So, this is the Troutbitten podcast. Welcome back. And thanks for tuning in.

I’m Domenick Swentosky, owner of Troutbitten and author of Troutbitten.com. Today, we’re going to cover a topic that I’ve been writing about lately.

We’ll talk about safe catch and release practices, um . . . from hooking a trout to letting it go. Because if the goal of catch and release is to put ‘em back and to catch those trout again, then we want to ensure that the health of the fish remains intact.

I suppose that some of the catch and release best practices are common sense. But the truth is, handling a trout without harming it isn’t necessarily intuitive. It takes some forethought and preparation, really. You need the right tools — the right skills. And it takes a good understanding of how trout are built — how they are a little more . . . sensitive . . . than other species. I mean, every animal is different.

For example, we just got back from a family beach trip where, Joey, my oldest son, wanted to fish for shark. I don’t know how to handle a shark. So I did some research beforehand. I also tried to prepare myself for accidentally catching a stingray — another species I have no experience with. Heck, I remember the first bluefish we caught from the surf a few years ago — I cut my finger on those sharp teeth, because I had no knowledge about bluefish. Their teeth are a lot more sharp than a trout’s.

So it helps to understand the species and learn their habits, if you plan to release the fish without harming it.

There’s a lot of nuance in topics like this. And we’re gonna dig pretty deep into the details today.

At every level of experience, we’re always learning and trying to improve or share ideas about the fish we chase. The Troutbitten guys joining me today are full of ideas and ready to share some thoughts about how to handle a trout. So let’s introduce them . . .

Introduction of guests and conversation . . .