Having to keep a fish out of the water to take a picture, often in temperatures well below zero, was the primary reason I quit entering our ice fishing contest. I decided it wasn’t worth the risk to the fish. That said, I would be the first one to admit that I could do a better job of releasing fish unharmed while ice fishing.
1. While ice fishing, the water temperature is cool and uniform. This favors water oxygenation. One of the killers in C&R of trout caught in lakes during the summer is catching them in deep, cold water below the thermocline and dragging them to the warm, relatively unoxygenated water of the surface. It doesn’t matter how lovingly you release some of these, you will lose many. The DWR goes so far as to suggest maybe not C&Ring some of these fish caught during the hottest time of the year. This is a problem you do not have to deal with during ice fishing! I am confident that the cutts I catch in Strawberry through the ice have a much greater survival than the ones that people are dredging up from the deeps in August, regardless of the method the August angler employs.
Strawberry is a high enough elevation, I am not sure how often the water temp gets above 75°.
Getting the fish in quick is even more important in warmer water. Fish are cold blooded and will always expend more energy in warmer water. So it makes sense that they will fight harder too. The harder they fight, the more energy they expend and the more lactic acid they will produce.
Besides building up lactic acid, a fighting fish uses up oxygen. They can become out of breath just like us. The quicker he’s brought in, the less out of breath he’ll be and the more likely he’ll be able to swim away without the need to be revived. Some people scoff at this notion because fish don’t breathe through their mouths (note that some species such as catfish are capable of breathing through their mouths). They don’t think about the fact that fish have lungs and a heart just as we do. When we’re out of breath, it’s because we’ve used up a lot of oxygen. We breathe faster to take in more air and our hearts beat faster to get the needed oxygen replenished throughout our bodies. Fish are no different, but they are not as well equipped to catch their breath.
(Play fish quickly
Try to land your fish as quickly as possible and don’t play the fish to exhaustion. This is particularly important when fishing for trout in periods of warmer water temperatures (greater than 70 degrees F), but it is also true for coolwater and warmwater species, when water temperatures are relatively high (greater than 80 degrees F). Keep in mind that as water temperatures warm, dissolved oxygen levels in the water decline. Therefore, fish are subject to stress and exhaustion in a much shorter period of time at 70 degrees compared to 55-degree water temperatures.)
3. As a rule, it seems to be a rare occurrence to have a fish “swallow the hook” while ice fishing. (Yes, it can occasionally happen, but most of my fish are caught right in the snout). Most of these fish are much more easily released than a deep hooked summer fish.
Is this true also with multi poles? Where the fish has more time to suck that bait all the way in?
**4. Obviously, common sense holds true that the same good C&R technique applies whether in summer or winter!
**
All the studies I have read state extreme hot and extreme cold are equally bad.
The hot thing keeps coming up as well.
For those that think they are NOT that fragile, I think they are.
They might be planters, but where do big fish come from?
AND those that prefer to eat their catch…what time is dinner?
every one makes a great point and every one comes up with the same thing just in different words. Well to me any way… So just a thought if putting them on ice, snow, dirt, gras and ect. Deminishes the protective slime layer on the fish what about plastic as even when plastic is at it’s coldest it’s usually still warmer than the air due to the reflective nature of it.. Now I’m saying usually I know not in all cases but usually. So anyway back to my question what about laying them on plastic as it is geraly warmer to the touch and has a slicker surface and tends to not colect debris so easily.. Would putting them on plastic be beter for them??? And I personaly think just my two cents that when you just play the fish to tire it out is what kills them the most in my experience.. It does any way I mean after you just ran a guy like my self runs a marithon I aout fall over and die from being flat wore out.. And I am really positive that a fish is the same way but if you muscle them in and just get the fight over with I think the survival rate is increased.. And as for the snow being harmfull for the cold factor.. Do this go get your hand wet and put it in the snow for the duration of oh say long enough to unhook a fish and snap a pic then remove it and wiggle it around it warms back to temp rather quickly.. Same as a fish would as I would think after you put it back in the water and swims off if it got any colder than it already was when removed then it goes back to temp just fine I would think.. But what do I know..
I don’t necessarily know for sure either, so I try to error on the safe for the fish side and give them the best chance I can. Logically it seems like wet plastic would be less of a detriment to the mucus layer. Dry anything would probably not be too good. I know that in doing studies and other measurements a “trough” is often used. I would assume that it is plastic, but I don’t know for sure. Probably makes it easier to measure though.
I don’t know that there is any best way. Just do the best you can.
If at all possible I try not to even touch the fish just pull it out enough to get the hook out, sometimes the fish doesn’t even leave the water totally. If I want a pic then yes I will hold it up with wet hands get the pic and let it go. I would think the fish produces the protective slime constantly as i’m sure it is constantly rubbing it off while in the water against underwater structure. All in all do the best you can to release it safely and know you did the best you could to give it a better chance at survival. Everyone has there own thoughts on what is the right way and wrong way the only thing everyone agrees on is minimal handling.
not directed twords any one I just chose cpierce as a reply because it was the closest reply button… Any way I just got off the phone with my brother as we always talk about fishing and fish because we are bolth avid fishermen not pros but we like to fish and we do it alot! Was talking to him about the whole slime thing and we bolth came to the conclusion that even if some of the slime is removed during the catch and release then it probly isn’t as harmfull as every one is making it seem! Now hear me out.. The reason we came to this conclusion is if the slime being removed was teribly bad then they would swim them selfs to death they rub the bottom it takes of slime they rub against a rock in the water it takes off slime and so on I am very positive that the fish reproduce there slime layer at a fast rate… Exspecialy trout… As I have noticed every time I have caught a trout that I wanted to take home to eat.. When it sits there dead for a few minuts it starts getting very slimey so even when they are dead there skin poors produce that gue all the time it’s in my opinion not as huge as an issue as every one makes it out to be… I mean I am very positive that not every one handles fish properly on a regular basis it may seem right to them but is it really maby maby not who is to say other than the person doing it they guy next to him could think it’s wrong and his way is right and so on..
RE “Strawberry is a high enough elevation, I am not sure how often the water temp gets above 75°.”
Maybe not 75 degrees, but it will often hit 70 during August heatwaves. And I have repeatedly read that 70 degrees is when the danger zone is hit with trout. (as the source you quoted indicated) The other problem is the temperature gradient. When a fish is yanked from below the cold thermocline to the warm surface, that induces fairly major physiologic stress on the fish. Both the high water temps and the severe gradient are not factors when ice fishing, which is a good thing.
RE “Is this true also with multi poles? Where the fish has more time to suck that bait all the way in?”
Valid point. If an angler is not actively fishing a second rod, there would be increased risk, but the way an ice fishing bite is, they still don’t seem to swallow the hook nearly as much as during the summer. It might be a good idea though if an angler was only doing C&R on the hard deck, to fish just one rod.
RE "All the studies I have read state extreme hot and extreme cold are equally bad.
The hot thing keeps coming up as well. "
Certainly, no argument there.
Finally, whether they are “fragile” or not, handle with care and you can be fairly confident that the fish you release, summer or winter, will be back for you to catch on the next trip.
Soooo, lets shut up and go fishing…
Sounds good to me!
Merry Christmas all.
Oh, one other thing I read about depth, as it was brought up. When fishing deep, do like scuba divers. Reel up a few feet then pause. Let the fish adjust on the way up.
They recommend this for anything over 30’.
I learned allot because of this thread…he, he, he
Bottom line to me, I figure theres a VERY HIGH chance fish will die when I go[;)] Thats assuming i find them though lol. Only cause there going to end up my frying pan[:p]
Seems like I seen a pic of a big Palamino on the snow one time on here???
Ya know I love ya Flygoddess…
[;)][;)]
Definitely gotta agree with ya on that one. I have seen some very poor examples of good fish handling. On a recent In Fisherman program they hoisted a large lake trout (mack) out of the hole by the gills and then held it vertically…by the gills. It was visibly bleeding and when they released it “unharmed” there was quite a bit of blood on the ice next to the hole. I wouldn’t take any bets on the chances for survival for that fish./quote]
I saw that episode too! I was shocked to see how that fish was handled. The guy even tried to wipe some blood off of the fish. I guess to make sure the presentation looked good.[crazy]
I say be careful, don’t handle the fish too much, thank it for the ride, and release it. If it is visibly injured, I take it home and eat it.
Got me on that one. And from what I understand, there is nothing wrong with this as it was done very quickly…look at the water dripping off the fish[;)]
Seems like I seen a pic of a big Palamino on the snow one time on here???
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Ya know I love ya Flygoddess…
[;)][;)]
Big difference between snow on a bank and ice in the middle of a lake.
Hmmm, seems like both are frozen water to me? Seems both remove protective coats… Its not like she doesnt know how to handle fish, she does. Just a little jab in fun.
Ha ha…and that frozen water makes great Margaritas…
Good point there though.
In the articles I read it was more about fish flopping around on ICE not snow. It said they can bruise themselves and harm internal organs.
But I am sure snow can remove some slime as well.
I find it interesting that know one has brought up the fact that ICE AND SNOW are highly abrasive. Remember getting white washed when you were a kid after the snow has had a couple days to melt? Remember how it hurt like hell and scratched the skin? I think anyone really being honest with their selves will realize it’s not going to help the fish out so why do it. It also has a lot to due with the snow conditions, lately with the warm temps, slush and how much water can be around your hole it’s probably not a real biggie.
And like mentioned the “gilling” of fish that are “released unharmed” is what really pisses me off and makes for a stupid argument on the "gillers’’ side.
Oh and before y’all beat up on the fly fisherman take into consideration that I swing both ways… Fly on the soft water and often bait on the hard deck.
When spawning out fish that are going to be released . Sometimes they measure and weight them and sometimes tag them . Sounds like a lot of handling . I wonder what the mortality rate is on them . Curt G.
I find it interesting that know one has brought up the fact that ICE AND SNOW are highly abrasive. Remember getting white washed when you were a kid after the snow has had a couple days to melt? Remember how it hurt like hell and scratched the skin? I think anyone really being honest with their selves will realize it’s not going to help the fish out so why do it. It also has a lot to due with the snow conditions, lately with the warm temps, slush and how much water can be around your hole it’s probably not a real biggie.
And like mentioned the “gilling” of fish that are “released unharmed” is what really pisses me off and makes for a stupid argument on the "gillers’’ side.
Oh and before y’all beat up on the fly fisherman take into consideration that I swing both ways… Fly on the soft water and often bait on the hard deck.
The reason the ice likely hurts you is because your skin is not covered in slime. Nor is it covered in thousands of tiny scales. This is a lesson in friction. The reason I believe that trout are fine if you let them sit on the ice or slide them accross the ice is that the friction is so minimal it is hard for me to see much damage being done. That is why they slide.
Not trying to get a rise out of anyone but fish mortality is part of fishing - just do your best to save the fish you don’t want to keep and fish on.