By Greg Wagner
Freshwater catfish family members are in post-spawn mode now in Nebraska waters and are quite susceptible to being caught as they are hungry and building up fat reserves for the cold weather months of fall and winter that lie ahead.
Catfish have slow growth rates and are valuable native fish that swim in our waters. Daryl Bauer of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Fisheries Division, says that big fish are hard to catch not because they are so smart, it is because they are so rare.
One key to catching bigger catfish in any water body, is to limit the harvest of large fish, and release them to be caught again and again. This practice also provides an opportunity for increasing numbers of anglers to enjoy fishing and to successfully catch a memorable catfish.
Biologically, larger catfish contribute significantly to reproduction and pass on favorable genes to future generations. However, the process of catching and releasing can be stressful and potentially harmful to big catfish if not done properly. To maximize the chances for survival, catfish anglers should follow these ten tips:
1) Grab that rubber net.
Unlike most fish species, catfish aren’t armed with skin-protecting scales. Instead, they have skin and secrete a viscous slimy substance that acts as an antiseptic. So, for landing big catfish you need a knotless, rubber or rubber-coated net that won’t abrade their skin or remove their vital slime layer. A rubber-coated net with micro-mesh and a flat bottom panel is a optimum because it gently supports the fish without contorting its body in abnormal angles. Without a good-sized rubber net, a large, wild catfish flopping on the boat floor, ground (in the dirt) or dock is asking for trouble in the forms of broken equipment, sprained ankles and severely injured fish.
2) Use lip grips with care.
Big catfish can tear your hands up and make you think twice about sticking your hand in their mouth. A good pair of what are called lip grips may be used with care to handle and release large catfish. When you squeeze the grips, make sure the jaws of the catfish do not open otherwise injury will be caused. If you’re wondering, fish lip grips are typically a floating, plastic device that features a handle with a locking system that clamps down on the inside and outside of the fish’s bottom lip while using your other hand to support the catfish on its underside near the tail fin. The lip grip makes it easier to control the fish while holding it.
3) Wear rubber gloves.
In the case of handling big catfish, a variety of rubber gloves specifically designed to make gripping fish easier without removing their slime, should be worn. They should always be wetted first, before grabbing a fish, in order to be minimally abrasive. Gloves also have the added bonus of protecting anglers from catfish spines, sandpaper-like teeth and even hooks!
4) Use a head lamp at night.
When tackling a decent-sized catfish at night destined for release, an effective light source that focuses on the subject and area and frees your hands up is quintessential. That means wearing a good quality head lamp. Make certain the head lamp has a high lumen output and multiple settings. White and yellow are typically the best colors for the headlamp to emit even though other colors would work for different purposes.
5) Do not hold catfish vertically!
ully support the weight of that big catfish fish with both hands and hold it horizontally. Keep hands away from gills and gill openings. Grip the narrow body section just below the tail with one hand and then basically cradle the fish’s head and shoulders with the other, avoiding pectoral and dorsal fins completely. If the fish decides to shake, you simply keep a firm grip on the tail and keep its head balanced until it calms down. It’s a safe and simple grip that just works.
6) Utilize good-quality circle hooks.
A huge part of proper catch and release for substantially sized catfish involves the utilization of circle hooks and and preferably higher quality, tournament grade circle hooks that are barbless. Good circle hooks are a must for hooking catfish safely and securely. Employing tournament grade barbless circle hooks, allows nearly all of big catfish to be hooked in the corner of the jaw. This allows for quicker hook removal, causes less stress on the fish and shortens the time that the fish is out of water.
7) Carry long-handled needle nose pliers.
Long-handled needle nose pliers let you to remove hooks with better control and limit your “hands on” contact with big catfish. Fish that are barely hooked or hooked in the lip can usually be freed with your hand, but it’s a good idea to always have a pair of long-handled needle nose pliers for those harder to reach hooks.
8) Take quick pics.
If your mobile phone is handy, snap a few quick photos of the big channel, blue or flathead catfish you landed to preserve the memory of that trophy catch and then put the fish gently back in the water right away. Practice conservation, practice CPR: catch, photo and release. Just think — next week, that large catfish you released could be the biggest catfish some other lucky angler has ever caught!
9) Be prepared.
Are your rubber gloves or rubber net and pliers within reach? Is your camera ready? Anything you can do to get that big catfish back in the water as soon as possible helps to improve the odds for survival. If you have everything you need handy you won’t have to keep the fish out of the water for very long.
10) Remember 3 tactics: little, long and cut.
Catch and release fishing for weighty cats works if three basic tactics are remembered and followed:
- Play the fish as little as possible.
- Keep the fish in the water as long as possible.
- Cut the line if the fish has swallowed the hook.