I expect to photograph and release most of the northerns I catch this summer. Having no previous experience with that species (whenever they find them out here in California, they eradicate them), I'd like to know how some of you handle the job. I want to do what is best for the fish on those occasions when I don't plan on eating him.

Press not squeeze their gill plates together with one hand lift their body with the other. Use a small steelhead net( one with a rather deep sock) this helps you and the fish.

Fingers under/in the Y their lower jaw forms. Hand under the belly to support the body. Nurse back to health in the water until she runs. Repeat as necessary.

My dad never opened the gills of a pike he didn't plan to eat. I know a lot of his freinds think he's crazy. I lost alot of my photo's from my trip to years ago. On that trip if we wanted to we could have had a few pike feasts. This years pics I still have but we din't get more than a few large weed fishes. That trip we only wanted to eat one pike. We ate another just because he was sick and was dead by the time he saw the surface.

One more thing. If you hear a group near you say "I caught a lumpy". You're likely near my dad or one of his freinds.