- 1). Use local organic bait when possible. Part of the carbon footprint of your fishing is the fuel used to truck materials to you, so when it's feasible, go for the earthworms over the artificial bait.
- 2). Minimize wasted gear by keeping your tackle box organized, fastening lures correctly, and keeping an ye on plastic bags and other materials that may tend to go overboard on a boat trip. Fishing line is also a material to keep your eye on. Tangled fishing line in the water can cause health hazards for wildlife.
- 3). Find nearby fishing holes. As fishermen go looking for ever more pristine environments, they tend to go further and further from their homes to fish. Try to find the closest fishing spot you can and stick with it.
- 4). Consider a canoe or rowboat, or be judicious about powering up your outboard motor. Using less gas on board is another way to make your fishing experience greener and avoid causing too much of a disturbance underwater.
- 5). Fish for food. The original idea of fishing was as a functional survival skill. Also, when you eat what you catch, you cut down on meat purchases from your grocer. Catching and releasing can be an unnecessary disturbance of a habitat.
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