What would you do?

[jigginjim]

What so you do with a badly hooked 29" walleye? With a plain hook cut the line and release it But how about one that has a 1/16 leadhead jig stuck in the gullet? Release and hope it lives or keep for mounting?

[Drewski]

That's a no brainer: release it. I've caught walleyes with 1/16-1/4 oz jigs in their gullets and they were as healthy as could be.

[LOTWSvirgin]

Its more of a personal choice. It may seem healthy but is it?? You will never really know. So its the choice of whom catchs it. IMO

[bassislife]

I'm guessing they would have a better chance of surviving in the water and not the freezer!

[Drewski]

It may seem healthy but is it??

Maybe it's just me, but when a fish is fat and full of color I'm gonna assume it's healthy.

[LOTWSvirgin]

I understand what your saying drewski but can you tell if it bleeding internally when the hook is in the gut???

[bassislife]

Blood or not release it! Cut the line and let it swim away!

I have caught walleyes before that had rapalas stuck in them with the hooks full of rust and they were still willing and healthy enough to hit again.

[croixflats]

I guess I would let it go, I really dont care much about mounting fish and twenty nine inch walleye's I would assume taste bad. Be No different than badly hooking a 29nr or a 12er it still feels bad. If it dies makes no differance if its on a wall or in the lake.

[zepman]

I've had this happen to me more than once and what I've always done is CPR unless the fish can't swim away on his own. I had to revive one for more than 5 minutes once but eventually it did swim away. One went belly-up in the water and never could recover. I ended up mounting that one. It's all really a personal choice...no one really knows if they are going to make it or not but they do stand a better chance in the water, especially if they're able to swim away. Always a tough call.

[fishuhalik]

Definitely a personal call. If it was bleeding badly and wouldn't swim I'd probably put it on the wall. If you're really undecided though I'd steer more towards putting 'er back

[Northlander]

Let it go. Cut the line as close to the hook as you can. I have also caught fish with jigs or hooks in them and they were still healthy enough to hit my bait.

Like said above it has a much better chance of living in the water than in your cooler or freezer.

[chub]

Being as there are already larger on my wall, if I thought it wasn't going to make it, it would be cut up and eaten.

[BuckKiller]

Ditto... id eat it. A walleye taste like a walleye weather its 14 inches or 30 inches

[SkitterPopper]

Quote:

Ditto... id eat it. A walleye taste like a walleye weather its 14 inches or 30 inches

I will have to respectfully disagree with you there. I know for a fact that bigger walleyes do not taste as good as the smaller ones.

Another thing to think about is the amount of mercury and PCB's in the bigger fish. You can have them, I will pass.

[WARRIORBOATMAN]

Put it in the live well.

Keep aerators going (ICU) pumping air into water.

Keep the live well going pumping new water in.

Try & Keep her upright and see what happens with in the next 60 min.

If she is alive and kicking I say let her go.

If she goes belly up I say take her home and eat and or mount.

How cool / how warm was the water? that has a lot to do with it.

The warmer the water usually the higher the mortality.

I have eaten them up to 28 1/2 inches and they tasted just as good as a 17 incher.

Just have to know how to cook them.

[chub]

I will have to respectfully disagree with you there. I know for a fact that bigger walleyes do not taste as good as the smaller ones.

[JohnMickish]

It stands a zero precent chance of servival in the live well, it at least has a chance to live if released.

For me, to much mercury to eat and I don't do skin mounts so this isn't a hard choice.

[WARRIORBOATMAN]

It stands a zero precent chance of servival in the live well, it at least has a chance to live if released.

For me, to much mercury to eat and I don't do skin mounts so this isn't a hard choice.

ZERO Percent chance huh?

Thats a Good one ! ........lol....not even close to the truth but good! ...lol...

Yea an I'm sure all the mercury In one fish is going to kill you? (NOT)

Replicas look fake! much rather have the real thing on the wall.

[jwmiller33]

i sense some hostility up in her

[Northlander]

Once its in your livewell its in your possesion.

[JohnMickish]

Livewell equals fillet knife. I'm pretty sure the chance of servival is pretty low on that. If your going to take it out of the live well and release it, why not just release it in the first place?

[Harbi]

I'm sure they taste ok, but as has been mentioned already, you are consuming a lot of mercury, PCBs and other stuff you would not want to come in contact with let alone swallow. Remember the mad hatter from Alice in Wonderland?

[fishermatt]

You can use the livewell to try and revive it. If it wants to float belly up, take 2 ice fishing depth bombs and clip 1 onto each of the side fins (just behind the gills) That will help the fish to stay upright and get going again.

[rodmaker]

If it goes in the livewell. It is considered a "keeper" and should not be released at a later time. Be careful on this one.

[Born2Fish]

I say do what you feel is right. Some of you would release it. Some would keep it. It's pretty logical, if its bleeding badly, keep it. If its still kicking and thrashing and wanting out of that boat, let it go. I see NO harm in eating a big fish. None of my family has yet to die from eating a bigger fish(that is supposedly LOADED with mercury and PCB's). And I bet you would be pretty hard pressed to find anyone who has gotten sick specifically from high mercury levels or PCB's.