These tips are designed to aid you in the proper release of your smallies. Naturally, not all of these will apply in every situation and some can be modified for different circumstances. These suggestions apply only to fish you intend to release.

Don't fight your fish any longer than necessary.
Purposely allowing your battle with a smallie to continue when it's not necessary places more strain on the fish. A fatigued fish will take longer to recover when placed back in the water. Enjoy the fight, but don't drag it on needlessly.

Keep your hands wet when handling the fish.
If you handle a fish with dry hands it can cause some of the protective coating on the fish's skin to come off. This coating is designed to protect fish from disease. Wet hands reduce this risk and can actually make it a little easier to handle your catch.

Keep the smallie vertical when holding it by the jaw.
If you are going to hold your smallmouth by the jaw (also called “lipping”) be sure to keep the body in a straight up and down position. Do not attempt to hold the fish at a 45 degree angle or in a horizontal position by the jaw alone. If you want a horizontal shot of the fish, use your other hand to support it under the belly and take the stress off the jaw. Bigger fish especially can end up with damaged or broken jaws if they are held without belly support.

Use needle nose pliers to remove hooks.
Pliers or similar tools allow you to remove hooks with better control and limit your “hands on” contact with the fish. Fish that are barely hooked or hooked in the lip can usually be freed with your hand, but it's a good idea to always have a pair of needle nose pliers for those harder to reach hooks.

Use your best judgement with swallowed hooks.
If your smallie has swallowed the hook it may be best to simply cut the line as close to the hook as possible and let the fish go. Trying to horse a deeply swallowed hook out of a fish can end up doing more harm than good. Some anglers have special techniques they employ to remove these hooks and if you think you can do it with a minimal amount of injury to the fish, that is a decision you must make on a case-by-case basis.

[Note: There has been discussion of late that it may be better to leave about 18" of line attached to the hook rather than cutting the line right next to the hook. The idea being that the extra line keeps tension on the hook and helps keep the throat area open for swallowing food. The line does not hinder the movement of the fish. No matter which technique you use, always use your best judgement for each individual situation.]

Keep fish in the water as much as possible.
Hold your smallie in the water while removing the hook. This is a stress reducer and keeps the fish in contact with its environment. It may not always be practical to do this, but it's a good practice to keep in mind.

Consider using barbless hooks.
Barbless hooks allow for a much easier and quicker release of your smallie. You can use pliers to flatten the barbs on your hooks or you can carefully file them off. You may lose a fish here and there with barbless hooks, but with good control it won't be much of a problem.

Use cotton nets rather than nylon nets.
Cotton nets are less abrasive on a fish's skin and not as apt to cause damage to the skin coating.

Release your smallie pointed upstream.
Face the fish upstream when you release it. This will allow the water to flow naturally over and through the gills allowing for quicker recovery. Do not try to revive a fish using a “back and forth” motion in the water. Forcing water in through the backside of the gills can cause damage. Most fish will swim off just fine no matter what direction they are facing, but an upstream release is particularly beneficial for exhausted smallies.

Take photos as quickly as possible.
Most folks want a photo of that trophy smallmouth and we encourage you to take your camera afield with you. Just don't make the photo session an all day affair. Once you have the hook removed, make it a priority to get some quick shots and release the fish. This is much easier if you are fishing with a friend. Photos not only make for good memories, but they allow you to have a fiberglass replica made of that special smallie.