10 Fish Handling Tips

Taken from the Alberta Hunter Education Instructors’ Association Alberta Fishing Education Program

- Using barbless hooks will make hook removal much easier and cause less damage to the fish. Pinch down the barb with needle-nosed pliers before you begin fishing.

- Using a single hook vs. a treble hook will make removing hooks easier and cause less damage to the fish.

- Using a soft, rubber mesh net is a good way to quickly and safely land a fish.

- When netting a fish in moving water, try to stand downstream of the fish and allow the current to move it towards the net.

- Once netted, keep the fish in the water and preferably keep its head pointed into the current.

- By using a net, an angler will be able to keep a fish in the water while the hook is removed. Using a net also reduces the amount of handling of the fish.

- Remove hooks as quickly as possible. If it is not easy to remove the hook quickly without harming the fish, cut the line and release the fish.

- Working with a partner can reduce handling time of a fish to be released.

- Never lie a fish on a dry surface (e.g., dock, shoreline, bottom of boat).

- When ice fishing, gently put the fish head first in the open hole in the ice and move the fish back and forth in the water until revived before releasing.

How long should you hold a fish out of the water?

A fish has no lungs—the moment it comes out of the water, it stops “breathing.” You should allow only at the most 5 seconds when holding a fish out of the water.

New research indicates that holding a fish outside water for 30 seconds reduces its chances of survival by 30 percent, and 60 seconds outside water reduces survival by 70 percent.

These fish handling tips are excerpted from the Alberta Hunter Education Instructors’ Association (AHEIA) Alberta Fishing Education Program. The program is available FREE (for now) to new anglers and to anyone wishing to brush up on their fishing knowledge. Topics cover lots of useful territory—from ethics, the legal stuff, and safety all the way to necessary equipment, fishing techniques, and even how to prepare and cook your catch.

Interested? Start something new at: www.aheia.com/online-training