The Complete Guide to Catch, Photo, & Release Fishing
- By: Luke Simonds
- on December 19, 2016
- Found In: Conservation, Fishing Tips

Image: Capt. Justin Napior safely releasing a nice redfish
Are you “CPR certified” when it comes to fishing…
Either way, this post will reveal everything you need to know about CPR (catch, photo, release) fishing.
But first, let’s discuss why proper catch and release is so critical today.
To begin, fishing is more than “just fishing” for most of us anglers.
It’s a lifestyle that we want to enjoy forever…
And it’s a passion that we want to pass down to the next generation.
So it’s on us anglers to consistently do our very best to preserve our favorite past time by being good stewards of our fisheries.
And a big part of preserving our fisheries is making sure anything we throw back has the best chance of survival.

So if you want to have your kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids to have the same fishing experiences you did, we need more fish being properly cared for prior to release so they can thrive once back in the water.
Further, it’s our job to help teach others who are new to fishing the proper way to handle fish so that they properly practice catch and release fishing too.
And for those of us who enjoy sharing pictures of fish with friends and family, it’s very important to display catch and release practices in pictures even if the fish will be a guest at the dinner table because those who are new to fishing will see proper holding positions.

This article will cover the top 5 features of fish that we must always do our very best to protect.
And we’ll also cover best practices for getting the perfect picture to be able to share the catch with friends and family without causing harm to the fish.
5 Essential Parts Of The Fish To Protect
The following five parts of the fish are what we much focus our attention towards when handling a fish that is going to be released.
Because if any of them get compromised, they’ll have a hard time surviving after release.

1. Gills
It is absolutely essential to make every effort to not touch or harm a fish’s gills when handling it.
Why?
Because harm done to these important tissues can result in a quick death for the fish because all fish rely on their gills to breathe.
Things to Do
- Use in-line circle hooks with fishing with live or cut bait because they are much less likely to gill or gut hook a fish
- Always be attentive to the rod when fishing so that to feel for strikes so that you can set the hook before it’s too deep
- Make sure that you keep your fingers and tools from touching the gills when unhooking a fish
Things to Not Do
- Never hold a fish by the gills
- Never stick pliers (or fingers) in through the gills to access a deep hook… just cut the line because the hook will rust out
- Don’t wait too long before setting the hook after feeling a bite

2. Skin
Although the fish’s skin doesn’t seem to get as much focus in terms of things to protect, it surely shouldn’t be overlooked.
Especially as more and more chemicals from stormwater runoff enters our fisheries…
Why?
Because their skin is their core defense against harmful bacteria, parasites, and/or chemicals that are in the water.
And any loss to their “slime” on the outer layer or to their scales can put them at risk of a slow death from getting infected or poisoned.
Things to Do
- Pre-wet everything that will touch the first before it touches the fish (dip hands in water, splash water on deck of boat/kayak, dip landing net all the way into the water before netting the fish, etc.)
- Make sure to have all needed items for holding, taking a picture, and unhooking a fish in close proximity so it’s all easily and quickly accessible allowing for a smooth and quick release.
- Use a fish grip to secure the head of the fish so that you can minimize the needed touch area of the fish (and so it doesn’t slide around you or the boat if it continues fighting.
Note: If using a landing net, make sure it has a rubber lining on its netting (NO rope webbing)
Things to Not Do
- NEVER use a cloth rag to grab ahold of the fish that is going to be released
- Don’t bring a fish that you’re going to release in too quickly… better to spend more time reviving at the end than bringing an uncontrollable fish into a boat/kayak or onto the beach where it can lose lots of slime coating.
- Don’t rub a fish against dry clothing when taking a picture… get help from someone else if unable to hold the fish with just two hands or get in the water for a really cool pic.

3. Jaw
A fish with an injured jaw will have a very tough time capturing its food.
And although a fish with an injured jaw may very well swim away energetically when released, an injury to its jaw could result in the fish being unable to feed making it unable to survive.
Things to Do
- Use extreme care to not force the entire weight of a big fish by its jaw
- Take out hooks with the fish’s body either in the water or securely resting on a wet surface on your boat/kayak/etc.
- Use a fish grip to securely hold onto the jaw so your other hand can more easily be used to support its midsection
Things to Not Do
- Don’t hold a big fish vertically by the jaw
- NEVER torque the jaw in an effort to horizontally hold a fish by its jaw
- Don’t use barbed hooks (especially treble hooks) while catch and release fishing (push down barbs with pliers and replace treble hooks with single hooks on lures that come with treble hooks).

4. Internal Organs
Fish are designed to thrive underwater in a mostly horizontal position, and their internal organs are set up to help them thrive in that same environment.
So the internal organs of some species can get compromised when they are held vertically when out of the water since they simply were not designed to withstand gravity in that position (especially the bigger/older fish).
Things to Do
- Take care to not hold fish in the air vertically
- Use two hands to pick up a large fish so that you can support its mid-section
Things to Not Do
- NEVER hold a large fish up in the air vertically by its jaw (it can harm both its jaw and internal organs)
- Do not squeeze a fish with a lot of force in order to keep it securely held since that can cause damage to internal organs too.

5. Eyes
Fish heavily rely on sight to feed and stay out of trouble, so we always need to be very mindful to not damage their eyes in any way.
Things to Do
- Take care to not allow anything sharp or rough to tough/scrape their eyes
Things to Not Do
- NEVER hold a fish that is going to be released by its eye sockets

How To Take Great Pictures Of Your Catch
Capturing a great picture of a great catch is can be almost as rewarding as the catch itself…
Not only will it enable you to relive the awesome experience for many years to come from just looking at the picture, but it also can be a tremendous tool to help you share the joy of your catch with any friends and family members who weren’t fortunate enough to have been there to see the catch firsthand.
Plus, a great picture will ensure that there are no skeptics to your story of the big catch:)

Photo Taking Tips If Fishing With Others
Nothing is worse than having the best catch of your life not captured on film due to photographer error…
So if you’re going to be fishing with friends, make sure to have your camera in an easy to find location… and be ready to give specific directions to a friend on exactly how to use your camera if they don’t have a camera of their own.

Here are some general things to keep in mind when taking fish pics:
- Make sure that you and/or your fish are facing into the sun/light so that all colors are as clear and bright as possible
- Have your friend check the background to include or exclude items as needed (secret fishing location, even horizon, etc.)
- Take multiple pics in case any eyes were closed
Also, it also can be fun to get creative with angles to make a catch look better than it otherwise would…
For example, here’s a picture of a really small snook that I typically would not even consider taking a picture with. But I was fishing with a great photographer who was able to turn the not so great catch into an awesome photo.

Photo Taking Tips If Fishing Alone
Now that cameras are so small and user-friendly, it’s now fairly easy for you to be able to take excellent pictures of you with your catch without the help of anyone else…
It just takes some planning…
First, get to learn what features your camera has for taking delayed pictures or video footage.
Note: If your camera takes crisp video, then you’ll be able to pull the exact perfectly timed image from the video feed.

Secondly, plan what sort of angle you want to capture and then make sure to set up some way to safely hold your camera in the right spot so that it can capture the image without getting lost.
For example, here’s the very basic setup that Tony Acevedo uses to take his awesome pictures while fishing alone from a kayak.

Finally, make sure to store your camera in an easily accessible location so that you can efficiently get it when the need arises.
Note: I recommend practicing a few times before on the water to make sure to get any bugs or inefficiencies out on dry land before it gets more difficult on the water.

Catch, Photo, and Release Fishing Equipment
Here’s a list of fishing equipment that can be extremely beneficial to catch and release fishing.
Fish grips – These tools grip on to a fishes jaw and do not let go until you want it to so that you can ensure the fish can’t accidentally get dropped while also decreasing the amount of area that is needed to touch a fish.
Needle-Nose Pliers: These are essential to have while fishing because they allow you to efficiently unhook a fish even if it’s hooked fairly deep and has a small mouth.
De-hooker: This is another essential tool that can help you more unhook a fish with minimal contact to the fish.
Waterproof phone case: Since phones these days have such nice cameras (amazingly nice in some instances), a waterproof phone case can help ensure that your camera doesn’t get ruined by getting wet (I’m sad to report that I learned the importance of a good waterproof case hard way).
Camera Mount: If you fish along and want to get great pics of your catches, then it is wise to get a camera mount so that you can safely and efficiently take pictures of you and your catch. Click here to see some awesome pictures that our kayak instructor Tony Acevedo has taken.
Ventilation Device (offshore): If offshore fishing, make sure that you’re ready to assist you fish with swim bladder issues back down to the bottom… watch the video in this linked post to learn more about ventilation best practices.

Conclusion
Since fishing is more than just fishing, we need to do all that we can to help ensure that our fisheries are as well cared for as possible.
So we need to consistently implement catch and release best practices to ensure that the fish we release can thrive.
And just as importantly, we need to display those best practices so that those who are less experienced can see the proper way to care for fish.
Furthermore, it’s on us to share proper catch and release practices with others who haven’t been informed of the potential deadly harm they can be unknowingly doing to their beloved catches.
Message to the “Fish Police”

Please be kind and courteous to those who post pictures in social media with poorly held fish…
Because 99% of the time, they have no idea that they could be causing harm to their catch… if they did, they most certainly wouldn’t be posting pictures of themselves harming fish online for all to see and scold them for.
When not 100% certain of bad intentions, go with the honest mistake assumption because it’s most likely going to be right… name calling and public shaming makes the entire fishing community look bad.
We’re all in it together, so let’s continually focus on pulling anglers up vs. pushing them down.
How To Kindly Inform Others:
Help spread the best practices for catch, photo, and release fishing when you see that there is a need.
If it’s an online post, then perhaps kindly send them a link to this article (or any others that you feel are helpful) and simply say that it has some valuable tips at efficiently practicing catch, photo, and release fishing.
P.S. – If you think your angler friends or fishing networks would like to see this to help spread the cause, then please Tag them or Share this with them. You Rock! Pa-POW!
Related Posts:
- Must Know Catch and Release Fishing Tips For Saltwater Anglers
- An Open Letter to PETA On Catch & Release Fishing
- 3 Super Easy Tips To Help Capture More Amazing Fishing Moments On Film
Final Note: If there are any inaccuracies in this post or other important things to consider when handling a fish that is to be released, then kindly use the comment section below to play a part in helping us all better care for our beloved fisheries… I’ll gladly make any needed adjustments to it at any time so that it’s as helpful as possible.
In the meantime, let’s see more fish being released as healthy and strong as they were prior to being caught.
Related categories:

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Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish ever trip
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- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).

STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
A great read Luke and very informative. There is always something to learn regarding smart catch and release techniques.
Thanks for making time to leave the nice comment… Tight Lines!
By far the best post since joining the Salt Strong community. All of the knowledge shared on catching fish is useless if well-intentioned CPR fisherman mishandle their catch and it doesn’t survive.
Thanks for the kind words John! We published some catch and release articles previously, but this one does the best job at clearly specifying the 5 core parts of the fish to protect along with the Do’s and Do Not’s clearly called out.
Please be sure to send this article to anyone you believe could benefit from this post so that we can ensure it reaches as many anglers as possible. Tight Lines!
Great article on a much needed topic of learning. You guys rock!
Thanks for making time to leave the nice comment, Alan. Tight Lines!
Awesome article!
Thanks for making time to leave the nice comment, Kortney. Tight Lines!
Good information! Thank you
Thanks for making time to leave the nice comment, Roger. Tight Lines!
I am 72 years old and new to fishing in SW FL. I’ve been fishing nearly all my life. Salt Strong produces such intelligent information, it is the only email I read regularly, and fully, and save to refer back to whenever I feel the need to refresh my memory about something I read. Many years ago I used to write a fishing column for a NJ newspaper. I wish I was as informative as you guys, I might still be doing it. I learned a great deal from this particular email. I was surprised at myself how much I didn’t know about the preservation of life in a release. I hope you keep up the great work and I hope one day to see you on the water so I can thank you in person.
I would advise you to join the Insiders Club if you have not already done so. It gets you much more in the way of information and interesting videos. It’s definitely worth the price of admission. Also look into some of the great Courses offered by Salt Strong
Thanks for making time to leave the nice comment, Frank. The kind words are especially nice to see from a columnist like you… very much appreciated.
Yes, there are a lot of small things that can make a big difference when it comes to catch and release fishing. And I’m sure there are many tips that I don’t yet know, so I’ll continually keep my eyes peeled for new information to add to this article.
Tight Lines!
Luke – It’s not a big thing, but can my name be changed to Rich for these posts. Tried through the web site, but can’t seem to do it. Thanks
Super job. I was a bit critical previously of photos by members showing species limits on docks and tables. This is a great article on how to treat these fish we treasure. All of us, yeah, even a catch and release guy like me, can use a refresher on proper fish handling. You guys are a real asset to the recreational fishing community.
Thanks for making time to leave the nice comment Kenneth!
Here is a weird release question. Anyone fishing the Indian River Lagoon knows that the dolphins are definitely as smart as we are. They quietly observe our boats and are ready for that easy meal. Don’t mind feeding them a jack or two but really hate to release any undersized trout, red or snook when they are lurking about. Do you guys have any tricks to protect released fish from these guys. It is cool to see them explode on a fish, just not a game fish. Thanks again.
Dress them little guys in puffer costumes before you release them?
Good idea, I will check Amazon to see if they carry them.
Great topic to bring up because this problem isn’t isolated to just the Indian River.
The most important thing we can do to help fix this issue is to never feed dolphins anything on porpoise (pun intended)… and to spread the word to those who are to stop doing it because it’s bad for them to become beggars.
As for a trick, I make sure to always release my fish right next to a dock or some other type of structure whenever a begging dolphin is nearby so it’ll have much tougher time getting the fish.
We do try to release in structure and hope the fish will snuggle up in there for a while. If no structure around try to get as shallow as possible and very quietly release the fish. Works sometimes. Getting skunked works too.
Great tip on going shallow when structure isn’t nearby! And same with a quiet release.
But getting skunked is not a recommended trick for not feeding dolphins:)
Tight Lines!
Thank you for the great article on safe catch and release fishing. I am a novice fisherman, so I really appreciate the information that you share with this community. I look forward to the articles and videos.
My pleasure Lara! Thanks for making time to leave the nice comment. Tight Lines!
Nice surprise to see my Catch in this article!! I even learned more about keeping the fish safe before release (or not) I always apologize as I remove the hook. Thanks guys!!
I’m glad that you spotted your pic in the article:) Keep up the great catching!
Great reading! I am a fisherman in Quebec Canada and I am always trying to learn more on how to safely release fish. This is probably one of the best articles I have read so far! Thank you for making it and keep up the great work! I have a question. I have freekently heard that fish grips are very bad for a fish’s jaw? Because of the way they are made, they can injure permanently the fish. I have persenaly never used a fish grip, but these sayings are from peaple who have used them. What do you make of this? Would it be because they are using them the wrong way?
Thank you.
P.S. I hope my anglish is not to bad, I am french…
Hey Mario, thanks for making time to leave the nice comment on this catch and release article.
In answer to your question about fish grips being good or bad, my belief is that fish grips can be very helpful to fish compared to other alternatives like netting a fish or grabbing a big fish by the hand.
But like everything else, it’s more about how they are used. For example, holding a big fish vertically by the jaw via a fish grip can be very bad for the fish… but that type of hold would still be bad if the fish grip was replaced with someone’s hand.
The reason I believe fish grips can be very helpful to fish when used properly (never hold fish vertical and always support midsection with the other hand) because it’s much easier to control a fish with fish grips vs. holding via hand so the risk of dropping a fish that’s thrashing onto the boat/ground decreases.
Hello Luc,
Thank you for your response. It is much more clear to me how to use fish grips. I will probably by a pair and try them soon.
By the way, is it possible to order your products and have them ship to Canada?
Thanks.
Mario
Thanks for making time to leave the nice comment. We currently are unable to internally fulfill international orders, but there are some package forwarding companies that can allow for our gear to be send internationally… here’s a link to one that I know has been successfully used: https://www.shipito.com/en/.
WOW!!!! It wasn’t until recently that my wife and I found out that we were holding our catch for pics completely wrong.
We were wondering why we didn’t get good results on releases. Now we know. Thanks
I’m very glad to see that you learned some helpful tips for catch, photo, and release fishing. Please be sure to forward this to any of your fishing friends who you think will enjoy it too.
Fish On!
Good, helpful article. Thanks!
Thanks for this great article. We are the protectors of our sport and we are the ones who will see that our kids and grandkids get the same chance to fall in love with fishing as we did. Please release the majority of your catch, you will feel good about it as it becomes the norm.
Good information! Thanks
Just a great article. Perfect in every way. Catch and release for our sport’s future.
Great information ! Two addendums: 1. Some larger species are legally protected to prevent death caused by removal from the water. Florida law requires Tarpon over 40″ to remain in the water during release. CPR Sailfish are Federally protected from removal from the water. One should check local regs to see which species are protected. 2. Time is of essence for CPR. Turn on cameras, and video recorders, wet bump boards and ready hook removal plans prior to removing fish out of the water to expedite the process.
Excellent information in here! I thought I was relatively well informed and a responsible catch-n-release angler, but I see now that I can (and will) be doing more from now on. Tight lines (and healthy releases) to you all.
Thanks for the kind words Nate! Please be sure to share it with anyone you think would find it helpful too. Fish On!
Just by reading all this I learned a couple new thing on fish handling n proper release forms. Thanks for sharing this I’ll be sure u pass this along.
Thanks so much for the kind words. Glad to see that you’ll be sharing it with your friends.
I may have missed this but you didn’t cover the best way to get the fish from the water if your in a boat. Should we use a net to keep the fish from going vertical? I know nets are bad for the skin but need your input for this method. Thanks
The best thing to do is keep the fish in the water as much as possible. Using a net is a good way to do that. Ideally, get a net with rubber coated mesh because it does not wipe away the outer coating of the fish as much as a cloth or rope mesh does.
This is great general information. Do you have a video or more information on barotrauma releases?
Great article, thanks for posting!
Thanks for the kind words Jack!
Question on holding trout…is there any issue with sliding the the side of a finger underthe gill plate slightly? Similar to Tony’s picture at the top. I always seem to struggle with hanging on to trout and tend to get part of a finger gently under the gill plate. Thanks!
The ideal way to hold a trout is to use some sort of fish grip tool to control it’s head while using your other hand to support its mid-section. There is a spot in the gill plate that can be safe if done properly and the fish isn’t thrashing, but there’s little room for error since it requires fingers getting very close to their gills so we don’t recommend doing it.
Having someone “PROOFREAD” the article would be both helpful to the final reader and show the expertise of the writer.
The article itself was exceptionally GREAT , but proofreading, (and correcting the minor mistakes), would have made it eceptional.
I THOROUGHLY believe in CPR, ( catch, photograph and release ), and would really appreciate a final, corrected copy of this article for distribution to our local club, ( 6k members ).
Thank you, Herb Carter, Flagler Sportfishing Club
The article was extremely helpful to all anglers.
To make it even MORE anglers, especially those in local club tournaments, how about an article for CPR where photos are taken and measured for LENGTH instead of weight. Pictures are taken accurately with the use of a portable MEASUREING stick and the fish is quickly released. There is no waiting to have the fish weighed, ( and possibly having the fish die).
The picture is sent back to a central location, instead of waiting for an official “weigh-in”.
All fish can be released – properly, hopefully, and we maintain our fisheries.
With all your resources you could investigate the best resources for accomplishing this – economically for local fishing clubs.
Most sources, at this time, can be quite expensive in the end.
How about YOUR ORGANIZATION setting up such a service. Now THAT would be a GREAT article. Consider how your ORGANIZATION may benefit. I would bet membership would grow ten fold.
Thanks for making time to leave the suggestion Bear! I totally agree that the CPR tournaments are the way to go given how all of us have cameras on hand when fishing and it’s so much better for the fish to quickly release them back to where they were caught vs. letting them go at a weigh-in location (especially in the summer given that many weigh in spots are in marinas with little water flow (low DO2).
Are you envisioning something other than having a ruler board that the tournament gives out to the anglers?
It appears as if there was a misunderstanding… out system does not automatically show comments from new users to prevent spammers from taking over the messaging areas. The reason your earlier comment didn’t show up is because our team was in a meeting today so we didn’t have a chance to approve any comments from after 10 am until now.
Hopefully this request is no longer needed now that the reason why your first comment didn’t get shown is now known. I’ll go ahead and take this comment and the 1 before down, but I’ll leave the original one unless you say otherwise. Tight Lines!
Well put, great article and FACTS!
Great Article.I learned a lot and hadn’t thought about most of these points. Will definitely do a better job at protecting the fish I catch. Thanks!
We’re glad to see that you enjoyed this article! Thanks so much for making time to check it out. Please be sure to share it with your fishing friends if you have not yet done so. Tight Lines!