How Do You Release A Fish That Might Not Live

By David Adams

Many times we face the moral dilemma of releasing an undersized fish that might not survive.

According to Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission regulations it is unlawful to take, catch, kill, or possess fish of less than the minimum size. But it is not a violation if an undersized fish is immediately returned unharmed to the waters from which it was taken.

The key point is "immediately returned unharmed."

I do not recommend fizzing. It is mostly because of my lack of knowledge on the correct procedure as well as the reports that I have seen showing the low survival rate of fizzed fish. In fact, 60 percent of the fisheries management agencies do not recommend deflating the air bladder (fizzing).

"Fizzing or releasing the pressure from the gas bladder is sometimes used to facilitate release of undersized fish," said Chuck Murray, fisheries biologist for the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, Lake Erie Research Unit. "Fizzing, when done correctly, is a process where gas is released from the gas bladder of a fish by inserting a needle in the side of the fish and puncturing the gas bladder."

But, according to Murray, when a perch is quickly brought up from depth, it is the stomach that is forced out through the mouth because the gas bladder expands from a decrease in pressure as the fish rises to the surface.

"Many anglers that practice fizzing are actually puncturing the stomach, when in actuality it is the pressure in the gas bladder that must be released," said Murray.

There are two major different types of gas bladders in fishes: physostomous, in "primitive," and physoclistous, in "derived" fishes.

The lake trout is the only fish that can "burb" that gas from the bladder.

Lake trout are among the generalized fishes known as physostomi, which have a direct connection (pneumatic duct) between the air bladder and digestive tract. This duct helps the direct passage of air in either direction. Typically, this group of fishes fills the air bladder by gulping air from the surface and release air from the bladder by "burping."

Physoclistous gas bladders, however, do not open to the mouth. So the fish has to let gas in and out of the bladder using a complex little patch of blood vessels that absorb or let go of gases from the blood. Fishes with these bladders include bass, perch, and sunfish.

It might seem morally wrong, but it's best - and the law - to quickly release an undersized perch that appears to have little chance of survival.

"A quick release is always best for the fish," added Murray, "and hope for the best."

Hi Captain Dave,

I have a really hard time keeping steelhead alive after catching them off of my downriggers. It seems the deeper down in the water column I catch them, the more likely they are to die.

This has been causing me much consternation, do you have any suggestions? Please advise.

Thanks

Bradd

Keep the fight as short as possible, then quickly release the fish.Because, contrary to popular belief, slowly reeling in a fish from deep water does not give a fish enough time to compensate for the change in pressure. For example, between 20 and 30 minutes might be needed for a fish to compensate for pressure differences between a depth of 30 feet and the surface.

Prolonging the time it takes to land and release a fish, increases its stress level. The tissues around the gas bladder are often capable of preventing the gas bladder from increasing in size for up to five minutes after the pressure outside the fish decreases.

When my clients inform me that a steelhead charter is catch-and-release, we handle the fish as little as possible, which includes not netting the fish.

The steelhead is brought to the side of the boat, and always handled in the water (be careful on days of rough water). First, using needle nose pliers, we remove the hook. We then, stabilize the fish by holding it upright while allowing water to pass through its gills. After a minute or two, we release the fish.

"A good game fish is too valuable to be caught only once," said Lee Wulff, who was considered by many to be The Father of Catch and Release Fishing.