Releasing large snapper

Responsible anglers release big snapper. Large, old fish pass on their successful genes at spawning time and play an important role near the top of the marine food chain. More pragmatically, big snapper are often not in brilliant condition nor highly regarded as table fish. If it’s about bragging rights, digital cameras, cell phones, measuring boards and weighnets allow you to photograph, measure and weigh a trophy catch before release. There is no need to kill it.

But releasing big snapper is not always straight forward. Even when taken from relatively shallow water where barotrauma shouldn’t be a problem, big snapper sometimes struggle to swim away upon release. In deep water, release may be impossible.

To maximise the chances of a successful release, keep handling and exposure to air to a minimum. Unhooking the fish in the water gives the best outcome, but if you want to record the catch, lift the fish clear of the water for the briefest possible time. Leave it in the water in the net while you get the camera ready before taking a quick snap.

Big snapper may need reviving before release. They come to the boat disoriented and exhausted, needing time to regain their strength. Gently hold them in the water until they are ready to swim off, which can take several minutes.

Even with the best practice some fish are unable to swim away. As a last resort you can try spearing them head-first into the water giving them a head start swimming down. At other times nothing seems to work. Luckily, while big snapper might not be great in the pan, they smoke up pretty well, but don’t fill the bin with big boys. If snapper repeatedly fail to swim away when released, it could be time to fish a different spot or even stop fishing altogether.