Official WMAT Wildlife & Outdoor Recreation Division

Support Catch-and-Release Waters
Think back to your best day of fishing. Maybe it was early in the Spring or perhaps right after stocking. You caught lots of fish and everyone else did too. Ever wonder why everyday couldn't be like that?

The fact is hatcheries cannot keep up with the demand of fishermen. At the most, 200,000 catchable fish are stocked every year in the Reservation. While that seems like a lot, when it is spread over 20 lakes and 6 stocked streams it is less than 8,000 fish per water.

To make matters worse, during late summer lake water gets warm and the water chemistry changes. If the fish are in the lake before the water warms they adjust and do fine. However, if we stock them when it is warm the fish have trouble and many are not caught by fishermen. Even if we could raise more fish we could not keep the fishing good in late summer!

So what can we do to improve fishing? The answer is simple: improve lakes and stop killing fish. We can improve lakes by taking better care of the watershed. If we keep lots of cool water flowing and reduce nutrients the water will support and grow trout better.

We also have to stop taking fish in some waters. The Reservation currently has two lakes that are Catch-and-Release (Earl Park and Pacheta). Earl Park has been catch and release for two and a half years. Anglers who fish that lake catch more and larger fish than other lakes. Other anglers benefit also because catch and release waters get stocked with a fraction of the amount of fish that they used to get in the past. These pounds of fish are sent to other lakes where anglers can keep fish. For instance, Pacheta Lake was scheduled for 4,000 ten inch fish this year. Since we no longer need to replenish this lake after it is caught out, the 4,000 fish were sent to other lakes on the Reservation.

Please support catch and release waters. If you see or hear of a violation please let the Division know. It is not fair for us to save these fish for everyone to catch and then let a few people ruin it for everyone.

Practice catch and release. Release fish to be caught again. Fish caught with flies and lures are more likely to be released unharmed. If you use bait and hook the fish deeply, cut the line at the fishes mouth and release the fish into the water immediately.

Improved fishing technology and increased fishing pressure have caused the quality of fish to decline in many waters. Catch and Release fishing offers anglers a way to enjoy their sport while affecting less impact to the resource. Each year, more anglers discover the satisfaction of watching a fish they've caught swim away. Here are some helpful tips for proper catch-and-release.

Don't place a fish you plan to release on a stringer because they have lees change of surviving. Make the decision to release a fish when you catch it.
Play and land the fish quickly. A prolonged struggle places too much stress on a fish and can kill the fish after it is released.
Handle the fish gently and keep it in the water as much as possible. If possible, unhook the fish without lifting it from the water.
Don't drop the fish n the boat or on the shore. Fish bruise easily and the damage to their internal organs can be fatal.
When lifting the fish from the water for a photograph or just to admire itm, especially larger ones, lift them from the water wit both hands to evenly support the fish's weight.
Use pliers to remove hooks.
If a hook is deeply imbedded, cut the line. Fish have strong digestive acids that will dissolve metal. Studies have shown fish release in this manner have a higher survival rate than do fish which have the hooks torn from their throats or stomach.
Fish can be revived by holding them upright in the water and moving them forward slowly to force water through the gills.
Don't release a tired fish until you are sure it can swim away on its own.
In streams, release fish into calm water. A tired fish placed in fast water can die by tumbling downstream into rocks.