I caught a couple of trout today. The second was on a dock and after dark. Even though I used a circle hook it got embedded deep in the fish’s mouth. I tried to get it out but could not so I cut the leader and released it with the hook still there.
I don’t know what happens when a fish goes free w/ a hook in it’s mouth/throat. I wonder if it impacts its ability to feed and eventually kills it.
Anyone know the best thing to do in this circumstance?
That happens sometimes, can’t be helped. If it’s a legal fish and gut hooked I usually keep it for the pan. If it’s not, cut it.
According to studies, most fish survive with a swallowed hook. Much better chance than if you try to rip it out. That is the accepted method. Cut the line as close to the hook as you can. Consider all the things fish eat, crabs, spiky fin fish, they can digest dang near anything.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
Thanks Larry. Appreciate the ■■■■■■■■.
If I hadn’t had so many other things to do tonight, I would’ve kept it for dinner.
quote:
Originally posted by FlickerFisher…Anyone know the best thing to do in this circumstance?
</font id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”>I use blood as an indicator. If a fish is bleeding and it’s within legal limits, it becomes food. If it is hooked “bad” but, not bleeding, it gets released with a couple inches of fishing line (and hook).Just MY method.
You did the right thing by letting it go. They say…it is always they…that the saltwater will dissolve the hook quickly and I use to use only bronze kale hooks because they would dissolve quicker than stainless. I use owner mutu circles with good luck but they are stainless and frankly I do not know of any bronze circle hooks made.
I have caught a fish that had digested a stainless hook and a small part of the hook was coming out the anal hole. Others had a partial dissolved hook in the mouth area.
big dog
It’s amazing what a fish can swallow without being hurt. I was fishing with a friend about 6 years ago on Moultrie, and he caught a blue cat that was roughly 20-30lbs. I filleted it for him when we got back to his place, and it had a nearly-new crankbait in it’s stomach (one of those crawfish-shaped crankbaits).
Not a single hook had penetrated the stomach. I cut the stomach open, and it slid right out. There wasn’t any corrosion on the hooks which the stomach acid would have done very quickly) so I suspect the fish had swallowed it that day.
I would imagine he would have met with a hard time when it came time to poop it out, but instead he met with my fillet knife.
… The Cross of Christ is the anvil upon which the hammer of evil wore itself out.
One of the first redfish that I ever caught was off the jetties at Masonborough Inlet near Wrightsville Beach. When I got him back to my buddies house to fillet, I noticed a hook hanging out of his butt hole. No kidding. The fish was trying to pass a hook.
Narcosis