Fish Are More Harmed By............

[flytyer57]

I once hooked a bass in the gills with a spinnerbait. Got the hook out rather quickly and went to release the fish. The water was warm and that fish never recovered. It was legal size so I had it for dinner. If was not leagal size, I would have let the crayfish eat it cuz I don't want to be the one that gets caught keeping undersize fish.

[osuangler]

Amen to all. I witnessed a beautiful brown caught(foul hooked) this last weeked. Broke my heart. She was worn out and mishandled in a bad way. I would imagine she lived but not without some stress.... Anywho, I was fortunate enough to catch a good one as well and sure did my best to get a picture and send it on the way.

[taxidermist]

Ok then by looking at everyone remarks, catching fish hurt fish. So everyone should stop but me

As for Power Bait, using iton small hooks is the problem go with a #6 Eagle Claw Crappie hook and its a lowerjaw hook most ofthe time,along with not anchoring to fish. keep drifting!

[tjulianc]

Actually in the last few years the worst wounds I've inflicted on bass have been in using EWG hooks with Senko type lures. A lot of bass seem to get these big hooks just far enough inside their mouths that when you set the hook it comes out through their eye sockets.

The same thing has happened to me too but the hook is down in the fishes throat. The other culprit has been fishing a tube, where a bass just sucks it down really quick while on the fall. If you cut the line and release it quickly the fish will swim away apparently healthy, but they still have a hook in their throat. This surely kills them right? I've heard some say that they can work the hook out themselves, but I've seen no evidence of this.

I've gotten better lately not letting soft plastic lures lay on the bottom if I am not watching my line. The last bass I unintentionally killed was because I was getting out a backlash and when I reeled up my line, I had a nice smallie on. It was a legal keeper, so it went in my cooler. If its not legal, you just got to let it go back and get recycled in the ecosystem. Their is no way to regulate fishing populations if you let people say, "It was going to die anyway so I kept it."

[Gavin]

Heres a way to pop the hook out of a gut hooked bass...It works.

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1128002349/16#16

[rps]

A slight detour - but related. If your goal is to release with minimal damage, invest in a Boga grip. I rarely have to touch bass at all. If they are large enough that I use a net, I still use the grip for the unhook and leave the fish in the wet rubber net for the picture. Based on the trips I used to take to the White below Bull Shoals, I believe the same would be true for trout.

With walleye, the grip saves me from teeth and protects the non legal fish.

[flytyer57]

I recently purchased a Rising Lippa 4 Life Special Blend tool at the local fly shop for about $35. A lot cheaper than the Boga Grip although they do have aluminium models for about $100.

[Guest csfishinfool]

The same thing has happened to me too but the hook is down in the fishes throat. The other culprit has been fishing a tube, where a bass just sucks it down really quick while on the fall. If you cut the line and release it quickly the fish will swim away apparently healthy, but they still have a hook in their throat. This surely kills them right? I've heard some say that they can work the hook out themselves, but I've seen no evidence of this.

I've gotten better lately not letting soft plastic lures lay on the bottom if I am not watching my line. The last bass I unintentionally killed was because I was getting out a backlash and when I reeled up my line, I had a nice smallie on. It was a legal keeper, so it went in my cooler. If its not legal, you just got to let it go back and get recycled in the ecosystem. Their is no way to regulate fishing populations if you let people say, "It was going to die anyway so I kept it."

I don't think they die. Two years ago at Table Rock I caught a nice three pound smallmouth that had a hook and line in his throat. The hook was old enough that I broke it in half and took it out. It was another week away from rusting out totally. The fish was fat and healthy. He didn't let that hook stop him from eating like crazy

[Bman]

I think the Smallies are most hurt by illegal giggers!

[ozark trout fisher]

OTF I know how you feel. But I think that law is there to prevent people from saying they hooked a trout deeply in the gills and use it as an excuse to keep fish. Also, as Al said, there is a chance that they will survive, just get them in the water as quick as possible.

Troutfiend, I understand what you're saying and basically agree with you. The laws have to be "no exceptions" or else poachers would take advantage of them as you said.

But if I spend a half hour trying to revive an under-size fish (which I will if the situation calls), and it simply will not revive, am I just gonna let it drift downstream to rot... I don't know. I understand the law is very clear on the issue, but I don't think the ethics of the situation are nearly as clearcut. I'm not sure, but I may break the law in that situation, quit fishing, and go home. If I am caught, then I would tell the Conservation agent the truth and willingly pay the fine.

I've only had this situation occur to me a few times in the last few years, and each time I really have to debate what I am going to do. It's not black and white, and I'm honestly not sure what the right answer is.