Basic Spincasting Unit 5

Landing and Caring for the Catch

Background Information

Landing the Fish

Most inexperienced anglers lose fish because they fail to set the hook. Fish often take bait and hook into their mouths without really biting down. In order to set the hook, you must jerk the rod tip up and back quickly. This will pull the hook forward into the jaw.

Timing is important. If you jerk too soon, you will pull the bait out of the fish’s mouth and if you wait too long, the fish may get away. Or, the fish may swallow the hook, forcing you to cut the line if you wish to release it.

Different fish strike the bait differently, so setting the hook varies. For example, summer bluegills are notorious bait stealers and you must set the hook as soon as you detect a strike. Winter walleyes often pick up bait and move a short distance before swallowing it, so an impatient angler often misses the fish.

Once the hook is set, keep the rod tip high. Keep slack out of the line so the hook remains in the fish’s jaw. Slack line will allow the fish to free the hook by jerking its head.

For larger fish, you may need to "play" the fish. Stop reeling and let the fish fight, but make sure the line remains tight. Reel in slack line as quickly as possible if the fish swims toward you. Let the fish tire itself so you can land it.

Attempting to bring a large fish in too quickly can result in a broken line and an empty stringer. Retrieve the fish by pumping the rod – pull the rod tip up and back, then reel in line as you lower the tip of the rod.

Fish often put up the greatest struggle as they are removed from the water. Larger fish are capable of breaking the line with a final “hurrah” at the water’s edge, so it is important to lift them out of the water with a landing net or your hand, rather than putting excess pressure on the line.

Watch for the bobber to disappear and the jerk of the rod to set the hook.

Catch and Release

There are some basic rules that apply to catch and release fishing:

Land the fish quickly and handle it as little as possible.
Do not take the fish out of the water unless it is absolutely necessary.
Hold most fish by clasping the lower jaw between your thumb and forefinger [hold fish with sharp teeth by reaching across the head with your thumb pressing against one gill cover and your fingers against the other gill cover].
Gently remove the hook and release the fish.
The slime on the fish protects it from disease, so be careful not to wipe it off. Wet your hands before handling the fish – this reduces the chances you will remove the slime coating. If you wear gloves, make sure they are wet.
If the fish is hooked deeply, cut the line as close as possible to the fish’s mouth and leave the hook. Studies on deeply hooked trout showed that if a deeply embedded hook is left undisturbed, nearly six times as many of the fish released survived.

releasing a fish

Keeping the Catch

Preservation in the Field

Take care when handling fish. Those that are handled roughly do not survive as long and spoil more quickly. Fish on stringers or in baskets should be kept in deeper, cooler water (in the shade if possible), especially in hot weather. Use a cooler with ice when the water is warm.

Field dress fish that are not going to be cleaned soon after catching, especially oily fish such as trout. Hold the fish gently, but firmly in one hand and insert the tip of a sharp, narrow-bladed knife in the anal opening. Cut the belly wall from the anus to the head. Remove the internal organs, including the dark red kidney tissue attached to the backbone. Cut the gills free and remove them. Wash the belly cavity with cold, clean water if available. Put the fish in plastic bags. Seal the bags and place in a cooler on ice.

small cooler with ice packs

Filleting

Filleting is a very popular technique for cleaning fish because you don’t need to remove the internal organs, head, or fins. Fillets also are boneless. Filleting is easiest when you use a sharp fillet knife with a thin, flexible blade. Wear a fillet glove on your free hand to prevent serious cuts. (A fillet glove helps deflect an errant knife blade.) You also need a flat, firm surface to work on.

Place the blade of the knife just behind the pectoral fin and cut through to the backbone.
Turn the knife so the blade is against, and nearly parallel to, the backbone. Hold the fish firmly with one hand and use a sawing motion to cut through the ribs toward the tail. Continue to the base of the tail. (Note: You can also fillet the meat around the ribs rather than cutting through them.)
Place the knife near the tail end of the fillet with the blade next to the skin. Hold the fish at the base of the tail with your fingertips and work the blade forward between the skin and flesh.
Place the edge of the knife blade just under the top of the ribs and slice them out of the fillet. Repeat the procedure on the other side of the fish.

Storing Fish

Fish are best if they are cleaned and cooked within a few hours of catching, but this may not be possible. You can refrigerate them for 24 hours or freeze them up to two years, depending on the kind of fish and method of freezing. You can store fish with lean flesh longer than those with oily flesh.

Rinse fish well and place in a container of water in the refrigerator overnight. Drain and freeze fish wrapped tightly in plastic and freezer paper, vacuum sealed bags, or covered in water in freezer bags.

Thaw fish by placing them in the refrigerator or under cold running water. In order to assure good flavor and texture, do not thaw fish more than one day before cooking. For fish in vacuum packs, remove from the package or cut a hole in the package so air can get to the fish (so botulism does not grow in the anaerobic environment).

Cooking

Fish may be prepared many different ways. No matter the method of cooking you choose, the most important thing to remember is not to overcook fish. Bluegill, crappie, perch, walleye, and other mild-flavored fish can be used in any recipe that calls for cod, halibut or other light-fleshed fish. Stronger-flavored fish like carp can be substituted for salmon.

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