Is “catch and release” always the best tool for fisheries management?
Catch and release is an important fisheries management technique which the DNR promotes in the Fishing Guide and at other opportunities. Anglers along damaged resources, such as the White River between Anderson and Indianapolis, are especially encouraged to use catch and release. Many anglers use catch and release in areas where consumption advisories limit the number of fish that should be eaten. Fish must be handled carefully and released in good condition to reap the benefits of catch and release fishing. It is illegal to sort fish within your bag limit. Do not dispose of unwanted fish within your bag limit by dumping dead or dying fish in waterways. However, the fisheries in Indiana are also managed for a harvest that is carefully monitored through creel surveys (asking a statistical sampling of anglers what they are catching and keeping) and fish surveys (shocking, netting or trapping a statistical proportion of the population). Most sportfish populations in Indiana can withstand
