David Anderson is the Enforcement Supervisor for the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) in Red Lake District and has worked as a Conservation Officer in Northwestern Ontario for over 23 years.


Q. I was out fishing with some of my friends last summer and several of the fish we tried to release died. Do you have any tips on how to successfully release a fish.

A. I am pleased that you have enough concern for the fish to ask this question.

It is often necessary to release a fish because it is too small to keep, illegal to keep, of a prohibited length limit, a species you aren't targeting or one you do not wish to take home to eat. In these cases, releasing fish unharmed or practicing catch and release, is a conservation measure, which contributes to fish populations rather than decreasing them.

Proper care before releasing a fish will increase its chances of survival.

Fish may appear tough, but they are really quite fragile. With a little care and by following these simple guidelines, you can give the fish a better chance of survival.

Keep the fish in water as much as possible as fish can only hold their breath as long as you can. Wind and other elements can damage their skin too.

Wet your hands before touching the fish so that you don't remove the slime coat that protects the fish from infections and fungus. Don't handle the fish any longer than you have to. Be gentle and try not to drop the fish. Bouncing a fish off the carpet or bottom of the boat destroys its protective slime.

Never hold a fish throught the gills or stick your fingers in their eyes. For a larger fish, give support to the body under the wrist of the tail and the belly so that you are not holding the fish's weight in a vertical manner. Failure to hold them in this manner can cause damage to their internal organs.

Do not rip or tear out hooks. Gently remove by backing off the barb or use needle nosed pliers. If the fish is deeply hooked just cut the line and release the fish. If it is a large plug, try to carefully remove the majority of the lure from the hook.

The hook will eventually come out. If the fish is not legal size, and it appears injured you will still have to cut the line and release it anyway as that it is law. If it is a legal size fish, albeit a small one that is injured, the right thing to do is add it to your creel, as long as you are still within your limit.

Try to land the fish you catch quickly. Don't wear it out by making it fight longer than it has to as the fish expends so much energy it may not recover and won't have a chance for survival if released. Gently release the fish back into the water. Do not throw or toss the fish.

Don't use stringers for fish that you intend to release because they destroy their gill filaments.

Regardless of where the stringer is placed in the fish, there is no good way to use one. They all do damage the lips, gills, etc. Sticking your fingers in the gills is also bad for them.

Fish kept in a live well for any length of time will decrease its chances of survival if released. While they appear to swim away they often die after a short time. This is mainly due to stress and injuries but also infections and diseases, which can be caught in the live well when the fish are in close proximity.

Another factor to consider is the depth of the water in which you are fishing.

Many fish (such as walleye, perch and bass) caught in depths greater than 25 feet can not equalize their internal pressure when quickly retrieved to the surface. If you are finding that your fish are not surviving when you are fishing in deeper water then the best solution is to fish in shallower water.


If anyone has a question for the Conservation Officer (CO) you may reach him at dave.h.anderson@mnr.gov.on.ca or telephone him at 807-727-1393. All submissions are confidential.


Article from The Outdoors Guide by Dave Anderson.