Lesson #7: How to Safely Release Striped Bass

1) Reduce Angling Duration

By landing a fish quickly and without playing it to exhaustion, you can dramatically reduce stress the fish incurs.

2) Stop Once You've Caught Your Fill

Everyone wants to catch fish, but remember if you catch and release 100 schoolies, then according to the science 9 of those fish will not survive.

3) Hold Bass Over The Water

Stripers are slippery creatures and can easily be dropped. So when holding a fish, keep it in or slightly above the water - not over the rocks. That way if dropped, it falls back into the water unharmed. 

4) Fish Barbless Hooks

Crimp the barbs on hooks. Not only do barbless hooks cause less damage to a stripers’s mouth, but they are also much easier and quicker to remove - especially important when one ends up in your ear or finger!

5) Carry Hook Removal Devices

A fish grip tool is great for quick and safe hook removal. Make sure to carry easily accessible pliers and fish grip tools, so you can release fish as fast as possible.

6) Carefully Revive Stripers

If a striper can not swim away on it's own it will need reviving. This can be done by submerging the fish and holding its head facing upcurrent so that the water runs in the mouth and through the gills. In stillwater situations, move the fish in a figure 8 pattern to simulate this effect. The striper will bite down on your thumb when its ready to swim away.

7) Take A Super Quick Photo & Hold Horizontally

Photograph wet stripers. If a fish is momentarily taken out of the water, keep it as close to the water as possible and fully submerge it between pictures to give the fish a quick breather. Ideally, let the photographer call the shots – 1, 2, 3...raise the fish....and click. Hold the fish horizontally and support the belly.Do not hold the fish vertically by the gills.