Proper handling of fish to be released

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Hoping that Coot will jump in here. I seem to remember that he got a cradle net for his boat, when he was chasin' the tigers a couple of summers ago. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]From personal observation, watching TV fishing shows and doing a lot of web surfin', I tend to believe that using a cradle net is the best option for these long fish with big teeth. And, a cradle net is not just to protect the angler, but to help keep the fish from injuring itself. They are long and strong and sometimes go wild at boatside. Since they are not very tough, as fish go, they are their own worst enemies. Their cavorting makes it more difficult to subdue them to get the hooks out, and they lose strength fast. Too much time before release and the mortality rate goes up fast.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The single biggest drawback to cradle nets, from my observations and research, is that it is tough for one person to operate them effectively. Much better to have someone else on the other end to help keep the fish under control while removing hooks, weighing, etc. Many cradle net models are set up so that you can attach a scales to weigh the fish in the nets. [/#0000ff]
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