live2huntfish

It sometimes gets warm on lower elevation and smaller waters along the Colorado Front Range.  This can be a very stressful and dangerous time for fish.  The following tips can help,but remember, in the most extreme conditions it may be best to fish only early and late in the day or possibly even wait until the weather and water cools down.

One thing you can do to help is land your fish faster and don't exhaust them.  Larger tippet is one way to land fish faster.  Also put as much pressure as you can on the fish and turn them repeatedly to tire them out more quickly.

Use a net (a net with a bag that won't injure the fish) that is large enough to help you land the fish faster. Leave the fish in the net and in the water while you remove the hook. If you take a fish out of the water, hold your breath (don't cheat and breathe in deeply beforehand, the fish doesn't know to prepare like that) and if you become uncomfortable put the fish back in the water!

Unhook the fish and prepare it for release as quickly as possible.  There are time you may need to forgego pictures, or waiting for your friends to catch up and see.

When your ready to release the fish, make sure you're releasing it into and area where there is not a lot of stirred up dirt, sand, or mud. If there is a spring or some running water that may be cooler and better oxygenated. Don't release it into weeds that it may become stuck in.

Don't push the fish back and forth, it can't breathe with water being forced backwards over it's gills.  Hold the tail firmly and rock the fish gently back and forth (facing into any current that might exist).  Don't let go of the fish to see if it swims away, keep reviving it until it escapes and you can't hold it.  Watch it when it swims away, make sure it doesn't just swim to the bottom and sit, those fish often die. If it stops use your net and recapture it and continue
revival efforts.

Don't give up until the fish is ready to go. I've spent as long as 20 minutes. Now if I find it takes more than 5 minutes for a large fish, I stop fishing (smaller fish should take even less time because they should be easier to land quickly).