Quote:
Originally Posted by BGSH
Really, you do not c&r that is to bad for you, it is a great feeling letting a ten pound walleye go back in the river only to be caught the next year, or a monster trout from a stream only to be caught again in a couple years, if you handle fish right, they go back no problems at all, you should try it to release fish once in a while.
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Agreed X1MM
I would say mortality is the responsibility of the fisherman. While you can not always protect from a ripped gill...it is not common and using the right sized hook, line and technique helps tremendously.
There is a learning curve for newbies insofar as there is a big difference in handling a fish and removing a hook if you are retaining it or not. A lot of people haul a fish on to the bank..let them bash their heads on rocks for a couple minutes...taking photos then throwing them back in. All that is needed is education. How to provide that education is the question. I have seen many, many fishing shows exhibiting poor catch and release techniques.