by Gwen Edwards

Created on: August 15, 2009   Last Updated: August 16, 2009

When this topic is debated people tend to be blinded by emotion and look at the question from either their perspective or the fish's instead of actually taking sometime and logically examine the issue. Quite simply catch & release fishing is one management tool fisheries managers and anglers can use to manage fish populations.

Many people assume that fish are fish and fail to take into consideration that there are a vast array of factors that affect their populations. There harvest issues by not only anglers, but also by natural predators. In addition habitat issues are critical to many species. For instance, Bluegill sunfish are very productive and can utilize marginal habitat, so they can withstand harvest at reasonable rates, in fact it can be beneficial to the population. Cutthroat trout on the other hand are not very productive and require pristine habitat and even limited harvest pressure or damage to their habitat can have a negative impact upon their population. Every population is unique and needs to be managed on sustainable basis. Catch & release fishing is just one tool fishery managers can use to do just that, while still allowing for recreational opportunities.

By voluntarily practicing catch & release anglers can also help improve the quality of many fisheries. Fish are primarily prey species and as such are under constant harvest pressure. Everything from their fellow fish to the majestic bald eagle depend upon them to survive. So even if an angler releases just a portion of their catch they may be providing another creature's dinner, or for someone else to catch.

Some people oppose catch & release on the basis that it is cruel. All I can say is if I was a fish and I had the choice to either end up in the frying pan, or swimming away, I know which I would choose. I would however say that if a person is going to practice catch & release they shouldn't use bait as the fish tend to swallow baited hooks and instead use artificial lures with single barbless hooks which minimize damage to the fish that are caught. That said no matter how careful the angler is there will be the occasional fish that dies. Fear not my friends; it will not go to waste, as stated previously an amazing number of creatures will thank you for the meal.

In most cases, practicing C&R is a personal choice and one that should be allowed, but anglers need to be aware of their impact upon the resource and that goes for all anglers. In a world of increasing pressure on all of our natural resources, catch & release fishing allows for people to still engage in a time honored tradition and at the same time minimize our impact.

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