For Best Results: Catch and Release In Under 4
Here is a great article you should check-out. It has some summary information regarding the impact that Catch and Release can have on the fish we catch. The study targeted bonefish as ‘test-subjects’. Their findings indicate the following,
“How long can a fish be out of water? Results from the study showed that both the duration of an exercise bout (the catch) longer than four minutes, as well as the length of exposure to air, will result in a proportional increase in negative effects on the fishes’ physiological condition. The study also showed that the longer duration of the catch-and-release, the longer the time the fish needed to recover and the greater likelihood of the fish being caught by predators…” Entire Article Here
One thing that stood out as strange to me in this article was in their final summary. They write that warmer water may increase recovery rates. I am not sure you could lump trout or other cold-water fish in this category. Perhaps, they could do similar research on these kind of fish.
Either way people – Get those fish back into the water quickly.
experience
Always a good idea to get the fish back into the water as fast as possible. I always am very careful with how long I handle the fish and also simply “how” I handle them. Always a good practice.