Interest study on fish out of water

MOSCOW, Idaho — A University of Idaho study provides evidence that the practice by anglers of holding a fish out of water before releasing it has no impact on the fish’s survival or its ability to produce offspring, according to a U of I news release.

In the study, published this month in the North American Journal of Fisheries Management, researchers from U of I and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game caught more than 2,200 Yellowstone cutthroat trout over two years in a tributary of the South Fork of the Snake River in Idaho, a world-renowned fishery.

The researchers tagged the fish in the spring with tracking devices, took genetic samples, simulated angling and left some fish in the river while holding others out of the water for 30 and 60 seconds. The fish were then tracked to monitor their survival rates. The researchers returned to the same area in autumn to trap their offspring and determine the parentage of each fish through genetic analysis.


“We found that air exposure had no effect on short- or long-term survival, and no effect on reproductive success,” said Michael Quist, one of the study’s authors and an associate professor of fisheries management in U of I’s College of Natural Resources.

Curtis Roth, lead author of the study and a recent U of I master’s graduate, said the time intervals were chosen because they were consistent with how long anglers keep fish out of the water. An earlier study by the U of I researchers published in January 2018 in the journal Fisheries Research found more than 99 percent of anglers keep fish out of water for less than 60 seconds. The average was less than 20 seconds. Roth said researchers also focused on trout, a member of the salmonid family, because of its sensitivity.

“We chose salmonids for this study because they have lower tolerance of hypoxia — of being without oxygen. In theory, they would be the most likely to show an effect,” said Roth, who is now a fisheries biologist with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game in Salmon.

Salmonids include salmon, trout and steelhead, whose response to air exposure during catch-and-release fishing has been source of concern.

I suppose we need to follow the science, but this is how I think about it:

Imagine sprinting 100m, then having someone hold you under water for 60 seconds. How well do you think the average person would do? Not to mention, in busy rivers, there is evidence that steelhead are caught multiple times. Catch and release mortality is a thing, keeping fish out of water surely adds to this.

I have taken a few fish pics. I am guilty of this. I'm changing my ways. Keep 'em wet.

I'd appreciate the source. I found this one, though it was a thesis (not making it any less credible):

https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/e...89n_12278.html

It's promising from a resource management position. It still feels bad when I see people hold a fish out of water for 5 minutes, passing it between anglers for glory shots.

Interesting studies, both. Both studies focused entirely on resident Trout and Yellowstone Cutthroat. Wonder if the fact that neither study was conducted on Steelhead (anadromous) makes any difference?? Surely, Steelhead traveling enough miles to get to Idaho are stressed by the trip, let alone being caught, held out of water for up to a minute and released.... :confused:

The study I linked absolutely was about steelhead.

Even if holding trout out doesn't increase their chance of dying, I always feel better when I can keep them in the water/in the net for any pictures I take. Better safe than sorry, and fish pictures can look great in water if done right:cool:

NK

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Trouter925

I suppose we need to follow the science, but this is how I think about it:

Imagine sprinting 100m, then having someone hold you under water for 60 seconds. How well do you think the average person would do? Not to mention, in busy rivers, there is evidence that steelhead are caught multiple times. Catch and release mortality is a thing, keeping fish out of water surely adds to this.

I have taken a few fish pics. I am guilty of this. I'm changing my ways. Keep 'em wet.

---

This.

I dont fish enough to ever worry any fish in my time zone, but if I did I imagine it would be like this!

Last time took a fish out of water for a pic I had a person ready to get shots and the total time out was maybe 5 seconds. I felt bad for even that.

pictures are bad for the fish................but they are even worse to those who wish they would have caught them.

It's pretty simple when it comes to trout and steelhead just keepemwet.

No need for outstretched arms over drift boats or on dry grass, rocks or land in general. While I was one of those anglers/guides that was all about pics with clients and their fish with outstretched arm in our drift boats, its time to lead the pack and change our ways.

In addition, NCFG and our guides will be practicing the keem em wet style of handling our trout and steelhead. What that means, first and foremost is that the fish will be handled with the utmost care and always greeted with wet nets and wet hands. Also if clients would like to take pictures during the day with their catch, we will do so by entering with water where our partners in crime live, embracing their habitat and keememwet while taking a few quick pics. All the while keeping them in the net and more importantly in the water. We are sorry for this inconvenience, however, the keepemwet philosophy will better protect our fish for future generations of not only fish but also future anglers. After all is said and done, its about how we leave our footprint on our fisheries. This is one way we can do our part.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Brian Clemens

It's pretty simple when it comes to trout and steelhead just keepemwet.

No need for outstretched arms over drift boats or on dry grass, rocks or land in general. While I was one of those anglers/guides that was all about pics with clients and their fish with outstretched arm in our drift boats, its time to lead the pack and change our ways.

In addition, NCFG and our guides will be practicing the keem em wet style of handling our trout and steelhead. What that means, first and foremost is that the fish will be handled with the utmost care and always greeted with wet nets and wet hands. Also if clients would like to take pictures during the day with their catch, we will do so by entering with water where our partners in crime live, embracing their habitat and keememwet while taking a few quick pics. All the while keeping them in the net and more importantly in the water. We are sorry for this inconvenience, however, the keepemwet philosophy will better protect our fish for future generations of not only fish but also future anglers. After all is said and done, its about how we leave our footprint on our fisheries. This is one way we can do our part.

---

Nicely put Brian!

NK