[Sean_Salmon]

After reading another thread I figured I would start a new thread. How long will you play a fish you intend on releasing? 1 minute, 20 minutes, 2 hours? What do you consider ethical?

 

[kingpin]

as fast as possible, depends on the fish too....first you have to have proper gear to get them in quickly. other than sturgeon i dont think ive fought a fish longer than 30 minutes if that. if you have the proper gear and know how to fight fish properly, it saves time :

 

[HOOK]

ya unless the fish is over 50lbs and your using light gear because of clear water conditions. that was the only fish i have taken more than 30mins on :thumbup: and i always fight my fish ASAP and even break alot of because of it :wallbash: i will fight them out a bit more if i know im going to bonk it though trying my best not to lose it :beerchug:

 

[Krypto-Limitkiller-Sanderson]

Steelhead, under 5 min for over 90%. Chum, 5 to 10 min but much closer to 5. Chinook, 5 to 10 min. Coho, sockeye, and pinks, all under 5 minutes.

 

[Sean_Salmon]

ya unless the fish is over 50lbs and your using light gear because of clear water conditions. that was the only fish i have taken more than 30mins on :thumbup: and i always fight my fish ASAP and even break alot of because of it :wallbash: i will fight them out a bit more if i know im going to bonk it though trying my best not to lose it :beerchug:

Use gear heavy enough to handle the fish your targeting. The fishes health should ALWAYS come first, no matter how low and clear the river is.

 

[ambler]

I fish a fair bit, and I take care to minimize the suffering I cause to fish and the harm I cause to the environment. But, if you are really serious about putting the health of fish absolutely above all other considerations, you would have to fish hookless, leadless, and maybe even lineless. It makes sense to use gear appropriate to the fish you are targeting, but I think it is okay to vary your leader choice according to water and weather conditions. Those are fairely standard adaptations, just like varying lure colour or fly pattern.

 

[fishortho]

You guys are wading into a big grey area here. There is no ideal time, and all of you, if you fish as much as you post have put in a full day of fishing before you finally hit a fish and you will take a lot more time with the one than if you have nailed 4 or 5 during the day and you intentionally break of the last fish. This really does not have a finish line as so many legitimate variables will come into play...Give this a rest......Ortho 8)

 

[Bent Rod]

Seen very few properly palyed Salmon or steelhead last longer than 20 minutes. Most are done in 5-10 minutes when played on realistic gear.

Huge Chinook, and Big Sturgeon are a different story and may take longer.\

A massive Sturgeon is another matter as any resistance makes them virtually unlandable and you basically have to let them give up, and rise from the depths.

Best thing to do once you recognize a foul hook(the real reason for overplaying fish) is to point and pull and send it away with jewelery that will fall out.

 

[anthony]

If a fish strips out a pile of line and doesnt stop and you have no choice but chasing it , better off to point and pull and let it go. Or you have no controll over a fish and it hits fater water dont try fighting it just point and pull, its just a hook and some line , the hook will rust out eventually, and there is more fish in the river to play with.

If i know i dont have a hope in hell with the fish , i just break it off but if the fight is controllable and you know your gonna keep the fish then play it. but if your not going to keep it or its a wild fish and you know you cant keep it and instead of playing the snot out of it just point and pull for the benefit of the fish !!!

many fish out there, some poeple play there fish till there dead and they think its the last fish in the river.. if you cant handle it , break it off !!!

 

[HOOK]

the gear i was using was plenty heavy enough however i didnt expect to tangle into a chinook of that magnitude. and those does can sure hold their nose against the current which makes it hard to pull them when they weigh so much eace: needless to say i was exhausted at the end and took a rest from fishing for about an hour myself. so yes playing a fish like that really takes it out of you and the fish as well.

 

[swiftwater]

I think there is no standard time limit to a fishes fight. If you are fishing lighter gear you should be pushing it to the absolute max and if you lose a fish no big deal catch another ,thats what its all about anyways .

 

[scuro]

How long do you play a fish...until the fish is tired. It will list to one side once it gets tired. Bringing them in too green can be bad for a fish if you try to handle them. The last thing you want is a fish flopping around on your boat if you plan to return it to the water.