About Us

Randy Wilson, captain of the Talking Fish, came to Costa Rica in 1974.  Since then, he has fished Costa Rica's Pacific waters extensively.  He spearheaded the effort to conserve the game fish in Costa Rica by developing his own techniques and lures in the 80's.  These have been refined over the years to ensure proper handling of sailfish and marlin during hookup, fight and release.  Randy has written numerous articles on his fishing philosophy.  Below is a recent article he wrote in the February 2004 issue of Saltwater Sportsman explaining the finer points of true "catch and release" fishing.

CATCH TO RELEASE
by Randy Wilson

The result of the sport fishing community's neglect to define "catch and release" has resulted in decades of dying bill fish dropped back into the water under the guise of conservation. This is particularly true when the angler's strategy is to catch high numbers, rather than each fish's survival. The tournament venue, where cutting as many corners as possible to run up the numbers, is the most extreme example. Quality "catch and release" means bringing a fish to hand with hook and line using the best method possible to insure the fish's survival after the hook is retrieved and the fish is released. Fish survival is the number one priority and although quality "catch and release" can not always be achieved, the conservation minded angler should make an attempt with every fish.

Hook placement is the single most important aspect to insure the fish's survival after release. The fish must be hooked in the mouth, forward of the gills, and preferably in the outer rim. Let's call this area the "Quality Zone" or QZ. For bill fish the QZ is the soft palate of the forward part of the upper jaw leading forward until the bill becomes solid bone. This is the most challenging target for hook up and of course increases the possibility of a thrown hook during a characteristically wild fight. Most of us feel that it is well worth the gamble in the light of the excitement of a mouth hooked fish's wild runs and acrobatic battles. That its immediate oxygen supply in the blood stream is used up, instead of in the muscles where lactic acid poisoning is a common cause of released fish death, is an added plus for the magnificent fish. In addition, the angler is better able to control the fish's head and bring the fish to hand before it can recover and go into a prolonged battle. Finally, the necessary hook retrieval is greatly simplified and less dangerous.

Tackle should be light enough to allow the fish to sprint and jump wildly yet strong enough to bring the fish to hand quickly without causing undue stress. The technology of today's rods, reels, and ultra thin spectra lines has made it possible to cover a larger spectrum of fish fighting ability with fewer pieces of equipment. Choosing the right tackle is up to the angler. Overpowering the fish will bring it to the boat full of dangerous fight, while light tackle can result in a prolonged battle causing the fish to die from exhaustion.

As the resource becomes more and more limited, the conservation minded angler must realise that every fish hooked is a potential death. Practice quality over quantity. Try to hook every fish in the QZ. Keep the fight time short. Attempt to retrieve all hooks and use stainless hooks whenever possible.

Catch and release is not just letting the fish go.
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