What to do?

[Stick in Mud]

I had a really unfortunate event happen tonight, and I'm just looking for a little advice in case it happens again.

I was out on the Miss. fishing poppers for smallies, and one slurped the entire thing into its mouth so that the front treble hook was in the gills and the second already in the gullet. (I think this is the first time this has happened to me.) I hooked her in the middle of the river too, so I couldn't get her in as fast as I like to (she was about 18''), so when I got her in she was already bleeding.

There was no way I could get the hook out without killing the fish. The amount of blood and gill damage seemed to imply that she was going to die anyways. If I gut hook a fish with a smaller or less cumbersome bait, I just cut the line, but I didn't think a fish could survive with a 4'' popper in its mouth. Either way, I did end up cutting the line (after about 20 seconds of inspection) and letting her go (you can't keep fish under 20'' up here), and she was already going belly up as she drifted downstream. Ugh.

I have seen fish with lines coming out their gullets and hooks coming out their buttholes. Amazingly, last week I caught a fish with the point of a 1/0 or 2/0 Gammy coming out the orifice and the eye of the same hook had also penetrated through the skin, though the rest of the hook was still in the fish. Amazing.

But I don't think this is one of those fish. Should I have kept her, even though it's against the law? One fish either way doesn't make a difference, but d*** I hate wasting fish like that.

[Deitz Dittrich]

unfortunatly, its just a fact of fishing. I had one go belly up on me last week. Toungue hooked.. nothing I could do. In your case it sounds like you did your best and should feel good about yourself for doing that.

Get a pair of good wire cutters and have them in the boat. I always try to leave as little as possible in the fish. Instead of cutting the line, cut the hook as near to the fish as possible. Or in your case cut the 'O' ring off the popper so that you get it back and it doesnt block his throat.

[TNFL]

Quote:

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Or in your case cut the 'O' ring off

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A good pair of Klien's also works when a fishing buddy gets a crank bait in the scalp. 4 in a boat casting cranks is a little much, lesson learned, luckily not at my expense. (this was about 4 years ago BTW)

[Double]

There is a tool available called the D-Barb. I hope I am not violating board policy here, but this is a very valuable tool. I have used this tool several times to cut the barb of the hook off a deeply hooked fish. Makes it super-easy to remove the hook and has a magnet that holds onto the piece you snip off.

They run about $21.95 before shipping, but the feeling I get every time I successfully save a fish that no doubt would have had issues makes it worth it.

Regards,

Double

[Deitz Dittrich]

Great post double, and no you are not violating any forum policy.. You just cant put links to non-sponsor products... but you can mention them all you want..

[ocf1]

I had a pike inhale my cranbait. He took it head on, It was a sight to see. So now its 4 trebled. I didnt have cutters so I went to work on the pier. After 10 minutes on the operating table he is free. I was going to release him gently but he shot off right away. Heres another good tip..... Famous daves towlettes, cleans the blood right up, even looks the same as bbq sauce