Catch, photo, release: handling fish for a quick photo

A photo is part of almost every good catch now, and most of those fish go back. The two do not have to fight each other. A fish that is handled well and kept out of the water for a few seconds swims off fine. Here is how to get the picture and get the fish back in good shape.

Before the fish is in the boat

Most of the damage happens while somebody is hunting for a phone. Decide who is taking the picture before you land the fish. Have the phone out, the camera open and the pliers within reach. If you are on your own, set the phone up somewhere you can reach it with a wet hand.

A rubber or rubber-coated net is easier on a fish than knotted nylon, which scrapes off slime and splits fins. Barbless hooks, or barbs pinched down with pliers, come out faster and tear less. Both make every release quicker.

Wet hands, no towels

A fish's slime coat is its first defense against infection. Dry hands, dry towels, a hot boat deck and carpet all rub it off. Wet your hands before you touch the fish, and if you need to lay it down, use a wet bump board, a wet mat or the water itself.

Support the body

Lipping a bass for a quick photo is fine. Hanging a heavy fish straight down by its jaw is not, because all that weight pulls on the jaw and spine. For anything big, hold the fish level: one hand at the head or jaw, one under the belly toward the tail. That is also the hold that gives fishline the cleanest side-on outline to measure, so you get a better number for treating the fish better.

Keep your fingers out of the gills and do not squeeze. A fish that is thrashing is easier to control in the net in the water than in the air, so let it settle there before you lift it.

Count the seconds

A good rule of thumb is that the fish should be out of the water no longer than you could comfortably hold your breath. Lift it, take two or three frames, and put it back. If the shot did not work, put the fish back in the water, let it breathe, and try again rather than holding it up while you fiddle with the phone.

Warm water holds less oxygen, so fish caught in the heat of summer tire faster and need more care. Fish that come up from deep water can also struggle with the pressure change. Follow the guidance for your water on how to handle and release them.

Skip the tape and the scale

Measuring and weighing used to mean more time out of the water: a tape, a scale, a second photo for the record. A good photo now covers all of it. fishline works the species, length and weight out of the picture, so you can measure from your camera roll later, on the couch, with the fish long gone. If you want to put a fish on a bump board for a tighter read, do it in one smooth move and take the photo right there.

Every fish you measure lands in your private Catch Log with the photo and the numbers. If you share it with the community, you can mark it released.

Sending it home

Hold the fish upright in the water, facing into the current if there is one, and support it until it kicks out of your hands on its own. Do not toss it. A fish that rolls belly up needs more time, so keep holding it upright. Big fish like tarpon are often best photographed and released without ever leaving the water, and some states require that for the largest ones, so know the rules where you fish.

The short version

1. Camera ready before the fish comes out.
2. Rubber net, barbless or pinched barbs.
3. Wet hands, never a dry towel.
4. Support big fish level, do not hang them by the jaw.
5. Out of the water no longer than you could hold your breath.
6. Two or three frames, then back in.
7. Hold it upright until it swims off on its own.

Want the photo to measure well too? Read how to take a fish photo that measures well, or just try fishline free.