Worst bonefish handling ever. This is Addictive Fishing fishing off Key Largo (the bone badness starts at about 8:30).
Worst. Handling. Ever.
A reminder… here is how to handle bonefish.
If you’d like to email Capt. Blair, his email is blair@addictivefishing.com.
This is what I wrote him this morning…
Hi Capt. Blair,
I just watched a video of you, I think, fishing in Key Largo. You caught a bonefish, a really nice one. What happened next really shouldn’t have happened. You put that bone on a Boga grip and had it out of the water for a long, long time.Odds are fair to good that the fish didn’t survive it’s encounter with you. When handling bonefish you need to do two things… minimize handling and minimize air exposure. You should never, ever put a bonefish on a Boga.
From the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust:
Handling:
Minimize handling of all fish; slime and scales can be removed or damaged with excessive handling, thereby greatly increasing the risks of infection. In addition, recent research has shown that mechanical lip-gripping devices can cause damage to mouth tissue if the bonefish struggles against the device, so their use is best avoided.
- If you have to handle a bonefish, use clean, wet hands and gently support the bonefish from beneath the head and belly. Nets, mechanical lip-gripping devices, and wet cloths can cause injury to the bonefish.
- Use hemostats, pliers, or a hook-removal tool to quickly remove the hook while keeping the fish in the water, and have your pliers ready and available to facilitate a quick release.
- Avoid exposing bonefish to air, even when taking a photo. If you must remove the bonefish from the water, limit it to a maximum of 15 seconds.
- Touching the gills can cause damage and impair the ability of a bonefish to breathe.
- If a lip-gripping device is used, it’s best to use them only to restrain a calm fish in the water while removing the hook. If a fish’s weight is desired, attach a sling to the device, and cradle the bonefish in the sling rather than hanging the fish vertically by the jaw.
http://www.bonefishtarpontrust.org/catch-and-release/bonefish-catch-and-release.html
As a public figure you need to set a better example. I, myself, will be making an example of this video to show people how not to do it.
I hope the next bonefish you catch has a better shot at survival.
Bjorn
- If you liked the story above, check out these stories below
- Addictive Fishing responds (0.983)
- Don't Boga that Bone, Please (0.333)
- How not to handle an 11 pound bonefish (0.328)
Tags: Addictive Fishing, Boga Grip, bonefish, Florida
As a fan of Capt. Blair & Addictive Fishing for quite some time, that kinda makes me uncomfortable. Whatever the fish, I’m not typically the guy that freaks out when I see poor fish handling, but the fact that this is on TV, ugh. I probably wouldn’t have written the letter, but I’m also glad YOU did.
Yeah, I figure this one might not make some folks happy… especially Capt. Blair. Might step on some toes, but that’s progress, I suppose.
but when was this maybe before we knew we shouldnt do the boga thing?
I hope so… but if so, I’d take down the offending video when I learned better.
Hey, Bjørn, thanks for doing the right thing here. We need more of this or nothing changes…
Has this joker even posted a response or apology about his handling of the bonefish? As someone else stated the fact that it was on TV for everybody to see makes this issue worse. I understand somebody not knowing any better and making this mistake once but this guy is a a captain and did it on camera which means he has probably done it many times. I’m not a fan of boga grips but doing it to a redfish or trout is one thing but a bonefish or tarpon is something entirely different!
He sent me an email, which I posted the next day. It was a half (maybe quarter) apology. Good news is that he says he knows better now and doesn’t do that anymore. So, I’m taking that as good news.