How Sharks Taking Fish Teaches Us Something About True Catch and Release Survival

Anyone who has fished tropical flats or the Gulf Coast long enough has met The Tax Man. Blacktip reef sharks patrolling bonefish flats. Bulls shadowing tarpon schools near bridges and passes. They wait, they watch, and the moment a fish is hooked and vulnerable, they move fast.

Anglers see it happen in real time. A bonefish streaks across the flat and suddenly the line goes slack. A tarpon jumps twice, digs deep, and then disappears in a single surge. Guides call it getting taxed. Scientists call it depredation. Either way, the result is the same. A predator capitalizes on a fish that is too tired or too compromised to escape.

Most anglers associate depredation with fish that are eaten on the line. But the far more common version happens after release, when the angler never sees it.

Depredation After Release

The Hidden Mortality No One Talks About

A released fish is not instantly safe. When exhausted, disoriented, or slow to regain equilibrium, it becomes an easy target for sharks, barracuda, snook, pike, ospreys, herons, and other opportunistic predators. Research across marine flats and freshwater rivers shows the same pattern. Predators cue in on distressed fish.

Key risk factors include:

• Long fight times.
• Air exposure that disrupts gill function.
• Poor handling that damages the slime coat.
• Fish released before they regain full control of directional swimming.
• Fish drifting on their side in the first seconds after release.

In tropical environments this is most visible with sharks eating bonefish. In coastal passes it happens constantly with tarpon. In freshwater it can be trout taken by birds, pike, or other trout. Anglers rarely see these events, so they underestimate how common they are.

True catch and release is not about letting the fish go. It is about giving the fish a chance to survive the next minute.

This is where the right net makes a real difference.

How Using a Net Reduces Depredation Risk

A well designed net does far more than complete the landing. It directly affects how quickly a fish can regain equilibrium and how capable it is of escaping predators the moment it swims away.

1. Nets shorten the final phase of the fight

The last few feet are where most exhaustion occurs. When anglers try to hand grab or tail a fish, they extend this period significantly. A net brings the fish under control quickly, reducing lactic acid buildup and giving the fish a better shot at powering away after release.

2. Nets allow the fish to recover in the water

Keeping the fish in the net, fully submerged, gives it time to clear carbon dioxide and restore oxygen levels before it attempts a full swim. A fish released without recovery rolls, wobbles, or drifts. Predator attention increases sharply when this happens.

3. Rubber bags protect the slime coat

A damaged slime coat increases infection risk and slows swimming performance. Rubber net bags preserve this biological shield far better than knotted mesh or hand grabbing. A fish with intact slime moves faster and recovers faster.

4. Nets give anglers control during revival

With a stable hoop and a deep bag, the fish can remain upright while the angler positions it in gentle current or calm water. Upright orientation is critical. Fish revived on their side swim poorly and become immediate targets.

5. Nets reduce the need to lift fish into the air

Fish that experience extended air exposure often lose equilibrium and swim weakly after release. Because their gill function and oxygen levels take time to recover, they are slower to accelerate and less able to make sharp escape movements. This weakened state dramatically increases the chance of depredation by sharks, barracuda, and other predators that target compromised fish.

Depredation Is Not Avoidable, but It Is Influenceable

Predators doing predator things is part of healthy ecosystems. Depredation will always exist. But anglers influence two key variables that determine whether a released fish becomes prey.

Variable 1. How exhausted the fish is when landed.
Variable 2. How strong the fish is at the moment of release.

A good net improves both. It shortens the fight and supports proper recovery. Those two factors give fish the burst of speed they need to avoid opportunistic predators.

This is the difference between releasing a fish and giving it a real chance to survive.

Why Rising Cares About This Topic

Rising was built by anglers who believe fishing is richer when approached with intention. Depredation shows us that our responsibility does not end at release. Gear design matters because it affects the moments that determine whether a fish swims off capable or compromised.

Our nets are built for those moments. Rubber bags protect the slime coat. Rigid hoops provide control. Handle lengths match real water scenarios. These details matter when a fish is in your care.

Stewardship begins long before you let go of the tail.

Final Thought

Depredation is a natural part of fishing, but unnecessary predation caused by exhaustion or poor handling is something anglers can prevent. By landing fish quickly, keeping them wet, and using a net that supports proper recovery, we reduce hidden mortality and give fish a real chance to survive the moments we cannot see.