Ethical Striper Releases
With the appearance of so many trophy stripers showing up and with the size regulations that are now in place, many, many stripers have to be let go. I understand the method of holding the fish by the bottom lip and facing it into whatever current there is until the fish can bite down and the tail starts to move and the fish remains upright. That's possible from an outboard or private boat but what about the larger boats like party boats that have much more freeboard and greater distance from the rail to the water.? How are those fish properly released so they can survive? I know that many fish lately have been caught on jigs so there is less possibility of damage to the fish. What happens when the fish are caught with a snag and drop technique using weighted trebles. If a fish is hooked deeply with a weighted treble, that fish will die regardless of how carefully it is released.
If nothing else, maybe any follow up conversation will call attention to the predicament. What's your take on all of this?
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