The Tip Of The Iceberg, Fish Handling!

August 28, 2016 ODU Admin From The Desks of the ODU Writers Comments Off on The Tip Of The Iceberg, Fish Handling!

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The Tip Of The Iceberg, Fish Handling 1I’m Guilty as charged ….. The issue of properly handling fish after the catch is all our responsibility. From the moment you get bit to when it’s released we all play a part in making sure the fish gets back healthy, this goes for the weekend angler to the Dept of Fish & Game and everyone in between.  What I’m hoping to do is get people thinking about how we care and handle our fish.  Let’s look at some of these issues, Boat flippin a fish and bouncing it on the deck, laying a fish on the carpet to get a picture, culling fish on the deck and punching holes in a fish’s mouth. Here’s another one, you’re having the day of your life and you want the 5 big fish picture, I know this makes an awesome shot but the problem is during the summer when water temps are high the risk of carrying a bunch of fish all day could put undue strain on them, unless you’re fishing a Tournament why not just snap a picture of the big ones as you catch them? The tip of the “ICEBERG “ is the F&G mishandling of Tournament caught fish …. 

.. There’s been lots of talk about holding a large fish by the mouth with just one hand and possibly breaking the jaw. I’m sure we could come up with a bunch more ways fish are being mishandled by the everyday fisherman and all the way up the chain.

The Tip Of The Iceberg, Fish Handling 2 The list goes on….here’s some solutions: 

This applies mostly to the Tournament guys using culling markers that punch holes in the fishes jaws….You’ve all caught fish with a hole in its jaw from this occurring, using a clip type culling device would be a better alternative. Being prepared to take your pictures is another way to get your fish back in the water quickly. Have a tripod and a camera with a timer always ready to get the picture session over as fast as you can. We must be careful not to damage the protective film they have on their bodies which can lead to infection.                                                                                                                     

On the topic of holding Big Fish with one hand, I would suggest it would apply to any fish if you’re flexing the jaw outward. The best case would be to support the fish with two hands-one in the mouth and one under the belly. I still think if you hold the fish with one hand and let all the weight hang straight down, you’ll be fine so long as you don’t torque the jaw. One would venture to say that many of the Pros on tour are the worst offenders. How many times have you seen the guys hold a fish in the air while shaking his fist after a win?The Tip Of The Iceberg, Fish Handling 3

Most of the big Tournaments do a good job of the weigh in process but do they know what happens to the fish by F&G during the transporting and final release? I’ve seen video documentation where mishandling has occurred. So you see it’s not just the everyday angler that has to do a better job of protecting the resource.  Look most of you guys know what I’m trying to convey. I’m not pointing fingers at anyone or trying to indict any organizations. I’m guilty as charged on many of these issues as well. The point is let’s all try harder when it comes to fish handling and caring for the fish we all love to catch.

Chomp On, my friends

By Danny Barker

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