Catch & release

Just a question.
Tonight I hooked a 5lb'er. The hook penetrated that area behind the tongue
and removal was impossible. Over the years, when this happens, I've always
cut the line and let the fish go with the hook in.

Tonight I tried something different. I cut the line and pulled the hook out
by pulling the shank out. The hook was a 3/0 offset. So the bend in the top
of the hook caused some resistance.
There appeared to be no damage, but there was a fair amount of blood.

What are the chances of the bass surviving? Just an opinion, of course.

Thanks

Seems to me, if you can remove the hook without doing too much damage, that
would be better than leaving it in and cutting the line.
Once, I hooked a small bass deep in its mouth, near the gills, and that's
how I was finally able to get the hook out. There's always a lot of debate
about whether the hook dissolves or not, whether it's OK to just cut the
line or not. I try to remove the hook, if possible, especially if it's in a
location that could interfere with the fish's ability to eat.

There's my 2 cents...

Bass Wishes from South Florida
Jack
http://www.bassguidesoftware.com

"James Luning" wrote in message
...
Just a question.
Tonight I hooked a 5lb'er. The hook penetrated that area behind the tongue
and removal was impossible. Over the years, when this happens, I've
always cut the line and let the fish go with the hook in.

Tonight I tried something different. I cut the line and pulled the hook
out by pulling the shank out. The hook was a 3/0 offset. So the bend in
the top of the hook caused some resistance.
There appeared to be no damage, but there was a fair amount of blood.

What are the chances of the bass surviving? Just an opinion, of course.

Thanks

http://www.dbarb.com/


"James Luning" wrote in message
...
Just a question.
Tonight I hooked a 5lb'er. The hook penetrated that area behind the tongue
and removal was impossible. Over the years, when this happens, I've
always
cut the line and let the fish go with the hook in.

Tonight I tried something different. I cut the line and pulled the hook
out
by pulling the shank out. The hook was a 3/0 offset. So the bend in the
top
of the hook caused some resistance.
There appeared to be no damage, but there was a fair amount of blood.

What are the chances of the bass surviving? Just an opinion, of course.

Thanks

"James Luning" wrote in message
...
Just a question.
Tonight I hooked a 5lb'er. The hook penetrated that area behind the tongue
and removal was impossible. Over the years, when this happens, I've
always cut the line and let the fish go with the hook in.

Tonight I tried something different. I cut the line and pulled the hook
out by pulling the shank out. The hook was a 3/0 offset. So the bend in
the top of the hook caused some resistance.
There appeared to be no damage, but there was a fair amount of blood.

What are the chances of the bass surviving? Just an opinion, of course.

While this might be considered a lengthy article, I believe that it's good
reading. It might answer some of your questions.

http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com/modu... der=0&thold=0
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

....rest assured it stood a better chance of making it than if you'd released
it to the grease said Huck

James Luning" wrote in message
...
Tonight I tried something different. I cut the line and pulled the hook
out
by pulling the shank out. The hook was a 3/0 offset. So the bend in the
top
of the hook caused some resistance.
There appeared to be no damage, but there was a fair amount of blood.

What are the chances of the bass surviving? Just an opinion, of course.


I do a couple things. If I can get my pliers on the hook I'll try to rotate
the hook so I can grab the curve either through the gill or down the throat
through the mouth. Then I just pull it straight out. If I can't get the
hook to rotate so I can do that or it won't come out easily I'll leave it
in. Whenever I get a bleeder I spend some extra time reviving him in the
livewell or in the water if turning him loose.

If a fish rolls over in the livewell I won't waste it though. I wrap it in
a plastic bag and tuck it into my icechest to keep the meat fresh. Most
tournaments will allow you to dispose of a dead fish yourself after weigh
in, and the one that doesn't I don't fish because I won't waste it if it
happens.

Bob La Londe
www.YumaBassMan.com

James Luning" wrote in message
...
Tonight I tried something different. I cut the line and pulled the hook
out
by pulling the shank out. The hook was a 3/0 offset. So the bend in the
top
of the hook caused some resistance.
There appeared to be no damage, but there was a fair amount of blood.

What are the chances of the bass surviving? Just an opinion, of course.


I do a couple things. If I can get my pliers on the hook I'll try to rotate
the hook so I can grab the curve either through the gill or down the throat
through the mouth. Then I just pull it straight out. If I can't get the
hook to rotate so I can do that or it won't come out easily I'll leave it
in. Whenever I get a bleeder I spend some extra time reviving him in the
livewell or in the water if turning him loose.

If a fish rolls over in the livewell I won't waste it though. I wrap it in
a plastic bag and tuck it into my icechest to keep the meat fresh. Most
tournaments will allow you to dispose of a dead fish yourself after weigh
in, and the one that doesn't I don't fish because I won't waste it if it
happens.

Bob La Londe
www.YumaBassMan.com

I've had federal biologists fishing in my boat and asked that very question
& their reply is that if a fish is bleeding it will die of anemia within a
week to ten days of being released. Not all , but most will die. I use
lures that the fish cannot swallow. cranks & spinners are very easy on the
fish. Plastics are the worst for the fish in the hande of novices.Charlie

--
Penobscot River Guide Service
Charles E. Bowe
89 Bog Road
Troy, ME 04987
(207) 948-2116
www.penobscotriverguideservice.com

lodging available at:
36 Mohawk Rd.
West Enfield, ME

"James Luning" wrote in message
...
Just a question.
Tonight I hooked a 5lb'er. The hook penetrated that area behind the tongue
and removal was impossible. Over the years, when this happens, I've
always cut the line and let the fish go with the hook in.

Tonight I tried something different. I cut the line and pulled the hook
out by pulling the shank out. The hook was a 3/0 offset. So the bend in
the top of the hook caused some resistance.
There appeared to be no damage, but there was a fair amount of blood.

What are the chances of the bass surviving? Just an opinion, of course.

Thanks

Swamp Yankee wrote:
I've had federal biologists fishing in my boat and asked that very question
& their reply is that if a fish is bleeding it will die of anemia within a
week to ten days of being released. Not all , but most will die. I use
lures that the fish cannot swallow. cranks & spinners are very easy on the
fish. Plastics are the worst for the fish in the hande of novices.Charlie

Truthfully, and this could just be me, but I have hooked fish with
crankbaits that did much more damage than any plastic would have ever
done. I have not gut hooked a bass on a plastic since I was 18 or so.
I caught a bass recently that had the back crankbait hook up under its
tongue and bleeding pretty good. Unfortunately this bass was only 13"
long, and I could have kept it if I wanted to legally. Either way, I
have heard it on here a few times, if you keep them , they have no
chance of survival at all. I can assure you if it dies in the wild, it
will not go to waste.

Chris

Swamp Yankee wrote:
I've had federal biologists fishing in my boat and asked that very question
& their reply is that if a fish is bleeding it will die of anemia within a
week to ten days of being released. Not all , but most will die. I use
lures that the fish cannot swallow. cranks & spinners are very easy on the
fish. Plastics are the worst for the fish in the hande of novices.Charlie

I've seen cranks and jerkbaits do far more damage than I've ever done to
a fish with a plastic. Earlier this year, I had three separate fish on a
jerkbait that I worried about the survival of. One of them no part of
the lure was visible when you looked down into the fish's open mouth. An
X-rap isn't a really BIG bait, but still the whole thing with 2 sets of
'sticky sharp' trebles right past the gills and into the gullet was
amazing. Everything in the boat got covered in blood before I even got
the longnoses onto the shank of a treble. The fish eventually swam off
under its own power, but I know @#$ well that it was snapping turtle
fodder by that evening.