Catch-and-release fishing is a popular option for those who pursue muskies, pike, black bass and other gamefish.
If you finally land a true trophy, the only way you could make the Wisconsin record book was to kill the fish so its weight and length could be recorded for posterity.
Until now.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is establishing a catch-and-release record book, and the initial entries set a baseline for what’s needed to beat.
Rod Eberly of Appleton entered the first-ever application for the new live-release record book: a 17.75-inch white bass caught May 8 from the Fox River in Brown County.
Anglers must submit a photo of the live fish lying next to a ruler or other measuring device that clearly shows the fish’s length, plus another photo of the angler with the fish. The record book will use lengths only, measured to the nearest quarter-inch from the fish’s snout to the tip of the tail. The girth also should be measured and several photos taken of the fish from different angles. Complete rules can be found with this link: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/recordfish/LiveRelease.html.
You must submit the application form (online or via mail) within 30 days of the catch.
There are a total of 32 species eligible for the state catch-and-release record book. All major game fish, panfish, trout, catfish and salmon are on the list, but I was surprised to see the common carp on there. Why would anyone want to release an exotic back into the water? Carp cause numerous problems for native game fish. Thankfully no Asian carp species are on the list!
Many states already have a catch-and-release record book. Illinois and Minnesota both have catch-and-release fishing records, while Iowa does not. The practice, of course, encourages anglers to release larger, older fish that might be caught by others in the future.
Handling these fish minimally and keeping your hands wet to protect their “slime” coat are things to keep in mind when releasing a fish. I caught a nice 19-inch smallmouth bass a few years ago on Lily Lake near Pickerel, and my young daughter was not pleased when I told her I was going to let it go! “No, Daddy, you can’t do that!” she protested. I explained to her that someone else might catch the same fish and have the same fun I did.
A day or two later, my father-in-law said he saw a young couple fishing in roughly the same spot. They caught what looked like “my” fish, but they kept it, he said! Of course we don’t know if it was the one I caught or what they ultimately did with it.
While researching this story, I came across an interesting article about whether fish can feel pain like many other animals. The short answer is no. An international team of neurobiologists and other scientists concluded that fish don’t experience pain the way humans do in part because they have no cerebral cortex, the area of the brain where pain is processed. All primitive fish (like sharks and rays) and most bony fish also lack the nerve fibers (called c-nociceptors) that are the conduits for pain transmission in mammals. Fish seldom react to stimuli that would be extremely painful for mammals and painkillers such as morphine have almost no effect at dulling sensation in fish.
Here is a link to the story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130808123719.htm.
The intriguing portion of the article suggested that Germany reevaluate its laws on animal cruelty, particularly for fish and fishing. According to the article, at the time it was written, Germany made it a crime to catch and release a fish, under the guise of inflicting pain upon the animal! Wow. That is still apparently the case today, with a few exceptions.