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Making Waves Winter 2020
Tips for Landing & Releasing Stripers
By Captain Barry Gibson
Anglers are releasing more striped bass than ever before. Here’s a guide to fish-friendly tactics for safely landing and getting them back in the water to grow and fight again.
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n light of 2019’s “slot limit” on striped bass, which in most states is between 28” and 35”, many anglers are now releasing more stripers than they have in years past. So, it might be useful to review some effective techniques for safely landing a bass and getting it back into the water unharmed. In my opinion, a landing net is the best tool for capturing a hooked striper and lifting it into a boat. I use an inexpensive aluminum model with a hoop measuring 18” by 24” that sports a 36” handle and a twine mesh bag that’s 24” deep. It works fine for bass up to about 40 inches or so.
For truly huge stripers, the kind Making Waves publisher Gary Caputi routinely catches, heavyduty nets such as the new carbon fiber models offered by Bubba Fishing Tackle, cost a little more but will handle fish up to 75 pounds. Some manufacturers offer “release” nets made with smooth, knotless rubber mesh that’s less likely to scrape off the fish’s protective slime as it flops around. In addition, many release nets feature bags with flat bottoms that help support the fish horizontally while the hook is removed. Release nets are very fish-friendly. However,
