Does catch-and-release fishing really work? It's a common
question these days on the minds of all anglers who catch fish of
keeper size and make a choice: keep or don't keep.

An angler named Sandy called the other day with a common
concern: "I believe in catch and release, but if the walleyes I'm
releasing aren't living, it seems like such a waste."

Sandy was wondering if she was mishandling the fish or whether
she was foolish for thinking her released walleyes were being
recycled for the next lucky angler. She said she and her husband
weren't looking for an excuse to keep the walleyes they caught: "I
feel bad when they go belly-up."

"It's a big issue," DNR fisheries chief Jack Skrypek said,
referring to the catch-and-release concept.

Indeed, the practice of catch and release often is viewed as
the savior of future sportfishing. As fishing technology
progresses, as the pressure grows on the sportfishing resource, most
fish managers believe the nation's waters would be severely depleted
unless more catchable fish are released to bite again.

"If we can't do catch and release, the restoration of
overfished waters may not be possible," Skrypek said.

Yet, catch and release is not a cure-all. The concept of
recycling gamefish tends to be a simplistic solution for a complex
web of fish-management problems and issues. Throwing everything back
might not be necessary, or even beneficial.

It also should not be a crime to keep a legal fish for the
table, if it's not detrimental to do so. To emphasize that, fish
managers have a new buzz phrase, "selective harvest," which means if
you want a meal of walleyes, keep the more plentiful small or
midsized fish (12 to 17 inches) and release the scarcer larger
ones.

This new philosophy flies against the grain of past angling
generations who believed it was proper to keep all the lunkers and
let go the little ones to grow up. Now it sounds as though all
those tourists who kept 12-inch walleyes were actually doing walleye
populations a favor. But in other examples, such as migrating
salmon, selective harvest could mean the right thing to do is keep
the big ones and let the little ones go.

Catch-and-release/selective-harvest guidelines still are being
written. "The benefits of catch and release are still a mystery.
We're learning as we go," Skrypek said.

The catch-and-release tolerance of many species is still
unknown. On Lake Rebecca, west of the Twin Cities, a number of
muskies recently were found floating, dead, apparently after being
caught and released. Were the fish mishandled? Or was it something
else, such as stress or a fatal buildup of lactic acid?

It's fair to ask: With so much at stake, why isn't more known
by fish biologists about the parameters of successful
catch-and-release fishing? "The individual angler must look at the
specifics of the situation when deciding to release," said DNR fish
biologist Steve Hirsch. "Was the fish gut-hooked? Was it pulled
from deep water? Is it sluggish?"

Hirsch said research is showing that the hooking mortality on
bluegills in warm water is 80 percent or more. "The deeper the
hook, the more deadly," Hirsch said. He said a lake trout
hook-and-release study in ice cold water showed higher release
mortality on fish trout caught on live bait vs. an artificial lure.
"An angler must use judgment. If a fish needs to be revived for a
long time, it probably won't make it."

Here are a few catch-and-release tips offered by the DNR:

Do:
- Use barbless hooks for easy removal.
- Set hook quickly to avoid gut-hooking.
- Play fish quickly to prevent fish exhaustion and lactic acid
buildup.
- Hold fish firmly but gently.
- Use needle-nose pliers or medical forceps to remove hooks. If
deeply hooked, cut line.
- Gently return fish to water; in current, release into calm
water.
- Revive tired fish by gently moving back and forth in water.

Don't:
- Net or handle fish if they can be released untouched.
- Drop fish in the boat.
- Hold fish by the eyes or squeeze too tightly.
- Release a fish that is unable to swim upright or returns to the
surface (unless it's an illegal size to keep).
- Release fish with bleeding gills.
- Place fish you plan to release on a stringer or in a live-well.

This much is known: If you keep them all, the death rate is 100
percent.