Tips to decrease impacts to fish when catch-and-release fishing during hot summer months

Salt Lake City — With excessive heat warnings in effect across much of the state this week, many Utahns may be heading to nearby lakes or mountains to escape the heat. If your outdoor plans include fishing, here are some important tips to decrease stress to the fish and increase their chance of survival, if you plan to release them.

First, you should consider fishing in the mornings or late evenings, when temperatures are cooler. If you are fishing on a river, you should pick a spot that has deeper, cooler water, so you can release any caught fish into an area where they are more likely to survive.

Anglers should note that fish caught in deep water in a reservoir may experience barotrauma, or pressure damage, when brought up too quickly from the cooler depths and then exposed to such hot temperatures. In hot weather conditions, you may want to consider harvesting the fish as part of your daily limit, rather than releasing it, as barotrauma can be difficult for a fish to recover from. Learn more about barotrauma and which fish species it impacts the most on the DWR website.

"Basically, be aware of where you are fishing and where you are releasing fish," Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Sportfish Coordinator Trina Hedrick said. "Try to pick a spot where you can release your fish into better quality water to increase their survival rates during this extremely hot weather."

Another important reminder when fishing during hot temperatures is to use appropriately sized equipment to decrease impacts to the fish, if you plan to catch and release.

"It is fun to fish with lighter equipment, but it takes longer to land the fish and that just adds to the stress," Hedrick said. "Once you land a fish, try to do everything you can to keep the fish in the water, minimize handling time and get the fish released as quickly as possible. That's why we recommend having a rubber mesh net and keeping the fish in the water when you remove the hook. It is probably best to avoid removing the fish from the water to take pictures when the weather is hot, if you want to release it."

Here are some other important tips when catch-and-release fishing during hot weather:

• Use single hooks on lures and bend down the barbs for easy release.
• Minimize the time you spend "fighting" the fish while reeling it in. Tired and stressed fish have higher death rates.
• Try to minimize handling of the fish — it can cause the loss of the slime coat and scales, which can result in infection to the fish. And always wet your hands before touching the fish.
• Minimize the amount of time the fish is exposed to the air, especially when the weather is hot. If you are using a net, you can often keep the fish in the water while removing the hook.
• Use rubber or coated nylon nets to protect a fish's slime layer and fins.
• Quickly remove the hook with forceps or needle-nosed pliers.
• If the fish is deeply hooked, don't pull on the line. Instead, cut the line as close as possible to where it is hooked and leave the hook.
• Allow the fish to recover in the net before you release it.
• If the fish doesn't stay upright when you release it, gently move it back and forth. If you cannot get it to recover, it's probably best to take it home as part of your daily limit.