Catch and release: handling a fish well

Not every fish is a keeper. It may be under the legal size, too big for the cooler, or one you want to let go so someone gets another chance at it. Whatever the reason, Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) says you want to give the fish the best possible chance of surviving. This guide follows TPWD's own catch-and-release pages. Where it adds something TPWD does not say, it is marked as our own explanation.

The whole release in six steps

These are the steps on TPWD's catch and release tips page, in order. Step through them to see what each one looks like.

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Out of the water: hold your breath

TPWD's rule of thumb is to keep a fish out of the water no longer than you can hold your breath, and to leave it in the water if you can and use a tool to remove the hook. It adds that the longer a fish is out of water, the more stressed it gets, so take photos quickly. Notice that this is about your lungs, not a stopwatch. People differ, and the easiest way to follow it is to take a breath when you lift the fish and put it back before you need the next one.

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Wet hands, a good grip and a rubber net

TPWD says to wet your hands, or use a wet rag or glove, before you touch a fish. Dry hands rub off the slime layer that protects fish from parasites and infection. Hands should be bare or in smooth rubber gloves, because wet cloth gloves may remove more slime and carry disease from fish to fish. Keep your fingers out of the eyes and gills, never lift a fish by the gill cover, and keep fish off the floor of a boat or the ground. If you must lay a fish down, use a wet, smooth, cool surface, not a hot engine cover or a sun-baked deck.

For holding, TPWD says smaller fish, under 5 pounds, can be held upright by the lower jaw, by hand or with grippers, and larger fish should be held horizontally with two hands. If you need a net, use a rubber-mesh landing net, not abrasive nylon. You can also calm a fish by turning it on its back and covering its eyes. For sharks, TPWD adds that their organs are loosely held in place, so lifting one by the tail can tear them, and that they should be left in the water when possible.

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Hooks: fewer barbs, the right tool, the right way out

• Mash down the barb of your hooks with pliers before you go fishing (TPWD), or use barbless hooks when you can. A barbless hook is easier to remove and does less damage.
• Set the hook quickly so the fish is less likely to swallow the bait.
• Use needle-nose pliers, hemostats or a hook remover, and back the hook out the way it went in. The hook cards in Tackle & Lures show the hook shapes.
• Do not yank. TPWD says not to jerk or pop a leader to break it, because that can injure vital organs. If the hook is deep, TPWD says to cut the line or leader as close to the hook as you can.
• For a larger fish still in the water, TPWD says you can slip a gaff around the leader and slide it down to the hook, then lift the gaff up while pulling the leader down.

Deep water and barotrauma

When a fish comes up from deep water, the gas in its swim bladder expands as the pressure drops. TPW Magazine quotes a TPWD fisheries biologist who compares it to "the bends" in scuba divers. The eyes bulge, the belly swells, and the fish may float, too buoyant to swim back down. TPWD says that when fishing deep water you should bring the fish in slowly, to help it adjust to the changing pressure.

For black basses, TPWD advises avoiding catch-and-release in water deeper than 30 feet, and says release is stressful above 70°F and very stressful above 80°F. In a TPWD study at Amistad Reservoir, many bass caught from deep water recovered on their own, especially when the water was 60°F or cooler, but fish with barotrauma that were left untreated were less likely to survive than fish without it. A fish that is released quickly will often have enough energy to swim back down by itself, which lets the air bladder deflate.

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If a fish will not swim away

TPWD says to revive an exhausted fish by moving it or facing it into the current so water is gently forced through its gills, and to watch it. If it does not swim away, recover it and try again. For a saltwater fish that cannot swim or right itself, or that has a distended air bladder, TPWD describes two options. One is to let the air escape by gently inserting a thin point or an approved device through the side of the fish just behind the upper part of the pectoral fin base, then holding the fish upright in the water, facing the current, until it swims. TPWD also names descending tools as another option; a descending tool takes the fish down to the depth it was caught and does not puncture the body cavity. In its bass study, TPW Magazine says side venting did not appear to hurt bass, while piercing through the mouth did worse than doing nothing. Venting takes practice, so read the TPWD pages before trying it.

This guide summarizes what TPWD says and is not legal advice. Rules on tools, bag and length limits change; check TPWD's Outdoor Annual. If you are not going to eat a fish, TPWD says not to put it on a stringer.

Related

• Fishing for stocked rainbow trout
• Pier fishing on the Texas coast
• Tackle & Lures: hooks and terminal tackle

Sources

• TPWD: Catch & Release Tips, read 2026-10-09
• TPWD: Release Fish Safely (Texas Aquatic Science), read 2026-10-09
• TPWD: Releasing Black Basses and Other Large Freshwater Species, read 2026-10-09
• TPWD: Depressurizing a Saltwater Fish, read 2026-10-09
• TPWD: Catch and Release Techniques for Sharks, read 2026-10-09
• Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine (August 2011): treating barotrauma in largemouth bass, read 2026-10-09

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