Dustin Faul is a fanatic about proper fish care. He is convinced that the only way we will have trophy fish in the future is to take care of them today. He believes in it so much that he has named his boat “Catfish Lives Matter.”
“I named the boat “Catfish Lives Matter” because I wanted people to ask questions,” revealed Faul. “It gives me the opportunity to teach people about catfish conservation. I also want to encourage kids to catfish and teach them the correct way to handle and release catfish.”
He constantly urges catfish anglers to take time with the fish and treat them kindly. Everyone knows the big cats can be slick and slimy and will be dropped occasionally. But anglers should always do everything in their power not to drop them.
“More importantly, don’t just throw them into the weigh-tubs at tournaments,” suggested Faul. “It’s not hard to place them in the tubs gently and it is a lot better for the fish.”
“Also make sure the air bladder has deflated before releasing the fish,” added Faul. “Then it can swim safely back to the water depth it came from.”
“I lay the catfish across my kneecap and move it around on there. Some people use pvc but it’s not as safe. I use the ball of the knee cap and put a little bit of pressure on the fish until it burps. I have never had it fail me,” concluded Faul.
