One Community. Every Water. Worldwide.
For the next generation of first catches
Think about the person who first took you fishing. The patience they showed. The excitement of that first bite. The stories you still tell. Now imagine a child years from today feeling that same excitement, with someone they love standing beside them.
That is the future Catching Lips wants to help protect.
Our clothing carries a love of fishing and a responsibility to care for what makes it possible. We want children and grandchildren to inherit waters full of possibility, family traditions worth continuing, and the knowledge to fish with respect.
A community built around the water
Fishing gives families time together: early mornings, quiet conversations, lessons in patience, and memories that outlast the day’s catch. Catching Lips welcomes anglers of every generation and experience level who want to keep those moments possible.
Our mission is to encourage responsible angling, thoughtful catch-and-release practices, and care for the habitats fish depend on. Each trip is a chance to teach someone that enjoying the water comes with looking after it.
Why circle hooks belong in our story
A circle hook has a point that curves inward toward the shank. When used correctly, especially with bait, its shape helps it move toward the corner of a fish’s mouth as the line tightens. An inline, non-offset circle hook has its point and shank in the same plane.
Appropriately selected and used circle hooks can reduce deep hooking compared with conventional J-hooks in many bait-fishing situations. Mouth hooking can make removal easier and reduce injury to internal organs. Results depend on the species, hook design, bait, and technique; no hook eliminates injury or guarantees survival.
For Catching Lips, that small piece of tackle represents a bigger choice: taking care with the fish in our hands and thinking about the people who will fish these waters after us.
Let the hook do its job
Choose and rig carefully. Match the hook and tackle to the target fish. Leave the hook point and gap exposed when baiting, and use tackle that avoids an unnecessarily long fight.
Use steady pressure. Avoid a sharp, hard hook-set with a circle hook. Allow the line to tighten and reel steadily so the hook can rotate into position at the mouth.
Be ready to release. Keep pliers or a dehooker within reach before the fish arrives. Preparation helps you handle the catch promptly.
Care continues after the catch
Keep fish in the water whenever practical. Wet your hands before handling, support the body, and avoid touching the eyes or gills. Minimize air exposure and keep any photograph quick. If a hook is deeply embedded, avoid digging it out; cutting the leader close to the hook may cause less harm.
Fish brought up from depth may need special care for barotrauma, including an appropriate descending device. Learn the recommended practices for your target species and location before fishing.
A careful release can give a fish the chance to survive, grow, and potentially reproduce. Protecting future fishing also takes healthy habitat, clean water, and responsible harvest. Circle hooks are one part of that wider responsibility.
Pass the knowledge along
Show a child how to bait a hook safely. Explain why you handle a fish gently. Pick up discarded fishing line. Follow catch limits and respect spawning protections. These everyday choices help turn a family pastime into a tradition of care.
Fishing rules vary by species, location, and season. Check current requirements with the responsible fisheries agency before each trip, including any rules for circle hooks and release equipment. This page provides general education.
What we leave behind matters
Someday, the child beside you may be the one teaching someone else to fish. We want them to have that chance.
Wear the passion. Share the knowledge. Care for the water. Help keep the next generation’s fishing memories possible.
Catching Lips. Chase the Bite. Live the Lifestyle.
