Catch and Release - Another side of Trout Fishing

Trout Fishing

What to do if you decide to release your fish

OK....if you've followed this blog, you know you are near the end of your learning curve. In fact, this is the final entry in the trout fishing series. This entry delves into what to do once you've decided to catch and release. Catch and release is a great idea to help preserve the wild trout populations. Wild trout can always use a hand for their survival.

With that said, let's get to it. What to do with a fish once you have caught it and want to release it.

 

First, trout are kind of like ducks, in that they have a protective coating. Yep, that sliminess on their skin? It's actually there for a reason. This coating can be damaged by handling the fish too much. Touching them removes this protective coating in that spot. In fact, a hand touching their skin will actually 'burn' the fish. 'Catch and release' is a great idea and fairly simple to do. It just takes a bit understanding of some easy but important things to do and not do.

First, I wet my hands before even attempting to remove the hook. Second, if the hook is visible, I try to keep the fish in the water as I grasp the hook with my needle nose pliers. I try to do so at the curve of the hook as that affords me better control of the hook. I then gently remove the hook from the fish by pulling in the opposite direction of how the hook went in.

If the fish has swallowed the hook (which is more common in aggressive of hungry fish) and I cannot reach it, I cut the line. Note the picture on the left....I show this picture, because if the fish jumps from his hand after cutting the line or removing the hook? It can damage that fish's buoyancy bladder and maybe even kill the fish. Remove the hook with 'the fish still in the water.'


Now, I know this seems hard to do with a wiggling fish, but when necessary, I find that using a net helps me control the fish while I cut the line or remove the hook.

I try to remove the hook or cut the line without tugging on it very much. Pulling on the line can tear the insides of my fish and it's chances of survival drop way down.

I always keep the fish in the water the entire time for it's own protection. Also (and this is very important) I DO NOT squeeze the fish. (like you see the fellow doing in the picture, holding two fish in one hand) The reason is that if I do, it may cause internal bleeding which in turn leads to a really painful death for that fish.

Once I have the hook out or the line cut, I hold the fish gently upright until it regains it's balance. Once it has, I guide it until it is facing upstream. When the fish is ready? it will just swim away on it's own. I NEVER toss the fish back in or drop it from the sides of the boat or a bank. Doing that, (as I said above) I could damage or burst it's internal air bladders. A fish uses these internal bladders to control it's underwater buoyancy, so if I am doing the above from a boat or a stream bank, I let the fish swim out of the net on it's own.

 
Once the fish swims away, I keep an eye on it for a minute or so to be sure it is fine and then return to my fishing. Some fish recover slower than others, but most often, if I have done my job right? With a flip of their tail, they dive down and are gone anyway.

Well, that's all there is to it. What do you think? Are you ready to get out there and catch some fish? I say yes.

You have learned the basics of how to fish, where to fish and why. I pronounce you now fishermen and women.  I charge you to go out with your new found knowledge and I say to one and all: "Good luck, now go catch some trout."

Thanks for reading and I'll see you on the trail--

Trout Fishing Success!

You've caught your fish

Time to make a decision

If I intend to keep my fish I have just caught, I first need to know if it is legal size and that I have the correct stamp or tag for it. I consult my regulations again if I've forgotten. If my fish is legal size, then there are a couple of things to do to prepare my fish.


If it is a smaller fish, say 7 or 8 inches in length, (these are the perfect size to pan fry whole) I simply clean these fish, rinse them thoroughly inside and out and either place it in my creel or attach it to my fish stringer.

If you are not familiar with how to clean a fish, it is pretty simple. 

I hold the fish upside down (belly facing up) and look for the small hole on it's belly near the tail. Using a small thin bladed knife, I insert my knife here and cut very shallowly from that point forward, up the belly to the gills. 

Once I have the fish open, I simply remove the insides and rinse thoroughly, making sure to look for any blood pockets along the spine or anywhere on the meat. Once I'm satisfied the fish is clean, l place it in my creel or on my stringer. If the fish is longer than say 11 or 12 inches, I'm going to fillet these.

 

To fillet my fish, I clean it out exactly the same as any other fish and again place in my creel or on my stringer. I do the filleting once I am done fishing. 

To fillet, I lay the fish on it's side on a hard surface like a cutting board. Holding the head with one hand, I lay my knife blade nearly flat against the side of the fish, right behind the gills. 

Slowly I slice into the fish until I feel the blade touch bone. Pulling the blade back ever so slightly, I now semi flatten the blade (almost sideways with the fish) with the blade facing the tail.  With one sweeping motion I slice the side of the fish from the gills to the tail, removing my fillet. 

If I've done it correctly, I should have a nice piece of fish in one hand and now see a very clean row of bones from the gills to the tail. I turn the fish over and repeat for the other side. 

The first couple of times you try this, will not look so good, and you will leave some meat on the fish or include some of the bones with your fresh fillet but I promise, you will get better. Look at it this way....if your first cut takes some bones along.....the fillet from the other side of the fish is going to have far fewer bones. 

A point to note: If I do shave off some of the bones, I am careful to remove them before packaging my fillets.

Now, get these fillets on ice if you are not going to cook them right then. That's all there is to it.

Next up: Catch and release

Setting the Hook - Don't let that Trout get away!

Setting the Hook

Takes some finesse

Once you are for sure that you have a fish on the line ( the rod tip bent over to the water surface is a good indicator), you now have to set the hook. 

Setting the hook as I said takes some finesse. Try it too early (while the fish is still nibbling but does not have the hook in his mouth) and I jerk it away and the fish swims off. Do it too late (after he has taken the bait) and I risk the chance of ripping the hook right out of their mouth.

So, to be done right, here's what I do.  When I feel the first nibbling, I wait. I am waiting for a kind of solid tug. If I wait until I feel a this tug, then maybe even a second or third one, O am pretty much guaranteed the bait is in the fish's mouth. At that point, I quickly set the hook by snapping my rod upwards. Not so hard that I chance ripping the hook free, but just hard enough to 'set' the hook firmly in the fish's mouth.

Once I know my fish is hooked, I reel in slowly, keeping my rod tip higher than my head. The reason is, lowering the tip, creates slack in the line and the fish can sometime shake themselves off. I keep tension on the line with a combination of using the pole's natural flexing and keeping the rod tip up until I have reeled the fish in. Never be in a hurry, part of fishing is feeling the fight of these fish, as they love to fight and jump.

 

As my fish gets close to me (if I am in the stream), or on the shore I simply slide my net under the fish and bring it in.

Next up: Catch and release or keep your fish? I will cover both scenarios

Spring Bass Fishing - Mighty Bite Lures are my choice

What to use in the spring

Everyone has their favorite rig for catching Bass, and I am no different. I like to put something in the water, that will number one? Excite the fish. Number two, it will excite them well enough that it triggers the 'strike' mode. Some folks prefer plastics. Truth is, what you fish with and how, is dependent upon the water clarity, temperature and even the time of day.

If it's muddy, I  fish in the daylight and use brightly colored baits (we'll get to what 'kind' in a bit) but if the water is clear, (regardless of the air and water temperature) I fish from midnight to dawn. (the time of moonrise and moon set) 

The spring is the time when the Bass will move to the shallower waters to feed. There's plenty of bait fish available,  mostly in the form of sunfish or crawfish.  The big Bass will feed in these shallow waters, but dependent upon water temperature it may be after dark. That's why I fish from midnight to dawn. So be alert as you look for places to fish, for places like spawning beds or areas with a lot of cover. That's an excellent time to fish with top baits. The reason I fish with top bait in the shallows is: with the spawn over, the Bass are feeding heavily right now in those areas.

To catch the big ones, I have learned that the bigger and clunkier the bait? The better the Bass will strike. (I learned this in a Striper Bass derby in Arizona) Bass will strike at most anything that resembles food. One rig I use for this is the Might Bite Fishing System lure. I can use it for top bait, rig it on a Texas or Carolina jig or just plain jig it on it's own

I can get away with using this lure these many different ways because fish work off five main senses. Sight, (the lure looks like a wounded bait fish) sound (the rattles I can place in the lure) smell, (scent sticks I will use) feel (the lure even feels like a bait fish) and taste (again, the scent stick will draw them in)

It's a complete system that's proven to be effective on most any predatory fish, Bass included. The lure set up comes complete with interchangeable scent sticks and swim fins. What that means to you and I, is that I can change the scent stick or swim fins to create more or less scent being left in the water and what type of movement I want from my lure. Thus, the different ways I can fish just one lure.

Next up:  the Texas and Carolina Bass rigs. Which is best and how to set each one up.

Trout Fishing - Casting the line

Casting

It's an art that can be learned

 
Glad you're here today, as all of the information aside, if you don't know how to cast? You are just making your job hard and the fish smarter than they already are. So sit back and read along.

Casting sounds like it should be so easy, and if you have a huge flat lake to cast into or maybe you are on a flat bank with no trees or brush around you, you might be right. But the truth is, most people have a really difficult time casting. 

Starting with the basics, I recommend an open face reel for one simple reason. It's less likely to tangle if I am fishing with jigs, spoons or lures. I don't use a heavy line either, 4-8 lb. line is sufficient.

So, I will recap from the previous blog....my bait is securely on the end of the hook, I am in position to cast. What to do, what to do? First, as I described earlier, when fishing upstream I always cast upstream and allow the bait to float towards where I think or know the fish are. To do this is easy but takes some practice. 

So here are some pointers: Remember, its also best to try this at home BEFORE you go fishing by using that small rubber weight in the end of your line, just to practice.

I imagine the the stream as the face of a clock. Dead ahead of me is the 12 'O clock position. Depending upon where I want my bait to go, I cast to the 11:00 position or the 1:00 position. (to the right or the left of me and the hole or pocket or pool I am aiming to drift into). I don't necessarily have to cast very far upstream, but I have to be able to put my hook (bait or lure) where I want it and that takes practice.

I now have the placement in my head of where I want my hook to land. I bring the tip of the rod up in the air (keeping in mind any obstructions around or behind me)  I open the bail on the reel (to allow the line to spool out during my cast)  but I hold that line (which is now free), with my thumb so that it does not spool out just yet. When I am ready, I quickly flip the rod tip over my head towards to stream. I release the line with my thumb when the pole is past the top of the arc. (the arc being the direction the rod travels from behind me to the front of me). As the pole travels over my head and forward, I allow my forward motion of my rod, to stop when it is level with the surface of the water or maybe slightly less than level. Learning which is more comfortable, (level with the stream or lower) is an art.

My lure or bait will now travel easily out to the distance my cast allows and hopefully plop in the water where I want it, barring any wind. 

Once my bait or lure are in the water, I close the bail on the reel and get ready to fish. At this point, it is easy to get anxious, but instead, I just let my bait or lure drift while keeping my rod tip level. 

As my bait or lure passes me and the slack in the line begins to disappear, I feel a slight tug as the line begins to tighten up. ( My lure is now against the current as opposed to "with" the current). Those small pulls on my rod can mean any number of things: Possibly a fish is nibbling on my bait /lure, or it could just be bouncing along the bottom. I never worry though, because if it is a trout? The rod tip will try to be pulled into the water and we all know what "fish on" means.

Next up: Setting the hook and landing that fish

If you are going fishing, you need tackle...

Buy the right tackle.

I've covered licenses, fishing creel or fish stringer, rods and reels, lures, live bait and the basics of how and where to fish a small stream. (By far the best days of trout fishing I have ever experienced have been in small streams) So let's get down to the tackle.

I always recommend using light tackle when trout fishing  Light tackle believe it or not is preferred for stream or river trout fishing  (because trout have excellent eyesight) and a lightweight rod. My rod is in the 6 to 8 lb, range and is more than sufficient. (Most poles will have that printed right on the side)  Now, if you have listened along here, you will have already rigged your rod and line BEFORE leaving your house, right?

There is nothing more frustrating than to arrive at your fishing spot and have to rig your line while watching  helplessly as fish jump all around you. Alright, 'nuff said. let's talk about weights.

I use weight with live bait when I maybe want it to drop in a pool or something before the current carries it downstream. If the fish are lazy, they won't bite unless the bait is darned near in front of them, so I want every advantage and that's why I use the weight. I want my bait right in front of the fish.

Depending upon how fast a stream or river is running, I use split shot of varying weights. To do this, I carry a small plastic container of split shot and pick one I think is appropriate (I'm sure you've seen them in the fishing departments) I also carry a small pair of needle nose pliers to crimp those weights on and off my line. I crimp them on the line just hard enough to hold them in place, but not hard enough so that I cannot adjust them for changing water depths as I fish. With the split shot, I am able to control how fast my bait will drift. Less weight more drift, more weight less drift. Make sense? 

When I place the weight on my line, I do so anywhere from a foot and a half to two feet above my hook and that can vary with stream depth. But the average small stream is only 2-3 feet deep at the most anyway so pay attention to where you place them. Now with the weight on the line, I am ready to put my live bait choice on my hook.

If I'm going to be using worms to start, there are some tricks to know about. (I touched on this earlier when I spoke of cutting the worms up). There are two schools of thought on baiting. One is to cut the worms up just enough to cover the entire hook.

The other train of thought,  (my chosen method)  is to slide the worm on the hook by inserting it through the end of the worm and sliding it up the hook until you reach the end of the hook. (I even go maybe even a teeny bit more). 

I then push the hook out of the side of the worm, just enough so that I see the hook. All that's left for me to do, is cut the rest of the worm off about a half inch or so from where the hook is exposed. This then allows my worm to "wiggle" to help attract fish.

Next up. Proper casting techniques.

Trout Fishing Using Live Bait

When to use what and why (cont.)

Fly fishing is done with artificial flies that look like insects, but that is another story. 

 Insects used as bait when casting, can be very beneficial. Personally, I've never had much luck using any live insects other grasshopper's. 

Grasshopper's make a good choice, as they will wiggle even on my hook and THAT will entice the fish. But hooking them through the abdomen is the trick, as it allows their natural movement. But, I only use them if it is windy. The reasoning is simple. Often when the wind blows it will blow the grasshoppers and other insects onto the water. Think about it, what fish isn't going to take advantage of a free meal? I use every skill available as you can see.  Who knows? Maybe in your area, "Grasshopper's" will be the magic bullet for you to catch fish!

Finally, I want to cover Egg Sacks. I save this section for last,  because I feel that they are perhaps the best way to catch trout during spawning season. I am sure you have heard people who recommend using eggs when fishing for trout during spawning season, and they would be partially right. The most common one is a salmon egg. But I find, that single, mature, salmon or fish eggs are kind of large for our purposes here. Fish eggs used in "Egg Sacks" are much smaller and sold in quantities of 10-15 eggs per sack. An excellent number for what I'm talking about today. The reason for using egg sacks is because trout will often ignore other types of baits and lures during the spawning season and will eat their eggs. (yes they eat their young.)

These egg sacks are sold in most bait and tackle shops. However,if the tackle shop doesn't have them already bundled? I bundle a dozen or so myself. When I buy the eggs, I also purchase something called 'spawn netting.' (I don't need much and it's not very expensive at all) I place about a dozen of the cured eggs into the spawn netting then tie it off. Just like that....I'm ready to attach the bundle to my hook. I take extra care though as I don't want to burst any of the eggs in either putting them in the bag, tying the bag shut or attaching it to my hook. 

Once I have the sack on my hook, I lightly cast it into the water and let it drift to the bottom on it's own. Letting it drift on it's own will imitate the natural grouping of eggs laid by a trout. I'm also prepared if I'm fishing in waters with steelhead or salmon are, as they too will strike the egg sack.

As always, I thank you for reading. Stay safe out there and I'll see you on the trail--