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About Us
Randy Wilson, captain of the Talking Fish, came to Costa Rica
in 1974. Since then, he has fished Costa Rica's Pacific waters
extensively. He spearheaded the effort to conserve the game fish
in Costa Rica by developing his own techniques and lures in the 80's. These
have been refined over the years to ensure proper handling of sailfish
and marlin during hookup, fight and release. Randy has written
numerous articles on his fishing philosophy. Below
is a recent article he wrote in the February 2004 issue of Saltwater
Sportsman explaining the finer points of true "catch and release" fishing.
CATCH TO RELEASE
by Randy Wilson
The result of the sport fishing community's neglect to define "catch
and release" has resulted in decades of dying bill fish dropped
back into the water under the guise of conservation. This is particularly
true when the angler's strategy is to catch high numbers, rather than
each fish's survival. The tournament venue, where cutting as many corners
as possible to run up the numbers, is the most extreme example. Quality "catch
and release" means bringing a fish to hand with hook and line using
the best method possible to insure the fish's survival after the hook
is retrieved and the fish is released. Fish survival is the number one
priority and although quality "catch and release" can not always
be achieved, the conservation minded angler should make an attempt with
every fish.
Hook placement is the single most important aspect to insure
the fish's survival after release. The fish must be hooked in the mouth,
forward of the gills, and preferably in the outer rim. Let's call this
area the
"Quality Zone" or QZ. For bill fish the QZ is the soft palate
of the forward part of the upper jaw leading forward until the bill becomes
solid bone. This is the most challenging target for hook up and of course
increases the possibility of a thrown hook during a characteristically
wild fight. Most of us feel that it is well worth the gamble in the light
of the excitement of a mouth hooked fish's wild runs and acrobatic battles.
That its immediate oxygen supply in the blood stream is used up, instead
of in the muscles where lactic acid poisoning is a common cause of released
fish death, is an added plus for the magnificent fish. In addition, the
angler is better able to control the fish's head and bring the fish to
hand before it can recover and go into a prolonged battle. Finally, the
necessary hook retrieval is greatly simplified and less dangerous.
Tackle should be light enough to allow the fish to sprint
and jump wildly yet strong enough to bring the fish to hand quickly without
causing undue stress. The technology of today's rods, reels, and ultra
thin spectra lines has made it possible to cover a larger spectrum of
fish fighting ability with fewer pieces of equipment. Choosing the right
tackle is up to the angler. Overpowering the fish will bring it to the
boat full of dangerous fight, while light tackle can result in a prolonged
battle causing the fish to die from exhaustion.
As the resource becomes more and more limited, the conservation minded
angler must realise that every fish hooked is a potential death. Practice
quality over quantity. Try to hook every fish in the QZ. Keep the fight
time short. Attempt to retrieve all hooks and use stainless hooks whenever
possible.
Catch and release is not just letting the fish go. |
