a 30- to 40-pound fish, you've got to 

 bring it in; you've got to kill it. That's 

 what we're trying to get away from." 



A release in the ACCA tournament 

 will garner an angler five points; a tag- 

 and-release, 10 points. 



Tagging is important to fisheries 

 management because it helps identify 

 migratory stocks and growth rates. For 

 instance, research has suggested that 

 the entire North Carolina king mack- 

 erel population may not migrate to 

 Florida in the winter, as once believed. 



Most appear to stay off the North 

 Carolina shore. And establishing these 

 patterns can work to the advantage of 

 Tar Heel fishermen because now local 

 stocks are regulated with the entire 

 South Atlantic. An overfishing problem 

 in Florida, for example, might not 

 justify the closure of an unaffected 

 population this far north, Nowell says. 



The king mackerel tagging program 

 is in its infancy in North Carolina, says 

 Randy Gregory, a DMF technician. 

 About 105 fish were tagged last year, 



the program's first, but interest is 

 picking up. It's in the anglers' best 

 interest to learn more about where these 

 fish migrate and how they live, he says. 



And above all, anglers should keep 

 in mind that they can be fisheries 

 managers, Schmied says. By their 

 actions, fishermen either improve 

 or damage the status of the stocks. 

 Releasing them with catch-and-release 

 skills and researching their populations 

 are the best ways to restore their 

 numbers. □ 



HOW TO RELEASE 

 YOUR CATCH 



Most released fish can survive, 

 contrary to traditional angler lore. 

 Fishermen simply need to learn how to 

 release the fish properly to reduce 

 stress and wounding, which are the two 

 major causes of angling mortality. 



Here's how to begin: 



♦ Land your quarry quickly; don't 

 play it to exhaustion. Stress is caused 

 by exertion fighting the rod, which 

 allows lactic acid to accumulate in a 

 fish's muscles. 



♦ Set the hook immediately. Try to 

 prevent a fish from swallowing the 

 bait. 



♦ Work a fish out of deep water 

 slowly so it can adjust to the pressure 

 change. 



♦ Use hooks that are barbless and 

 made from metals that rust quickly. 

 Baited hooks are more likely to cause 

 serious injuries than lures. 



♦ Always keep your release tools 

 handy. 



When handling the catch: 



♦ Leave the fish in the water if 

 possible, and don't handle it. Use a tool 

 to remove the hook or cut the leader. 



♦ Keep the fish from thrashing. 



♦ Net your catch only if you cannot 

 control it any other way. 



♦ When you must handle a fish: 

 use a wet glove or rag to hold it, turn 

 it on its back or cover its eyes with a 

 wet towel to calm it, don't put your 

 fingers in the eyes or gills, avoid 

 removing mucus or scales, get it 

 back into the water as quickly as 

 possible. 



♦ Larger fish can be kept in the 

 water by holding the leader with a 

 glove or by slipping a release gaff 

 through the lower jaw. 



♦ Protect against personal injury 

 by handling each fish carefully and 

 correctly. 



When removing the hook: 



♦ Cut the leader close to the mouth 

 if a fish has been hooked deeply or if 

 the hook can't be removed quickly. 



♦ Back the hook out the opposite 

 way it went in. 



♦ Use needle-nose pliers, hemo- 

 stats or a hookout to work the hook 

 and protect your hands. 



♦ For a larger fish in the water, slip 

 a gaff around the leader and slide it 

 down the hook. Lift the gaff upward 

 as you pull downward on the leader. 



♦ Do not jerk or pop a leader to 

 break it. This damages vital organs 

 and kills the fish. 



The final moments before release: 



♦ Place the fish in the water 



gently, supporting its midsection and 

 tail until it swims away. 



♦ Resuscitate an exhausted fish by 

 moving it back and forth or tow it 

 alongside the boat to force water 

 through its gills. 



♦ Use an ice pick, needle or hook 

 point to puncture the expanded air 

 bladder on a fish taken from deep 

 water. 



♦ Watch your quarry to make sure 

 it swims away. If it doesn't, recover 

 the fish and try again. 



♦ Remember, a released fish has 

 an excellent chance of survival when 

 handled carefully and correctly. 



Catch-and-release, however, may 

 not be as effective on every species. 

 The deeper the water a fish is pulled 

 from, the higher the mortality due to 

 injuries caused by decompression. 

 Reef fish, for instance, live in 50 to 

 200 feet of water. 



Deflating these deep-dwelling fish 

 is better than leaving them floating on 

 the surface, where they're susceptible 

 to predation and exposure to the sun. 



It's the same principle as leaving 

 the hook in a gut-hooked fish. Sure, it 

 isn't the ideal situation, but at least 

 the fish has a chance. 



Adapted from tips by the National 

 Marine Fisheries Seirice 



COASVA'ATCH 1 3 



