THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 9, 1994 TAG: 9410060228
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 30 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Tight Lines
SOURCE: Ford Reid
LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
Autumn brings the best surf fishing of the year to the Outer Banks, with bluefish, red drum and speckled trout fishing especially in its prime.
But with abundance comes the temptation to be greedy, to keep more fish than you need or really even want.
Autumn is also the time to practice catch and release fishing. Keep a bluefish, a trout or even a small drum for the table, but release the rest and do it carefully so that the fish has at least a chance of survival.
You ought to be thinking about releasing fish before you even catch them.
Light tackle is great fun, but if you fight a big fish forever on gossamer line, it is going to be spent, with little chance of making it after release.
Make that fish the one you keep. Best released are the fish brought quickly to beach or boat.
If you fish with plugs or jigs, replace the treble hooks with singles and pinch off the barbs.
This not only saves the fish some injury, but it makes releasing quick and easy, a definite plus when the action is fast.
Think about it: Which would you rather be doing, hooking another fish or kneeling on the beach, trying to rip out a deeply embedded treble hook?
A properly played fish, that is, one that feels the pressure constantly, will rarely be lost because of a barbless hook.
But if you want to make sure you land one, fish with treble hooks until you get one in the cooler, then switch to barbless singles.
Once the fish is caught, get it back into the water as quickly as possible. Don't drag it across the sand, and for goodness sake, don't kick it.
It's a live fish we're talking about, not a sack of trash.
Try to get the hook out while the fish is still in the wash. That might allow it to catch a wave and swim out untouched by human hands.
If you must handle the fish, do it gently. Don't grab it by the gills but pick it up the way you would a baby.
Getting a hook out of a reluctant fish's mouth will be easier if you cover its eyes with a damp towel or cloth.
I don't know why, exactly, but they seem to calm down when they can't see what is happening to them.
A fish that has fought long and hard might need a little help getting back into the swim of things.
Hold it by the tail and slowly move it back and forth to get some water running through the gills. The fish, especially a big one, will tell you when it is ready to go.
Not too long ago, releasing fish was practically unheard of in these parts. Now, it has become a common, almost routine, practice.
Any fish that you release today might provide you with thrills and enjoyment again tomorrow.
If you are going to release fish, and you should, take the time to do it right and give the critter a fighting chance. by CNB