decent King action (lots of strikes)

[Dan the Fisher]

Dan, pacific salmon also die after spawning due to the spawning and migration ordeal and even anadromous trout (steelhead) and Atlantic salmon, both of which can return to the ocean, have spawning mortality exceeding 80% in most populations. Pacific salmon also go through morphological changes, such as the fusion of their scales to take the beating of their migration. Scale loss, which then allows fungus and disease, is the primary concern with netting of fish, particularly with knotted and coated nylon mesh.

If netting is the necessity you claim, a catch and release soft rubber bag would be best. Simply no excuse for fingers under the gill plates and body slam releases. Quick lift out of the net with one hand supporting under the belly and other with a firm grip in front of the tail (but don’t lift larger fish out of the net simply by the tail, will pop vertebrae) for a quick photo op while the fish is still dripping wet. Release should be head first, not simply slammed or flopped back, with as little drop height as safe/possible.

Even Great Lakes stockers deserve some level of respect. We as a rec group should also be conscious of what is happening to hunters and the general public’s and ENGO perception of Facebook and Instagram pics or YouTube videos of dead animals ... many examples of individuals, and the practice in general, attacked on a global scale over pics of legally harvested grizzlies or lions or whatever. I can see a day where those folks also attack our sport, particularly C&R fishing, when they have easy access to such good documentation of poor practices.
Cheers!

Ukee

I hear ya UkeeDreamin. we only run our rubber basket nets which is what we use in the video. we prefer the torpedo release this time of the year but obviously these were not pretty releases on any day of the week. If you browse through my older videos you will see how we release our later season warm water fish. Unfortunately, its not the prettiest way to revive but it is in our opinion, the only way to properly revive in a troll situation.

time code = 1:00

We use Boga grips tied to a rope to drag the fish in the moving water. I definitely encourage other options. I have tried just about every option from coming off troll and holding, to torpedoing as you have seen. for exhausted fish, this showed the best revival rate. I have watched many go belly up and perish due to shear exhaustion which is unfortunate, but this has helped me source better solutions to reviving these fish.

I am no biologist. I am just a mate who has put in his time on the water to learn and understand this fishery. I am not arguing any of what has been said above, but I am defending what i have learned over the past 6 years on the water.

By all means keep sending the feedback, however i close my statements here.

Cheers and all the best this season on the west coast,

Dan