slime on a hot tin deck.  If it’s a 
bigger fish and you want to measure 
it carefully before release, lie it 
gently on the floor of the boat and 
take a photo so it doesn’t drop 
from the bait board or gunnels.
Even better, file the barbs on your 
hooks down or flatten them with a 
pair of pliers. Barbs by design were 
designed to help stop bait falling off 
the hook and less about keeping the 
fish on the hook. It is much easier 
to reverse the hook out of the fish’s 
mouth without touching the fish at 
all, just by manipulating the hook. 
This is the best-case scenario and 
reduces the chance of a fish losing its 
slime. The slime acts as a barrier to 
disease and infection so maintaining 
its slime coating is paramount.
"The benefits add up 
when every fisher saves 
a few more fish from 
preventable death and 
returns them to the water 
to breed. Preventing 
fish mortality can be 
surprisingly simple, 
requiring only a few 
minor changes to your 
fishing methods."
Lure fishing is good for targeting 
larger legal sized fish and increases 
the chances of lip hooking them. 
Measure fish carefully on the 
floor of the boat with a quick 
photo before releasing.
 /FISHINGINGODZONE  33

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