Tournament Fishing

**Note: The recent discovery of invasive golden mussels (Limnoperna fortunei) in the California Delta region serves as a reminder to boaters and anglers to please do your part to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) in Arizona’s waters. Golden mussels have similar impacts as quagga mussels, but can survive in locations that typically quagga mussels cannot. Golden mussels are filter feeders. They can dramatically reduce plankton abundance, which native species and sportfish rely on. One golden mussel can filter up to half a liter of water per hour to obtain nutrients. This is about 10 times more than zebra and quagga mussels, making them a severe threat to Arizona.

Boaters and anglers are strongly encouraged to clean, drain, and dry their watercraft before launching in ANY Arizona waterbody. 

Please contact the AZGFD Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Program at 623-236-7608 if you have any questions or would like to schedule an inspection. For information on the golden mussel detections in California, visit the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website.

For more information on aquatic invasive species in Arizona, including links to Director’s Order #1 (list of aquatic invasive species of Arizona), Director’s Order #2 (list of AIS-affected waters in Arizona), and Director’s Order #3 (mandatory conditions for movement of watercraft, conveyances and equipment from affected waters), visit https://www.azgfd.com/fishing-2/aquatic-invasive-species/.

In addition to the general AIS decontamination requirements and protocols described above, anglers should take note of the New Zealand Mudsnail Decontamination Options and Angling Recommendations. 

Proper Catch-and-release Methods

Fishing regulations, page 60

Do

• Use appropriate hooks and quick hook sets: Avoid letting fish swallow hooks by paying attention to your line and using an appropriate hook size and type. Single hooks are more easily removed versus multi-point hooks. 

• Hook type: Barbless hooks are easier to remove and result in less injury to fish and shorter handling times during hook removal. 
• Appropriate tackle: The use of artificial flies and lures generally hook fish more superficially than those using live bait. 
• Quick retrieve: Exhaustion stress can be fatal, the longer you play a fish, the more stress it endures. 
• Soft mesh nets: The use of soft mesh nets, if nets are necessary, will help keep their protective slime on and will avoid entanglement. 
• Wet hands and a gentle touch: Handling fish with wet hands will help keep their protective slime from coming off. Keep the fish in the water as much as possible: It is best to unhook the fish while it is still in the water and avoid holding the fish out of the water for pictures for more than a few seconds.

Don’t

• Avoid forcefully removing swallowed hooks: If the hook is embedded down the throat, harvesting the fish may be the best option, if not, clip the line as close to the eye of the hook as possible and avoid attempting to remove the hook which may result in bleeding and injury. Hooks will dissolve over time. A fish hooked deeply has a better chance of survival if the line is cut than if its organs are torn in the unhooking process. 
• Avoid touching the gills or eyes: Holding a fish by the gills can be lethal; these are extremely sensitive and easily damaged organs. 
• Avoid A Firm Grip: Fish are slippery and wiggly. Make sure to support the fish properly while holding it. Instinct will lead an angler to tighten their grip on the fish, and potentially crush its internal organs with force.
  

Fish are a valuable resource, and fishing for them is a fun and exciting recreational experience.  By limiting your harvest, and practicing good catch-and-release techniques, you can help preserve a fishery and ensure that angling opportunity remains for another day. Currently, native trout fishing opportunities can only exist from anglers using these techniques.