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Inexperienced in proper billfish handling and release procedures?
Follow these simple guidelines for the highest survival ratios.
By Jennifer Daniel Outreach Specialist, The Billfish Foundation.
Witnessing a lit-up sailfish or electrified marlin swim away after putting up an incredible battle brings with it such a high level of satisfaction, it’s no surprise the catch & release concept is quickly gaining popularity. All big-game anglers will profess there is nothing more gratifying than releasing a billfish unharmed in the hopes of someday crossing paths again. Just tally the total investment in boat, tackle, gear, fuel, and travel expenses, and you will quickly comprehend why pound for pound billfish are clearly worth much more alive than dead, even if it means watching a possible world record swim away. This realization has led the big game sport-fishing community into the most significant change in angling history – the tremendous growth in release practices for large, highly migratory pelagic species, including sailfish, blue marlin, white marlin and swordfish.
Catch & release angling has become a widely implemented conservation practice, as professional charter boat captains worldwide are already choosing to release every billfish they capture in an ongoing effort to conserve the precious resource on which they depend. Furthermore, releasing billfish is a crucial management tool for marine fishery conservation organizations. Along with additionally implemented regulations, such as minimum length requirements, these factors combine to contribute to the preservation of our precious commodity. Remember though, the overall benefit of releasing billfish would be completely negated if the fish actually succumbed. Therefore, the success of this conservation and fishery management tool depends solely on a crew’s ability to not only release the fish, but release it healthy and unharmed. Sounds easy, right?
On occasion, safely freeing a billfish to fight another day can be much more difficult than one would think, especially when dealing with a large, thrashing blue marlin. There are several key factors that crews should consider to make the release process seamless. These basic guidelines will help insure the highest level of safety and the largest survival ratio, both for the fish’s sake and for yours.
Safe and successful releases all start with preparation:
The most effective releases start well before leaving the dock. A knowledgeable crew that is well versed in release tactics will be extremely advantageous in avoiding mistakes. Each member of the team should clearly know their duties once a fish has been hooked and when the fish is brought alongside. A fumbling, unorganized crew in the cockpit is a recipe for accidents and possibly injury.
Those new to the game should keep in mind releasing a calm 50-pound sailfish on a flat calm day may be one thing, but imagine coming face to face with an angry, thrashing 300-pound marlin in sloppy seas after a grueling battle. These wild animals are amazingly powerful, not to mention their armed with a large sword. One mistake and an angler can get seriously hurt. Let’s also remember the stories and videos of marlin actually jumping right in the cockpit and demolishing everything in sight. When releasing any size billfish in any conditions, extreme caution should be exercised.
Along with a well prepared crew, fishing with appropriate tackle for the targeted species greatly boosts the chances that your quarry swims away unscathed. Scientific studies have proven fishing with non-offset circle hooks with live and natural rigged baits greatly increases the odds of hooking fish in the corner of the jaw. Traditional J-hooks have a much higher rate of fatally wounding the fish. A billfish’s gill cavity contains millions of blood vessels which are covered by a very thin layer of skin. A single tear will instantaneously rupture thousands of these live-giving arteries. The end result is a fish that will likely lose fatal quantities of blood and eventually perish.
Gut-hooking a fish may seem relatively benign compared to gill hooking, however any injury to the vital internal organs is a door left wide open for infection and internal bleeding, both of which can lead to the point of no return. This is especially true when live baiting aggressive sailfish that have a tendency to engulf a bait way down their gullet. Using circle hooks to minimize the chance of gill or gut-hooked fish will have a dramatic impact on post-release mortality rates. The success of our healthy billfish catch & release fishery depends on it.
In conjunction with circle hooks, tackle suited for the sought after species combined with proper boat handling tactics, will keep the length of battles to a bare minimum. Prolonged fights actually exhaust fish to the point of death. A 300 pound blue marlin fought for 4 hours on 20-pound gear is practically a death sentence, as is fighting a 60-pound sailfish on an 8-lb. spinning rod. When catch & release is the game, step it up a bit.
Properly handling your billfish is next on the agenda.
What do you do once you’ve hooked a billfish to insure its safety, as well as the safety of your crew? In a perfect world your trophy catch can be brought calmly alongside the boat. The fish’s measurements can quickly be documented, the hook cleanly removed, and the fish released to swim off under its own will. Unfortunately, we know we don’t live in a perfect world and the game rarely plays out that way. Rough seas and uncooperative fish call for a different plan altogether.
Under ideal circumstances, the most widely used method of handling billfish alongside the boat is to guide the beaten adversary into position using the leader. Once the fish is within reach, a crew member adorning a pair of leather gloves leans over the gunwale and grabs the fish’s bill. This practice can be dangerous for both crew and fish, especially in rough conditions or if the fish is still ‘green’ and not quite ready to be subdued.
An alternative to this manual method is to use a unique tool called a snooter. A snooter allows greater control of the fish with a decreased chance of damage to all involved. Snooters are available by visiting www.BillfishTackleSupply.com or www.TopShotTackle.com. They can also be manufactured in your garage after a quick visit to your local hardware store. From what I hear home made snooters constructed of PVC pipe with a line running through to the stainless steel wire loop at the end are actually preferred. However you get your hands on one, the loop at the end of the snooter slides over the fish’s upper bill and pulled tight to allow ease in handling. Once the fish is carefully unhooked and revived, the loop is loosened and easily slides off the bill. Snooters are especially useful for fish that need to be measured, tagged or resuscitated.
Remember that the most critical aspect of releasing any billfish unharmed is often the hardest to resist. The rule is simple: Do NOT remove any billfish from the water for ANY length of time for ANY reason; not even a quick photo opportunity. Removing billfish from the water can be extremely harmful to their health for more reasons than one.
First, all billfish are coated with a thin layer of slime, a sort of body armor. Dragging a sailfish or juvenile marlin over the covering boards, through a tuna door, or across a rough deck removes the protective coat, leaving the fish vulnerable to disease, infection and parasites. Secondly, billfish bodies are designed to live in the water where they are under buoyant forces. Removing a heavy fish from the water brings their total weight under the full strain of gravity, damaging their fragile skeletons and internal organs. Other risks include breaking the fish’s bill or tearing their sails, both easily occur when a thrashing fish is handled improperly, in the cockpit or alongside the boat.
Measuring.
When implementing or retrieving a tag from a billfish, or when considering a release mount, you will need to obtain an estimation of the fish’s length and girth. If the situation permits you can safely measure a billfish just prior to release. Although it is near impossible to record the exact length while the entire fish is still in the water, there are several methods to quickly approximate. The easiest tactic is to estimate the length of the fish compared to the length of your vessel. A number of competitive crews looking for bragging rights designate intervals on the side of their boat as comparison points. They align the tail fork with the aft of the boat and note where the tip of the fish’s lower jaw is situated as compared to the predetermined marks.
A second option is to use a precut length of line with a clip that fits over the leader at one end and a tennis ball attached to the other. The clip is attached to the leader and rests at the jaw hinge. The tennis ball then floats behind the fish and the length can be estimated from the markings on the line. A word of caution; this method has its downfalls as the line often gets tangled under the fish, making it impossible to read. The line can also become entangled in the running gear.
Take a good look for previously placed tags.
Before releasing your billfish take a minute to thoroughly examine both sides of the fish for previously placed tags. Remember they can be hard to identify when covered in marine growth. Tags that look old or are very short indicate the fish has been at-large for a substantial length of time. These long-term recaptures are of particular importance to the tagging program as recovery of previously placed tags is the final step in the tagging data collection process. The information completes the circle on that particular fish. When a tagged fish is recaptured, report the information to The Billfish Foundation (TBF).
The Release.
Of course the most obvious step in releasing any billfish is to free it from its tether and watch it happily swim away. At that exact moment the fish is probably wondering what the heck just happen. An effective release can be accomplished by removing the hook with the use of a de-hooking device. However, the opportunity to remove the hook may not always present itself.
In some situations, the fish is still ‘green’ and quite frisky when brought alongside, a potentially dangerous situation. As previously mentioned, rough seas may complicate matters even further. In these circumstances, it is best to cut the leader as close to the hook as possible, although it goes without question that complete removal of the hook is preferred. Roughly one-quarter of all hooks left in fish remain there for over a year and often result in infections, wounds, and potentially life threatening diseases.
This isn’t your ordinary mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
When a billfish is too weak to swim away on its own power, it must be resuscitated. Otherwise, the fish may be at risk of predation by sharks or slowly sink away without being able to breathe. In order for a billfish to rejuvenate its strength it must have forward motion of oxygenated water over its gills. There are two approaches that can be used to accomplish this. The most common method is to lean over the gunwale while holding the upper bill of the fish, ideally with a snooter, and keeping the head submerged. The fish is towed forward at a slow speed until it regains enough stamina to swim away under its own power. It is extremely important that the entire head of the billfish is held underwater.
The second method is more complex, although preferable. To do this, use a heavy duty outfit with a length of 1,000-lb test nylon cord as leader material. Secure the leader to the upper bill of the marlin or sailfish with a slipknot. Slowly tow the fish forward alongside the boat until the angle of the line reaches approx. 45 degrees, indicating the fish has fully recovered. Complete the healthy and safe release by simply pulling the slipknot.
Tagging procedures.
If you intend to tag your fish before releasing it, it’s best to do so while the fish is held calmly alongside the boat. However, like measuring or removing the hook, it is better to release fish untagged than attempt to subdue a ‘green’ fish. More harm than good can come if tagging is attempted while the fish is still jumping or thrashing, as the tag can accidentally be misplaced in a less than ideal location, like in an eye. Can you say, “Ouch!”
Report releases.
Now that your billfish has been safely released, tag or no tag, the next step in making the most of the occurrence is to report the data to The Billfish Foundation. This information is an important component of the release effort used by scientists and marine biologists.
To properly report a billfish release, simply fill out a “TBF Release Notification Card” and drop it in the mail. These postage-paid cards are available to you free of charge. It’s important to record the location of your catch immediately after the fish has been released so the exact coordinates are not forgotten within the excitement of the trip. The remaining information, such as angler’s name and address can be filled out later. You can use the same Release Notification Card to record multiple releases if the date, location, angler, captain and crew are the same for multiple fish. Release certificates are also available from TBF at no charge to members to commemorate your outstanding accomplishments.
Anyone who has ever had the privilege of experiencing a billfish release will tell you the experience is extremely rewarding. There just isn’t much in the angling world that compares to the sight of a beaten warrior slowly swimming away into the cobalt depths. Each release is an unforgettable experience that will leave you with treasured moments etched in your mind forever. Let’s all do our part. Let ‘em live!
The Billfish Foundation (TBF) is a non-profit organization with a mission to advance the conservation of billfish and their ecosystems through research, education and advocacy. Billfish population levels must be managed responsibly to best insure that the quest for these great fish is rewarding.
Today, all billfish species are over-fished, and some are seriously in jeopardy. TBF is advancing research that is changing stock assessment science and management priorities. Thanks to the efforts of The Billfish Foundation billfish are now included on all agendas of major fishery management meetings. For individuals who appreciate marlin, sailfish, spearfish and swordfish, The Billfish Foundation is the best insurance for a healthy abundance of billfish remaining in the oceans and for continued sport fishing opportunities.
*To join The Billfish Foundation, call 800-438-8247 ext. 106 or visit www.Billfish.org.
*To order release certificates, report recaptures or order tagging supplies, call 800-438-8247 ext. 107. An easy-to-use tagging how-to release guide with be included with your order.
Bio:
Jennifer Daniel, a graduate of the marine biology program at Auburn University, is the Education and Outreach Specialist for The Billfish Foundation. A native of Alabama, Jennifer grew up fishing with her father. Although most of her time on the water has been out of Ft. Lauderdale and the Keys, Jennifer has traveled to many destinations including Costa Rica, Australia, New Zealand, Belize and Peru to pursue her love of big game angling, diving and ecotourism.
Jennifer’s latest project is Sailfish, a magazine about billfish geared for young adults, which TBF has had already had a great response from teachers and students. If you know a teen who would be interested in receiving a copy, please contact Jennifer. You’re likely to see her on the docks this summer at one of the many tournaments at which The Billfish Foundation has a presence. Jennifer Daniel can be reached at Jennifer_Daniel@billfish.org.
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