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In today’s day and age, recreation time can be at such a premium that everyone wants to remember those moments as if they were yesterday. It can be disheartening when the photos of those memories don’t reflect the fondness in our minds.

Equally as important to the memory of the trophy is the necessity to preserve the resource for our future generations. With a little coordination, these trophies can be Caught, Photographed, & Released allowing for the best of all worlds. In this article, I will review some basics for a quick, yet memorable photo and proper, safe, release.

Whether fishing tournaments competitively or simply for recreation, organization in your boat or fish-house is essential. Once a big fish in hooked, having a net, pliers, and camera readily available will allow you get the pictures and nurse the big girl (over 90% of trophy fish are female) back into the water. I am a big fan of digital cameras as they allow you an instant preview of the shot and the recurring cost of the media is negligible so you can take a number of pictures and only print the ones you want.

Now, onto taking the pictures. I feel that there are a few crucial factors in taking a good photo that will preserve your memory for a lifetime. The first and probably most important factor is framing the shot. You want to minimize any “white space” around the angler and the fish by zooming in to only include the subject, the trophy and a minimum amount of background. This will draw your eyes to the fish rather than the surroundings.

Nice Fish, but we can barely see it.	Much better frame job - The fish is held out, fingers hidden!
Be sure to keep any light source (sun, flashlight, etc) to the photographers back to minimize shadowing. The last tip is a minor one, but important nonetheless and that is to hold the fish out and hide your fingers. This will also help draw one’s eyes to the trophy. Oh, and one more thing… Smile! After getting your pictures, it is very important to get the fish back in the water quickly. When you’re ready to release the fish, spend a few minutes reviving the fish back and forth supporting the fish under the belly. After moving the fish forward and back to force water over the gills, it will start to fight its way from your grip. Only then should you release the fish to swim free again. Depending on the water temperature, and the duration of the fight, the amount of time spent reviving your fish can range from a few seconds to over five minutes. Remember, keep your boat organized, get some quick pictures and get her back in the water. C-P-R is as easy as 1-2-3. Now go have fun and catch a big one!