Best way to handle caught fish from dock...

[inssane]

I fish for cats in the dark on my dock in Waterford WI.
I use a rubber net and long nose hook removers, as well as gortex gloves that I wet before handling.

What's the "friendliest" way to handle the fish that was caught?

I usually try not to touch them much, keep them on the wet rubber net surface rather than the wooden dock, remove the hook, then I hold the cats from the top applying pressure just behind their head (not sure what that part is called - thumb and forefinger fit perfectly there), then I "back and forth" them in water til they fly off.

Anything I can do differently?
Nick

 

[spotfin]

Circle hooks if you use bait. Barbless hooks as well.

 

[NCStateFisher]

i agree with the above, and personally i grab the cats firmly behind their barbs to take the hook out, i feel like having them firmly gripped makes it easier to get the hook out with less damage than if you have em just kinda hanging there where they can flop around more

 

[inssane]

I use Octopus hooks because 9/10 times it hooks in the very corner of their mouth and is pretty easy to remove.

If by "barbs" you mean on their pecs and dorsal, I stay away. There is almost a little notch on each side behind the gillplates where I hold them and my palm slicks the dorsal fin back (if that makes sense, lol) I could show you, but hard to describe. This is also why I wear gloves.

 

[Fishermoe14]

i eat them. so dont really care how to handle em haahahaaha

 

[NCStateFisher]

yeah idk how to describe it with words either haha.. lets try though just for fun, my palm goes on the bottom of them, my thumb locks one barb out, middle finger finger locks the other barb, pointer finger goes in the little gill plate indent you're talking about and a firm grip pretty much stops em from moving, this picture may or may not kinda show what i mean

 

[Fishermoe14]

idk if it matters really how you hold em.. just as long as they eventually get back into the water.. lol

ive had some cats out for 2 hrs and they would still be alive before i went to clean em.

 

[Joe M]

Yeah Ive never worried about holding them at all. Just kinda grabbed them. No ill affects as far as Ive seen.

 

[inssane]

Good deal on those cats.

Any special tips on any other fish - or maybe "lessons learned"?
I can't say I learned anything special over the years handling any fish, except to hold on tight to a 27" Walleye on a boat. (caught on spinnerbait while northern fishing)
I actually have a picture somewhere when I was in CN and I was 16y of that fish flopping out of my hands and my "oh **** face".

 

[NCStateFisher]

ouch... haha i know that feeling