DonAndersen Posted January 6, 2010 Posted January 6, 2010 Folks, I've posted this before after watching TV shows and videos, I'd suspect that most of them held their fish out of the water well over 30 seconds. Like a friend says "Fishermen don't kill fish - cameras do!!" catch ya' Don Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 49(6): 1157–1162 (1992) | doi:10.1139/f92-129 | © 1992 NRC Canada Physiological Effects of Brief Air Exposure in Exhaustively Exercised Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): Implications for "Catch and Release" Fisheries R. A. Ferguson and B. L. Tufts Abstract: Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) which were air exposed for 60 s after exhaustive exercise initially had a much larger extracellular acidosis than trout which were only exercised. In both groups, however, plasma pH returned to normal by 4 h. Blood lactate concentrations were also greater in the air-exposed fish and continued to increase throughout the experiment. During air exposure, there was retention of carbon dioxide in the blood, and oxygen tension (Po2) and hemoglobin:oxygen carriage (Hb:O2) both fell by over 80%. After 30 min of recovery, however, blood gases resembled those in fish which were only exercised. Finally, survival after 12 h was 10% in control fish and 88% in the exercised fish but fell to 62 and 28% in fish which were air exposed for 30 and 60 s, respectively, after exercise. These results indicate that the brief period of air exposure which occurs in many "catch and release" fisheries is a significant additional stress which may ultimately influence whether a released fish survives. http://rparticle.web-p.cisti.nrc.ca/rparti...mp;msno=f92-129 Quote
Pipestoneflyguy Posted January 6, 2010 Posted January 6, 2010 If someone held my head under the water for 60 seconds it might kill me too ! Maybe this is something all anglers should experience - bet it would get the point across LOL Quote
monger Posted January 6, 2010 Posted January 6, 2010 I hear it's helpful to use 4lb test leaders and fight the fish for 15 minutes with no use of a drag or palming the reel (look at the backing...) as well. Quote
DonAndersen Posted January 7, 2010 Author Posted January 7, 2010 Monger, About a minute/lb. is about right. Mind you, you just gotta put a bend in the fishing pole to do it. Don Quote
monger Posted January 7, 2010 Posted January 7, 2010 Sounds about right Don. As heavy leader as you can get away with and lay the boots to the fish...then let them go for another day before they are exhausted. I haven't found a lake where I need go under 10lb fluorocarbon yet for sub-surface fishing. Quote
birchy Posted January 7, 2010 Posted January 7, 2010 Monger, About a minute/lb. is about right. Mind you, you just gotta put a bend in the fishing pole to do it. Don Sounds about right. I must say.. I always wonder when I hear people say "this beauty SIXTEEN inch rainbow took me to my backing 3 times!" What the? There's this little knob on the side of your reel... Fly fishing for 4 years now (granted I don't get out near as much as some of you) and still haven't seen my backing a single time! Quote
Flyfisher Posted January 7, 2010 Posted January 7, 2010 Good post Don! In this digital and YouTube age I suspect a lot of C&R fish are suffocating. Quote
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