, DFO won't have the option to listen.
DFO has already been in the tackle box to manage the fishery. Barbed hooks are not allowed to be used. Why, pretty simple. Changing practices around things like treble hooks is no different. There is a mortality effect. Plain and simple. Given the option, which would you rather have in your face. Pretty easy answer to me.
Smaller percentage points matter in fishery decisions now. If we can shave a couple % mortality off estimates that could mean the difference between fisheries opening and closing... I'd rather fish with a smaller single hook than not be fishing.
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