SHORT STORY:
I caught my first fish last week. Guys, I was so shocked I just looked at it and stared.
I've been fishing regularly, mostly on the surf, for over a month trying to improve my skills and learn from others. In that time I cast hundreds of times with no fish to be seen. I was very much enjoying myself in the peace regardless, focused, yet mindless…
When I realized I'd set the hook, it was like I blacked out in excitement until the fish was on shore and I just… stared at it. Once it was on the beach it immediately snapped my lead and started flopping around in the sand with the hook in his mouth.
There was no one around, just me and my flopping fish. And a moment later I realized I didn't even know who he was! And if I didn't know his name, I wasn't gon' take 'em.
And that meant I had to get him back in the water, stat. I'm for keepin' and cookin' where I'm able, but not suffering.
I ran to put my rod further up the beach, and approached my unknown friend, still flopping aggressively. I knew it was up to me, the solo hooker on the beach, to save him, and it gave me confidence to try.
THEY ARE SO MUCH STRONGER than I thought. I tried to gently put pressure on his tail so he couldn't flap into the water and I could grab his belly. Nope. I tried waiting for a break in the flopping to stop and get right in there for the grab. Nope. Omg he's going to suffocate on the beach, I'm a monster.
It was probably close to a minute before I was able to get a grip on him, run back to my spot to unhook him, take a quick pic for proof by my measuring tape, and sprint back to the water to yeet him back into the surf. He was so hard to hold and wiggly and I was trying to hold on to him just enough to keep my grip without squeeshin him.
After the yeeting, I realized I should have walked in to the water a little for a gentle water-gill breath.
I was so stunned, it's like I didn't even know what happened. I was so excited and naturally high and bewildered and high high high flying on this catch, my first ever!
I later ID'd him as a Jack Smelt, 14". I could have kept him, most likely to use as bait, but now I know for next time.
But… guys, this is the last part, I promise. I was fishing maybe 10 mins later and it looked like that fish was just kinda… floatin in with the waves, upside down, washing right back up to my feet.
I am a biologist. Pretty much a marine biologist. I study mussels. I am inspired by the cycle of life, and I know that fish will be eaten before I left the beach. That's wonderful, and gets me points with the seagulls and pipers.
But like, I DIDN'T WANNA slay him, what if he was a protected fish? I need to improve my skills here.
TDLR: I caught my first fish and probably killed it by squeezing it to hard.
QUESTION: How do I hold a fish without killing it? 🥲
Posted by devsmess
8 Comments
So one thing ive found, is they flop a lot more when they’re on the ground. While theyre in the air still hooked, i like a good grip where my palm is on their spine and my fingers wrap around onto their belly. So the pressure is across them vertically rather than perpendicular to them. Another thing you can do is hold them vertically by their lip, or if they’re super big horizontally by their lip and their stomach.
Like a baby, or also have the assistance of fish grips but always like a baby and minimal time out of water even considering giving it some time in the water after de hooking before the photos sesh.
Get an old rag, helps with slime and grip, and just hold long enough to get hook out with pliers
It really depends on the fish. If their mouths are big enough and they don’t have teeth, you can use your thumb to lip them like a bass. Works for rockfish and striped bass. If they do have teeth (lingcod or halibut for example), you need a pair of fish grippers. For a jacksmelt (which is what’s in the picture) you pretty much have to give it the death grip just behind the pectoral fins. Can’t lip them since their mouths are too small. They’re super slimy and very muscular. Kind of a pain.
It didn’t die from the squeezing, it died from how long it was out of the water, based on your story.
a fish that size is gonna fight pretty good, especially coming from salt water cause the ocean is a crazy place. depending on the fish, you might have to hold it a different way. some fish have spikes or barbs in their fins, so be careful! seriously. it hurts. People usually grab the lip of a fish like a bass or crappie, but the jaw on that guy might now really support it well. maybe if you support it with two hands and take a timed selfie with the forward facing camera? but if you catch a mackerel, those are slippery little guys. you almost have to hold them that way or else they start wiggling like a tuna and they don’t stop lol
Flip them upside down and give them a little belly rub.
I’d throw him on the smoker…