How do I unhook and release crappie so they survive, especially in summer?

Handling is the easy part. A jig usually pins the roof or the corner of the mouth and comes out with a push; a wet hand and a lower-lip hold are fine for a fish this size — just do not squeeze the belly. Deep hooking is mostly a live-bait problem: a minnow under a float, left too long, gets swallowed, so strike early and cut the line on a deeply hooked fish. The real killers are heat and depth. Crappie held in a hot summer livewell die easily, and fish pulled from beyond roughly 9 m (30 ft) rarely get back down. In warm water decide at once: release the fish immediately, or keep it for the table on ice. Sorting through a livewell at the end of a hot day is the worst option.

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