For the best possible meal, start by treating the fish right from the moment you land it. If you’re going to eat your catch, you have to keep it fresh, even before you begin cleaning your fish. Keep caught fish in a live well, a cooler, or on a stringer in the water. And always fill your cooler or live well with the same water you’re fishing in.
If you’re not going to eat your catch, unhook it carefully—while it’s still in the water—and release it using proper catch and release practices.