Catch & Release
Not every fish you catch is one you can or should keep. Whether it's a wild salmon, an undersized trout, or a species that's out of season — releasing a fish correctly is just as important a skill as catching one. A fish released badly often dies anyway. A fish released well swims off and can be caught again.
In this lesson you'll learn how to handle fish without hurting them, how to remove a hook quickly and cleanly, and how to revive a fish before letting it go.
Washington's salmon and steelhead populations depend on wild fish surviving long enough to spawn. Every wild fish you release properly is a future generation of fish for you and other anglers to catch.
Before You Even Touch the Fish
How you handle a fish in the first few seconds after landing it determines whether it survives. Get these habits down before you catch your first fish.
- Wet your hands first. Fish are coated in a protective slime layer. Dry hands strip it off and leave the fish vulnerable to infection. Dip your hands in the water before touching any fish you plan to release.
- Keep the fish in or near the water. A fish out of water is suffocating. The whole process — net to hand to hook removal to release — should take under 30 seconds if possible.
- Don't squeeze. Fish have fragile internal organs. Hold them gently but firmly — no white-knuckle grips.
- Never drop a fish on dry ground or concrete. Even a short drop can rupture internal organs and kill a fish that looks fine on the outside.
Hold your breath when the fish comes out of the water. When you need to breathe, the fish needs to go back in. That's a simple way to remember how long a release should take.
How to Hold a Fish
The right hold depends on the species. Get it wrong and you can dislocate a jaw, damage the spine, or cause internal bleeding — all invisible injuries that kill the fish hours later.
| Species | Correct Hold | What to Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Salmon & Steelhead | One hand under the belly, one hand at the tail — keep horizontal | Vertical holds by the tail — compresses the spine |
| Trout | Cradle horizontally with both hands, fingers spread under belly | Squeezing the body or holding by the gills |
| Largemouth Bass | Lip grip (thumb in mouth, fingers below jaw) — safe for bass | Lip gripping while holding the fish at a sideways angle — stresses jaw |
| Lingcod & Rockfish | Two-handed horizontal hold — use a lip grip tool, never fingers in the mouth | Fingers near the teeth — lingcod have sharp teeth and will bite |
| Any spiny fish (perch, rockfish) | Wrap a hand around the body behind the pectoral fins, avoid the dorsal spines | Grabbing from above — dorsal spines can puncture your palm |
Removing the Hook
Hook removal is where most fish get injured. The goal is to get the hook out fast, with as little digging around as possible.
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1
Use needle-nose pliers or hemostats — never dig at a hook with your fingers. A pair of long-nose pliers lets you back the hook out cleanly in seconds.
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2
Back the hook out the way it came in — don't try to push it through. Rotate the hook slightly to back the barb out of the tissue, then lift it out.
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3
If the hook is deep in the throat — cut the line as close to the hook as possible and leave it. A hook left in the throat is less damaging than tearing it out. Hooks corrode and fall out on their own within days.
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4
Use barbless hooks or crimp your barbs — barbless hooks come out in one second with no twisting. Many PNW rivers require them for salmon and steelhead. Crimping the barb with pliers takes five seconds.
Treble hooks (three hooks joined at one point) cause the most damage to fish you release. If you're fishing catch-and-release water, swap trebles for single barbless hooks. It's also a Washington regulation requirement on many rivers.
Reviving the Fish
After handling, a fish is often exhausted and may roll onto its side. It needs help recovering before it can swim away on its own. Releasing a fish that's belly-up leads to it dying shortly after.
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1
Hold the fish gently upright in the water — one hand under the belly, one lightly at the tail. Keep it facing into the current if you're in a river.
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2
Move it slowly forward and back — this pushes water over the gills. Don't thrash it back and forth. Gentle, steady movement.
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3
Wait for the fish to kick on its own — you'll feel a strong tail kick when it's ready. Let go at that moment. Don't release it until it can hold itself upright without your support.
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4
If it rolls over again — repeat the process. Some fish need several minutes, especially in warm water. Be patient.
Proper fish revival and release technique
Using a Net
A landing net makes catch-and-release safer — the fish stays in the water while you remove the hook, reducing handling time. But the wrong net can do more harm than good.
- Use a rubber or knotless mesh net. Nylon knotted nets scrape off slime and can tangle fins. Rubber nets are gentle and hooks pop out of them easily.
- Keep the net in the water while you work the hook. Don't lift the fish out of the net to remove the hook unless you have to.
- Don't drag the net across gravel or rocks — this scrapes the fish's belly.
When to Keep a Fish
Not all catch-and-release is required — keeping fish you're legally allowed to keep is a perfectly good choice. If you're going to keep a fish, kill it quickly and humanely. A fish kept alive in a bucket for hours and then dying slowly is worse for the fish than a clean, quick dispatch the moment you decide to keep it.
Wild salmon or steelhead? Release it — almost always required by law. Hatchery fish with clipped adipose fin? You can keep it if it's in season and you have a license. Undersized fish? Release it regardless of species. Legal-sized hatchery fish and you want it? Keep it and enjoy it — that's what hatchery programs are for.
Quick Reference: Do's & Don'ts
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Wet your hands before touching the fish | Handle a fish with dry hands |
| Keep the fish in or near the water at all times | Hold a fish in the air for a long photo session |
| Use pliers or hemostats to remove the hook | Dig at a hook with your fingers |
| Cut the line if the hook is deep in the throat | Rip out a deep hook — it causes fatal internal injury |
| Revive the fish until it kicks away on its own | Drop a limp fish in the water and walk away |
| Use a rubber or knotless mesh net | Use a knotted nylon net — it strips slime and tangles fins |
| Crimp your barbs or use barbless hooks | Use treble hooks on catch-and-release water |