Catch is the release

Anglers group rewards fishers who throw back what they reel in; it’s about preserving the catch for future generations, they say. The attitude of sport fishers and members of United Anglers, a Southern California-based organization dedicated to preserving the marine environment, can be summed up pretty easily:

It is better to have caught a fish and thrown it back than to never have caught a fish at all.

Costa Mesa resident and avid fisherman Chuck Doucot subscribes to the same theory.

“If everyone kills everything they catch, there’s not going to be anything left to catch,� Doucot said. “Most of the fish I catch, I release.... It’s better to let it go; it’s much more fun.�

Doucot, a United Anglers member, won the grand prize of $5,000 in the recent Boater’s World and United Anglers California Anglers Sportfishing Tournament.

“I don’t see the need to kill more than you can eat in one night or two nights,� he said. “That’s how I get so many tickets.�

The tournament is held every year from Memorial Day to Labor Day. United Anglers members participate by releasing legal fish catches back into the ocean, alive and healthy. Each time they release a fish and someone signs off on it, the member receives a ticket, which is entered into a weekly drawing as well as the grand prize drawing.

“It just helps to protect the resources for future generations,� said tournament director Victor Mendez. “The more fish that we can return, the greater the chance is for them to prosper and reproduce.�

Doucot said he had more than 1,200 tickets this year. He also won a couple of $250 Boater’s World gift certificates in the weekly drawings.

“Chuck is definitely a dedicated fisherman,� Mendez said. “He’s probably out at least three times every week during the summer. He helps promote us quite a bit, and he believes in conservation. Consequently, he has pretty good odds because he catches and releases a lot of fish.�

Doucot, who grew up in Santa Ana, started fishing when he was a young boy and worked as a pinhead or deckhand on boats every summer. He goes fishing as often as possible and frequently takes overnight trips out to Catalina Island, San Clemente Island or even further offshore.

“I’ve been doing it long enough that I should be halfway decent,� he said. “Part of it is knowing where to cast, what type of bait to pick.... The stronger the bait, the faster the bait -- it’s like a mountain lion chasing a little kid. When the kid tries to run away, it triggers the mountain lion. Your bait runs away, it triggers the fish to eat it.�

He said his favorite fish to catch are yellowtail and albacore. He likes yellowtail because they always put up a good fight.

“They’re mean; they’re smart,� Doucot said. “If there’s a rock or kelp anywhere around the boat when you hook one, they’ll find it and run you into it.�

He added that at times, all types of fish can put up a fight and be challenging to catch, which is why he continues to enjoy the sport.

For more information on United Anglers, visit www.unitedanglers.com.

* LINDSAY SANDHAM is the news assistant. She can be reached at (714) 966-4625.

20051014iobmw6knDOUGLAS ZIMMERMAN / DAILY PILOT(LA)Costa Mesa angler Chuck Doucot loves to fish, but the sport fisher never keeps more than he can eat in a day or two.