Personal best Spring salmon

[Thekid]

If I can't lip grab, due to teeth, I'll grab the base of the tail or use a net to remove the hook. I will never handle a fish I intend to release under the gill plate. Fish can recover from bodily damages much better than damaged gills.

I always thought that a gill plate grab was supposed to grab the gill plate, not the gills. TIL I've been doing a gill plate grab wrong.

 

[xraycer]

I always thought that a gill plate grab was supposed to grab the gill plate, not the gills. TIL I've been doing a gill plate grab wrong.

Under the gill plates, lies gills. Pressure on gill plates, puts pressure on gills.

 

[Thekid]

Under the gill plates, lies gills. Pressure on gill plates, puts pressure on gills.

If you're releasing a fish aren't you supporting them in other places? The lip lock isn't a good method either if you aren't supporting the fish...

 

[xraycer]

If you're releasing a fish aren't you supporting them in other places? The lip lock isn't a good method either if you aren't supporting the fish...

Where the pressure is applied makes a difference. Often times, doctors will pull out a newborn by the head during difficult deliveries, doesn't mean a baby should ever be handled by their head.
Its actually been studied, at least with large mouth bass, that it is safe to handle them by the lower jaw as long as the weight is kept vertical with no horizontal exertion to the lower jaw. I believe it was celebrity/biologist Bill Dance that I heard this from.

 

[divemaster99]

Where the pressure is applied makes a difference. Often times, doctors will pull out a newborn by the head during difficult deliveries, doesn't mean a baby should ever be handled by their head.
Its actually been studied, at least with large mouth bass, that it is safe to handle them by the lower jaw as long as the weight is kept vertical with no horizontal exertion to the lower jaw. I believe it was celebrity/biologist Bill Dance that I heard this from.

Last I heard for any bass over 3 pounds, they should be held horizontally with two hands, one under the head or a lip grip and the other back by the anal fin or caudal peduncle area.

As for Salmonids, the best way to handle them is a firm grip (not a death grip) around the caudal peduncle with one hand and the other hand acting as a cradle or table under the back of the head. If you squeeze too much around the heart it can cause some serious internal damage to the fish, whether it swims away or not. Or if the fish is small enough just use one hand as a cradle or rest for the fish. The main idea in both cases is to keep hands away from any part of the gills and to support the fish without squeezing it.

That's the latest I've heard, at least.

 

[xraycer]

Last I heard for any bass over 3 pounds, they should be held horizontally with two hands, one under the head or a lip grip and the other back by the anal fin or caudal peduncle area.
QUOTE]
Personally, I wouldn't feel comfortable just cradling a flopping fish. I would be too concern about dropping it and removing too much slime coat.......plus, I don't want to come home smelling like slime coat

 

[spotfin]

If you intend to release a fish, why not just leave it in the water?

 

[M@T!@$]

If you intend to release a fish, why not just leave it in the water?

This salmon was caught 3 years ago.. I offered it to someone as the other anglers killed their fish, but they said if I want to release it and I did