Catch & Release Species?

[Parasite]

Of all the species available to Washington anglers, which species should we always release to keep the species viable? I know wild steelhead for sure, but are there other species that I should watch out for, regardless of whether if the regulations say we can keep them? I'm just trying to educate myself here. I'm not getting into the whole harvest vs. C&R debate that happens in the trout fishing world. Just trying to understand the fragileness of some species here,

[dreamunelk]

I wouldn't worry about it much.  I you are allowed to keep it.  Them do so if you want.  I personally do not keep wild steelhead and sea run cutthroat.  That is my choice.  I may start keeping a few cuts as they are doing pretty well in the areas I fish.  I can only eat so much fish also so C.R. allows me to fish a little more if I want to.

[7mmCoug]

Other than the species mentioned already, any native trout.  Just a personal choice.  If it’s legal, and you want a couple then go for it.

[lokidog]

I'm only a C&R guy when I have to, usually. I haven't fished for them for a while, but most put and take trout got put back as I think they taste like crap.

[j_h_nimrod]

I don’t fish much anymore, but a lot depends on location. Some species are very robust in some areas and low in others so would depend on my judgement.

Sturgeon are one I would likely release, though I have never eaten one and would like to try. Down here any big (>60lb) halibut if I ever catch one here.

Personally, I would keep all “wild” fish (in a legal season) I caught on principal...

[Crunchy]

Steelhead and trout are catch and release for me.  I dont eat either, so rarely fish for them.  but if i do catch and release.

[singleshot12]

I think any fish species that is threatened or endangered should just be left alone and not played with by the C&R generation. Never could understand why anyone would want to spend the time and money to stress a fish out, kiss it on the lips and send it on it's way.

[Crunchy]

It depends on the method of fishing.  Methods that dont endanger the fish other than the fight makes releasing them easy.  Bait is a no go as it increases the odds of more harm to the fish. 

[JimmyHoffa]

It depends on the method of fishing.  Methods that dont endanger the fish other than the fight makes releasing them easy.  Bait is a no go as it increases the odds of more harm to the fish.

I somewhat disagree.  My experiences with bait or yarn or a bead with a circle hook have all been consistent in where and how the hook beds--corner of the jaw.  A barbed treble hook on nearly anything seems to be most random and damaging, bait on a treble probably being the worst.  Single J hooks can be kind of variable.  I've had a few fish die from flies with J hook, seems they hook into the roof of the mouth or too far back.

[Stein]

I keep anything that is legal, either I like to eat it or crab do.


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[gaddy]

Personally, I don't fish for anything I'm not going to eat. I love to fish, and love the battle but if there's not an opportunity for dinner I'm out. 

[Jake Dogfish]

I think any fish species that is threatened or endangered should just be left alone and not played with by the C&R generation. Never could understand why anyone would want to spend the time and money to stress a fish out, kiss it on the lips and send it on it's way.

Killing something should never be a requirement for fishing.  Wether you understand hiking boating or any other reason to get outside is your opinion and should not have impact on others freedom to do so.  Many waters on the westside would be closed completely if there was not a catch and release season.
PETA has successfully banned catch and release fishing in some European countries.  They are trying to do the same thing here disguising it as “mandatory retention”. Many fishermen support “mandatory retention” not understanding it is essentially a ban on C and R.

[huntnnw]

some steelhead rivers have laws that you have to keep hatchery steelhead if you land one. I release almost all steelhead as I dont like to eat them.

[bornhunter]

Could you guys start practicing C & GTM (give to me)?

[buckhorn2]

In the ocean in my opinion you should keep the first two fish you catch Finn or no Finn we lose far to many silvers realeasing natives.

[jamesfromseattle]

In the ocean in my opinion you should keep the first two fish you catch Finn or no Finn we lose far to many silvers realeasing natives.

This is a good point. I know there was some discussions about changing the regs up in BC because of the number of wild coho getting unintentionally killed while people shifted through to keep a clipped fish. I didn’t follow the conversation so I’m not sure what happened with it.

Coho tend to beat themselves up (especially when people net them), so if it’s legal to do so I just keep the first two I catch, rather than holding out for clipped fish. Went on a Westport charter once during a selective season and remember them hauling the wild fish on board, letting the fish flop on the deck for a while, then kicking them back over the side. Some swam away and some just floundered and floated. Seemed counter productive. I caught 8 or 9 wilds before getting a keeper and I’m sure at least a couple died.

[lokidog]

Could you guys start practicing C & GTM (give to me)?

   Especially the Steelhead....  You can have all of my carp.         

[AL WORRELLS KID]

KISS ME AND I'M YOURS!
 
Doug

[WSU]

In the ocean in my opinion you should keep the first two fish you catch Finn or no Finn we lose far to many silvers realeasing natives.

This is a good point. I know there was some discussions about changing the regs up in BC because of the number of wild coho getting unintentionally killed while people shifted through to keep a clipped fish. I didn’t follow the conversation so I’m not sure what happened with it.

Coho tend to beat themselves up (especially when people net them), so if it’s legal to do so I just keep the first two I catch, rather than holding out for clipped fish. Went on a Westport charter once during a selective season and remember them hauling the wild fish on board, letting the fish flop on the deck for a while, then kicking them back over the side. Some swam away and some just floundered and floated. Seemed counter productive. I caught 8 or 9 wilds before getting a keeper and I’m sure at least a couple died.

I won't fish on a charter because of their horrible fish handling.  It's nothing more than pure greed to get those fish in the boat so the customer can leave with a fish.  There is zero thought about any kind of care for the resource.

[7mmfan]

In the ocean in my opinion you should keep the first two fish you catch Finn or no Finn we lose far to many silvers realeasing natives.

This is a good point. I know there was some discussions about changing the regs up in BC because of the number of wild coho getting unintentionally killed while people shifted through to keep a clipped fish. I didn’t follow the conversation so I’m not sure what happened with it.

Coho tend to beat themselves up (especially when people net them), so if it’s legal to do so I just keep the first two I catch, rather than holding out for clipped fish. Went on a Westport charter once during a selective season and remember them hauling the wild fish on board, letting the fish flop on the deck for a while, then kicking them back over the side. Some swam away and some just floundered and floated. Seemed counter productive. I caught 8 or 9 wilds before getting a keeper and I’m sure at least a couple died.

I won't fish on a charter because of their horrible fish handling.  It's nothing more than pure greed to get those fish in the boat so the customer can leave with a fish.  There is zero thought about any kind of care for the resource.

That's not necessarily true. Are there bad ones? Yes, just like every other group of anglers. Their livelihoods depend on having fish to catch, so it would behoove them to treat fish well. This is coming from a guy who guided for over 10 years.

[Stein]

In the ocean in my opinion you should keep the first two fish you catch Finn or no Finn we lose far to many silvers realeasing natives.

This is a good point. I know there was some discussions about changing the regs up in BC because of the number of wild coho getting unintentionally killed while people shifted through to keep a clipped fish. I didn’t follow the conversation so I’m not sure what happened with it.

Coho tend to beat themselves up (especially when people net them), so if it’s legal to do so I just keep the first two I catch, rather than holding out for clipped fish. Went on a Westport charter once during a selective season and remember them hauling the wild fish on board, letting the fish flop on the deck for a while, then kicking them back over the side. Some swam away and some just floundered and floated. Seemed counter productive. I caught 8 or 9 wilds before getting a keeper and I’m sure at least a couple died.

Not to mention the ones that get eaten by seals when you release them.  I probably saw 1/4 - 1/3 of my fish released eaten by seals this year and those are only the ones I saw getting munched by surfaced seals.

[Crunchy]

Yeah with charters time is money.  When the bite is hot nothing else matters.  They run a skeleton crew to try to increase profits.

[Jake Dogfish]

In the ocean in my opinion you should keep the first two fish you catch Finn or no Finn we lose far to many silvers realeasing natives.

This is a good point. I know there was some discussions about changing the regs up in BC because of the number of wild coho getting unintentionally killed while people shifted through to keep a clipped fish. I didn’t follow the conversation so I’m not sure what happened with it.

Coho tend to beat themselves up (especially when people net them), so if it’s legal to do so I just keep the first two I catch, rather than holding out for clipped fish. Went on a Westport charter once during a selective season and remember them hauling the wild fish on board, letting the fish flop on the deck for a while, then kicking them back over the side. Some swam away and some just floundered and floated. Seemed counter productive. I caught 8 or 9 wilds before getting a keeper and I’m sure at least a couple died.

I won't fish on a charter because of their horrible fish handling.  It's nothing more than pure greed to get those fish in the boat so the customer can leave with a fish.  There is zero thought about any kind of care for the resource.

This is a great point how mismanaged our fisheries are.  Salt fisheries are barely hanging on at this point and may face a total closure in the future.  Yet, we have charters, boat limits, you can catch and release endangered species with bait all day long!  Gas motors trolllng with downriggers and sonar to find the fish with very little enforcement.
Meanwhile, at the local put and take lake with no outlet and nothing but degenerate stocker trout, the game Warden is watching.  He going to spend hours there watching some kid who put scent on his bass lure to make sure he doesn’t release more than than 5  mushy stockers and bust him for doing so.   

[Crunchy]

Rivers and salt is where they should spend their time.  If you are concerned with salmon and steelhead that is where I would look.  That being said I do not think over fishing on the fisherman level has much of an impact.  Could be wrong but I spend a lot of time fishing and can only think of a couple of times I was suspicious of someone taking a fish or two too many.  Catch and release also has a small impact but my money for the greatest impact is seals, sea lions, and netting.  my own 

[huntnnw]

every salmon charter I have been on out of westport has had a complete disregard  for salmon if its not a keeper Id be surprised if any of the released fish survived

[Crunchy]

Ive never done the charter thing but in reality i can see where they have a much higher mortality rate than average guy in a boat.  having to net every fish to get the hooks out, primarily only mooching, that definitely is not good.

[huntnphool]

 I seldom keep steelhead but love fishing for them.

Sturgeon are fun to catch too, 20-30 fish days are never boring.

[boneaddict]

I pretty much catch and release everything, not because I don’t enjoy eating them...

[buckhorn2]

I fish a lot every summer in the ocean and I live in Westport most of my friends fish. Even if you try to be careful releasing a fish there is going to some that float off and that's just sad. It's not the Kings there a lot tougher and very few die from a release. But the silvers are different they don't,t do as well on a release and many don,t make it and that's why I think Finn or no Finn it would save many fish if you were able to keep the first two you catch. It's sad to watch a nice fish just float off.

[lokidog]

I fish a lot every summer in the ocean and I live in Westport most of my friends fish. Even if you try to be careful releasing a fish there is going to some that float off and that's just sad. It's not the Kings there a lot tougher and very few die from a release. But the silvers are different they don't,t do as well on a release and many don,t make it and that's why I think Finn or no Finn it would save many fish if you were able to keep the first two you catch. It's sad to watch a nice fish just float off.

I have never even netted a Coho until I knew it had no fin, when required. I used to lose a fair number of fish as they spun in circles (including hatchery) while I held the leader looking for a fin, but I think they had a lot better chance at surviving without netting them.