Going Fishing? Catch-and-release In Less Than Four Minutes, Please

How long can a fish be out of water? Results from the study showed that both the duration of an exercise bout (the catch) longer than four minutes, as well as the length of exposure to air, will result in a proportional increase in negative effects on the fishes' physiological condition. The study also showed that the longer duration of the catch-and-release, the longer the time the fish needed to recover and the greater likelihood of the fish being caught by predators.

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The study identified several strategies for fisheries management in catch-and-release settings:

Minimize the length of time spent angling the fish.
Minimize the length of time the fish is exposed to air after being caught.
The longer that the fish is presented with challenges, the longer it will take to recover after being released.
The temperature of the water can also affect recovery time — warmer water may increase recovery time.