How to unhook and handle the fish the right way

Baby tilapia

Unhooking and releasing a tilapia

In the spirit of good fishing practices, it’s always important to observe good technique in removing the hook. This would ensure that no unnecessary harm is done to the fish especially if it’s a catch and release. Furthermore, it isn’t ethical to butcher the fish while removing the hook or cause critical damage by mishandling the fish without dispatching (killing) it properly if you choose to keep it to eat later.

So you’re fishing in a river with a rocky bank and you hook a 3-pound tilapia, you reel your catch in and it reached the edge of the bank, overwhelmed with excitement you just realized you don’t know how to actually get the fish. First of all, you should avoid retrieving in shallow rocky waters as the fish often damage themselves while trying to break themselves free of the hook. You should look for a fairly deep enough edge of the river to retrieve the fish. When you’ve found a nice spot to retrieve the fish wet your hands and grab the neck of the tail (not the tip) and use your other hand to support the underside of the fish if you need to. To remove the hook I recommend using a hook removal tool or a long nose pliers which can be found in any hardware. Unlike a lot of new anglers you may see today, you should avoid touching the gills at all times if you plan on releasing the fish. Grab the hook with the pliers and use gentle pressure to extract the hook in the reverse direction in which it was set. Once the hook is out, be careful not to accidentally drop the fish, hence the reason for a firm grip on the tail.

If you plan on releasing the fish you should never throw the fish back in the water as this can severely damage the gills. Gently place the fish back in the water and make sure that you feel the tug in your hand when the fish is ready to swim off. If there is no tug immediately wait a few seconds until the fish has revived as it may have been exhausted during retrieval.

If you plan on keeping your catch, after removing the hook you should quickly follow-up by dispatching the fish. You shouldn’t keep the fish out of the water (if alive) for any lengthy period of time. When dispatching the fish it is essential to do it a humanely as possible. In my personal experience, its best to use a sharp drop point bladed knife. Using your knife place the blade directly over the brain of the fish (top of the head before the dorsal fin) and make a quick insertion. You must ensure that the blade penetrates the skull and you should move the blade side to side till all movement has subsided. It isn’t pretty, but necessary if you choose to eat the fish. Lastly, it is important to bleed the fish out after dispatching it by cutting the gills. This step significantly improves the taste of the fish. Follow up by storing on ice to preserve until cooking.

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Further reading:
https://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/fishing/fish-conservation/responsible-fishing/how-to-remove-fish-hook.htm