Catch-and-Release Ice Fishing with a Mormyshka for Roach (Rutilus rutilus) and European Perch (Perca fluviatilis)

Abstract This study examined and described the basic parameters of the catch-and-release angling of roach Rutilus rutilus and European perch Perca fluviatilis with the mormyshka technique. Catch efficiency, the size of the fish caught, the time required to unhook the fish and the total time during which the fish were handled, hooking location, the occurrence of injury and initial hooking mortality were determined. The study indicates that the mormyshka technique is an effective way to catch roach and European perch when ice fishing. The efficiency of the catches and landings was similar for barbed and barbless hooks. The mormyshka technique also proved to be safe for the fish during catch-and-release fishing. The decided majority of fish were hooked shallowly on the upper jaw, which is a safe location, and injury occurred rarely regardless of the hook type. Generally unhooking the fish from the mormyshka hook was seamless and fish handling was brief. Additionally, when roach were caught with barbless hooks, unhooking time and handling was shorter than it was with barbed hooks. No initial hooking mortality was observed in roach, while it occurred in only two specimens of European perch.