On 18 Apr 2005 17:47:32 -0700, "HJS" wrote:

can't help but wonder if they could really revive a fish like that, not
that i know a lick about fish biology. but don't things like lactic
acid build-up kill it even if it swims away?


Maybe. Maybe not. But bonking it on the head until it stops wiggling
and taking it in to an official scale certainly does.

It was a big fish and fought for less than 1/2 hour (yeah, just
barely, but still less), so it might have had a lot of reserves that
an 18 inch trout wouldn't have had.

Even on trout, which are among the more studied C & R species, there's
disagreement on the mortality rate. The estimates I've read go
anywhere from 1 % up to 10 %. With tarpon, I have no idea if anyone's
ever studied the problem.

Cyli
r.bc: vixen. Minnow goddess. Speaker to squirrels.
Often taunted by trout. Almost entirely harmless.

http://www.visi.com/~cyli
email: lid (strip the .invalid to email)