Warning., We can all learn from our mistakes.

The last few months I have been studying anglers, and the fish they catch. Sifting through thousands of hours of videos. Fast forwarding and pausing, frame by frame to get a glimpse of what content is really being shared. The way those anglers catch those fish, and how those fish are handled. There are studies out there done in a day or two, or maybe even a week. Studies on catch and release or harvesting fish, and handling fish in the four seasons. Studies on deeper water catch and release or harvesting fish, including the immediate effects of Barotrauma. There are very few studies on the unseen damage of Barotrauma after a fish is released. I asked myself what could be the ultimate fish study? What study could find the facts and be undisputed? I turned to fishing videos on social media. Starting in the fall my study was underway with the reviewing of random videos watching fish being caught from shallow water to deeper water. Now into February the study continues. You just cant get any better content than the real thing, fishing in action. Hundreds and hundreds of anglers, with thousands and thousands of hours of fishing, right at my finger tips. Why has this not been done before? Well I am doing it now, for as long as it takes. Many people say there is not enough information out there on how fish handling, and water depth contributes to the life and death of a fish. Spending countless hours sitting in this chair, and now sharing my thoughts with all of you. Getting through thousands of videos was not easy, but anything worthwhile takes time. Everyday there is a new fishing video posted on social media all over the province of Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba. I also watched hundreds of videos from the northern U.S states for continuity. This is not a problem separated by borders or demographics of anglers. This is an issue of ignorance at best, maybe. The lack of knowledge is no excuse for the poor handling of a fish. I have made mistakes in the past, we all have. The life of the fish should be the priority, whether keeping said fish or releasing the fish. The future existence of the fishery depends solely on the life of the many fish species at present. There are many responsible anglers out there fishing right now. There are just as many or more out there right now, that are not anglers. They are illegitimate and culpable for the state on which many people look at anglers as villainous monsters. Seeing so many of these videos myself, has questioned my own love of fishing. Am I a monster for catching and releasing fish, or eating them. Do I do my best to protect the fish caught on any given night or day out there. I fish the old school way, no sonar by choice. This will not go over well, but have given this a lot of thought. Forward facing sonar will ultimately be another nail in the coffin of responsible angling. There are some that use it properly to enhance their chances at a better fishing adventure. But many that use it like a toy or video game with no respect for the life of the fish. Or to enhance their popularity on social media. Everyone seems to think they are a fishing guide once that camera starts rolling. There is a big difference between a informational video and a lot of the trash that's out there. If anyone would like to know more about my study on fish handling at depths, I will be adding to this post.

Here is a quick example of an easy to miss injury to a fish being released. If this fish has some ruptured vessels in the eye, there could be more elsewhere. Many signs of barotrauma or poor fish handling go unnoticed. This can lead to the fish dying later after the release. Could be minutes later, or hours later. Even days later dying because now the fish can't eat properly and starves to death.

It's my choice not to use sonar. I don't expect many to agree with me. But there is a fine line between being Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Old school fishing or video game fishing, your choice. Either way however we catch a fish is not as important as how we handle and release the fish.

We should go tag some fish and follow them.
I'd be down for a small study if we could track them.

Good luck with your study with today's tech I'm sure some in feild testing could be done.

I'd also like know the limits and depths that affect them.

Thanks for posting.

Good question on depths. Just another fact the experts differ on as usual. In all the endless line of videos out there, thirty plus feet is the general depth agreed on by most. I personally dont fish deeper than 20 feet down. Nobody is saying not to fish deep water. Catch a few fish and take them home to eat. My message to the video star wannabe. Stop trying to be an expert, you are not. There is no cure for permanent damage caused by barotrauma. None, no cure, facts in my hand and undisputed. And for the losers handling fish poorly, don't be afraid of a fish and put away the spikes. If you are afraid of a fish cutting your little finger, grow up. Get rid of the sharp weapons and use you hands.

There are some studies out there on handling fish and Barotauma. I am not in agreement with every word published. But at least there are people out there putting in the effort. To do nothing and learn nothing makes no sense. Hopefully more is done and published to educate, instead of speculate.

More studies, are they all correct only time will tell.

And more. How would you like to be this walleye. This walleye was not part of this particular study. Just put the picture in for shock. This walleye is just one of the thousands of fish I have now seen on so many videos watched since the fall. I took my time in posting this difficult topic on here today. So many differing opinions out there. Just remember opinions are not facts, and I will bring you facts. If they erase all the fishing videos out there on social media then my facts will be gone. But nobody on social media with thousands of followers is really worried about my one post. You have to start somewhere, and today we can all start taking better care of the fish we catch. I have more, but thank you for listening.

My direction of study covers more lakes, more species at more depths. An endless supply of content to compare for an accurate conclusion. Sure would be nice of the stars of social media fishing being more honest. Hiding the depth on the forward facing sonar screen is stupid. I can tell the depth in most videos with a calculator and or the colour of the fishes eyes or mouth. This is just an example of a screen. It is dishonest to say they are fishing in 18 feet when they are really in 28, 38, 48, or 58 feet of water. Catching a fish and quickly releasing it to die. Just so we will subscribe to their channel. Unforgivable.

And that's why I've never bee a fan of the C&R gang that catch fish from the deep to release them and do it over and over. You caught your limit, go get something else.

Thank you for doing this and posting it Jamie.

Fisherman you are always coming out with thoughtful solutions and your comment is another example of your common sense.

Arnie

Great post. Dr Bruce Tufts from Queens U has studied barotrauma extensively. Check out some of his articles.

Some fish are able to handle depth changes easier than other fish. Lake trout as an example can adjust their swim bladder easily. Whitefish however, seem to have more difficulty. The other factor that impacts release is water temps. The difference between surface temps and even 15-20 ft can cause a lot of stress on a fish.

YouTubers should use their platform to help educate anglers (especially new anglers) on proper handling techniques. I agree... Watching some of their videos makes me cringe watching them handle some fish.

Yes catch and keep, and move on shallow, or go home. These pictures taken from a video with two guys catching one after the other. Very deep water, all fish bleeding from the gills. Releasing smaller bleeding fish and watching them float back up. Disgusting people.

Yes there are many people out there trying to educate on the handling of many fish species. As for the social media giants, you are right. They know about the hazards of handling fish, and some continue to avoid the conversation to post another exciting video. There was a new video posted yesterday from a very big name releasing walleye in 36 feet of water. One walleye was out of the water for three minutes, to show it off. Another he caught and dropped on the floor while he reeled in another on his other rod. After releasing that one he finally had time to release the first one. One had blood in it's eye, another bleeding from the gills. A real hero this guy is. If I could post his name I would. But the comments are what have been bothering me. Many anglers look up to these guys, and this turns into monkey see monkey do. There are some good messages in some fishing videos from responsible anglers. There needs to be more positive and good advice put out there, to counter act the bad advice. This guy was so pumped catching and showing off the fish, he forgot about the fish. I should say, he didn't care about the fish.

Thank you Arnie. I know you are a lover of Mother Nature, as so many of the Fishing Forum members are. We all have a voice and a responsibility to give back to nature when we can.