Gene C wrote:

It was a foam beetle. I did not (I forgot) to crimp the barb. My
question is, how long does one try to remove the hook. Will leaving
it in the mouth (including the foam bug) be a problem. I guess the
question comes down to does it matter if the bug you're leaving in the
fishes mouth is foam or a fur and feather.

A lot depends on just where and how deeply the fish is hooked. In any
place but the lip and jaw, I think leaving the hook will *probably* be
less of a problem than trying to remove it. Studies have been done
indicating that most hooks weather away fairly quickly. If the bug is so
big it hinders the fish's ability to capture and swallow other prey, well,
yeah that'd be a problem, but most likely no bigger problem than if you
cause the fish to bleed when trying to remove the hook.

JR