Unhooking Mats

<h2>Down on the Mat</h2><p>Deliberate catch and release is prohibited by law in Germany. That said, there are good reasons to return a catch to the water. More and more German states and fishery licence holders are introducing so-called <strong>harvest slots</strong> - slot sizes designed to protect large spawning fish while giving undersized fish at least one chance to spawn. It is also possible to return bycatch that is not suitable for the table.</p><h2>Fish-Friendly Unhooking</h2><p>For this to work properly and with as little stress to the fish as possible, you need to protect its sensitive slime coat and keep it out of the water for as short a time as possible. A sandy bank or a stone rip-rap is not the right place to lay a fish down, and measuring it with a tape measure on a dry patch of grass for several minutes does nothing for its chances of survival. In some German states, such as Hamburg, carrying a suitable <strong>unhooking mat</strong> is now a legal requirement.</p><p>Unhooking mats were developed precisely for this purpose. They are generally padded to varying degrees, made from a <strong>slime-coat-friendly material</strong> and often feature a printed measuring tape, so you can measure the fish quickly without any additional tools.</p><p>Lying on one of these mats, the catch is well protected and can be unhooked, measured and returned to the water in the shortest possible time. To make this work properly, the mat must be thoroughly wetted before you place the fish on it - only then is the best possible protection for the slime coat guaranteed.</p><h2>Design and Types of Unhooking Mats</h2><p>Many unhooking mats feature not only a measuring scale but also <strong>raised sides</strong>, so the fish cannot slip off sideways - a real advantage when dealing with a lively catch.</p><p>Unhooking mats are available in a range of shapes, sizes and padding levels. It is worth thinking about your main use case before you buy. If you fish predominantly from rocky ground or target heavier species such as carp, you will want a more heavily padded mat. If you are mainly after pike, make sure your mat is sized to handle a 135 cm specimen, just in case.</p><p>For anglers who travel light, <strong>compact unhooking mats with a small pack size</strong> are also available.</p>