Safely releasing a fish comes down to shortening the fight, never touching the fish, and getting it back in the water fast. You shorten the fight with heavy enough tackle and a rubber landing net for the right species, then unhook with a dehooker while the fish stays in the water so you never strip its slime or scales. In this How 2 Tuesday I break down healthy fish handling for bonefish, permit, tarpon, and more, using a great example from guide Richard Black.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
The best way is to shorten the fight, never touch the fish, and get it back in the water as fast as possible. You shorten the fight by using heavy enough tackle to put real pressure on the fish, and by using a landing net for species suited to one. Then, instead of grabbing or lifting the fish, use a dehooker to back the hook out while the fish stays in the water. Land them quickly, keep your hands off them, and they swim away far healthier.
Because touching removes the slime coating and knocks scales off, which is the same damage we obsess over with offshore baits. When you handle a baitfish like a ballyhoo or a threadfin on a Sabiki rig, the untouched ones are fine hours later while the handled ones go belly up in the livewell. The exact same thing happens to game fish. They may swim off looking healthy, but the more handling and the longer the fight, the higher the risk they get attacked or simply do not recover.
A rubber landing net lets you end the fight much sooner, sometimes saving three, four, or five trips around the boat, or even minutes on a kayak. You stick the net out and catch the fish like a football, which means a shorter fight and a much healthier release. Then you can leave the fish in the net, reach down with a dehooker or pliers, unhook it, and simply drop the net so the fish swims right out without ever being squeezed or lifted.
Net the fish that fight hard at the boat and are suited to it: permit, bonefish, redfish, snook, and cobia are all great candidates. Do not net tarpon, because they thrash too much and split their fins, doing more damage than the shorter fight saves. And never net toothy fish like barracuda, which will bite a hole right through the mesh, I know because we put holes in nets chasing barracuda records. Match the net to the species.
Like my friend Richard Black of Blackfly Charters does it. He catches the bonefish, takes the dehooker we normally use offshore, swings it around to grab the line, runs it down to the fly, and turns the hook out, all while the fish never leaves the water. He never touches it with his hands, just gives it a little shove off with the dehooker, and the bonefish swims off perfectly. Get your one good photo of your first fish, then release the rest this way.
Yes, get your good picture, especially of a first bonefish, permit, or tarpon, I would never deny you that. But once you have caught a bunch that all look about the same, there is little reason to keep lifting them out for another shot of a fish an ounce heavier than the last. Take the photo with the fish just barely over the water, put it back, and after that release the rest without even touching them. Better for the resource, the fish, and you.
We are learning more and more that fish like tarpon are far more delicate than we used to think, back when we would lip gaff them and haul them into the boat. They are big tough fish, but they still deserve careful handling and respect. Richard Black of Blackfly Charters, one of the finest guides in the Florida Keys, posted a release video that captures it perfectly. I break it down in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Here are the steps I follow to release fish healthy. I cover the details and stories in the episode.
I unpack each step in the episode. Press play in the player above.
We are obsessive about not touching offshore baits, because the ones you handle lose their slime and scales and go belly up in the livewell within hours, while the untouched ones are fine. The same thing happens to game fish. They may swim off looking healthy, but handling and a long fight quietly cut their odds. I explain the connection in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Permit, bonefish, redfish, snook, and cobia are perfect for a rubber net that shortens a hard fight at the boat. Tarpon are not, they thrash and split their fins, and toothy fish like barracuda will bite a hole right through the mesh. I go through the list and why in the episode, so press play in the player above.
If we want to keep the healthy bonefish, permit, and tarpon populations we are lucky to have, we have to handle them properly: shorten the fight, never touch them, and let them swim off strong.
Get your one good picture just over the water, then release the rest without even touching them. Better for the resource, the fish, and you. Press play in the player above.
How 2 Tuesday is my weekly series where I break down one fishing skill at a time, from knots and casting to gear, tactics, and the habits that make you a better angler. Watch and listen to every How 2 Tuesday episode from Tom Rowland.
Richard Black · Blackfly Charters · bonefish · permit · tarpon · redfish · snook · cobia · dehooker · rubber landing net · Florida Keys · Saltwater Experience · End of the Blue · How 2 Tuesday
I'm Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. On the podcast's How 2 Tuesday series I break down one practical skill or lesson at a time, from fishing technique and gear to the habits that make you a better angler, in short, focused episodes you can put to use right away.
Subscribe to get the latest episodes, show notes, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.