Releasing Crappie

Chris......found this online, exactly what you're talking about.


LOW crappies can be a lot of fun in the fall. After a number of years of enjoying the sport, several things I've noticed regarding the fish's ability to get back down upon release:

- A slow bring up maybe helps somewhat, not sure it is real significant.

- Down to about 22 ft, they seem to not be affected too much by the pressure change. Around 25+ ft seems to be a more critical depth as to how they are negatively affected by the pressure change. You have to fish them where they are, but if in the 22- ft range,maybe hit this depth harder(if they are in the biting mood there).

- Believe it or not, a gentle release, that is, easing the fish back into the water, seems to result in a higher percentage of deep originating fish to stay on top than occurs with a simple throwback. I think maybe the shock of hitting the water somehow facilitates their return to deep water. This is just opposite of conventional release thinking, but improves release success considerably.

- I like to squeeze down the barb on the hook. This allows in much faster unhooking, less time for the fish to be out of the water. Have noticed "0" losses due to not having a barb. I like to use a minimum of a no. 1 size hook on my jig. This maybe helps in reducing the catching of "babies" and some troublesome small perch.