How to release perch without killing them?

[Eyezcrazy]

This might be a dumb question, but I have alot of trouble with perch swallowing the hook and find it difficult to keep the smaller ones alive for release. Do you guys cut the barb off? I am sure someone will have a good tip for me.

Perch time....yum yum

[spoontang]

You either cut your losses and throw them back or keep some short ones. I don't think anyone will hold it against you either way. It is just a part of fishing. If the stomach is embolized, you can poke the end of it and hope for the best. If you tear stomach or gills out, they will die.

[MBLMIKE]

think positive, if you do throw back a few injured fish your feeding a hungry walleye, !

[whistlepig]

try useing circle or octupus hooks, they generally catch the fish in the side of the mouth and very seldom do the fish swallow the hook.

[walleyewacker]

When we catch those smaller ones that are hooked deep, I keep them. When we get to the limit and are catching bigger ones, I throw the smaller ones back. The gulls eat them. They are dead either way.

[rickerd]

I use the bigger size hooks, I think size 2, and use larger minnows.
If I'm only catching perch less than 9 inches, I'm moving or not fishing long.

By the way, I have been told by a park ranger who was checking licenses on a river, if you throw back a fish and it dies, it counts toward your limit. I'm no lawyer but I would be carefull. Hope the seagulls will devour any evidence.

When you catch them deep and their bladder is out, can you put them in the livewell for a few minutes then let them go to survive?

best,
Rickerd

[MBLMIKE]

Can you use small perch for bait ?

[gregnwtf]

I have always used Mustad snelled hooks. Sizes from the smaller #30 up to the #26's. They swallow the 30's pretty easy though. As for the release of the fish. I deeper perch waters the fish have the air sack come up into the mouth. The only way I have heard to give the small perch a chance is to pop a small hole in the air sack and that lets the fish go back down relatively unhurt. The hole would heal shut in time. I have never tried this method yet to see if it makes a difference or not. The small perch as most of us see will flop around on the surface and pull in a few gulls for lunch of perch.
A small percentage will shoot right back down unhurt. Thats why I like the # 26 Mustads. They usually get the mouth and not that deep. These hooks are a fine wire and very sharp. Cost is low so they are a good one to stock up on.
Like $ 1.69 a pack of 6. The deeper water you fish in the more you will see the air sacks come up and they will spit out minnows at the same time.

[spoontang]

Can you use small perch for bait ?

Yes- but not legally.

[Labshavit]

If I know they are going to guy I just keep and throw an occational one to the gulls