Will it survive?

Piscator · #1 19-06-2009, 03:38 AM

So far I have been fishing with both bait and lure. Ive been more successful with bait to date. Last week I took my wife with me for a day trip to see if we could catch some nice size fish and for her to see and understand my latest obsession.

To cut a long story short she caught her first Bream at 33cm on a prawn but the fish swallowed the hook and all. I was of two minds what to do I was worried that the fish would die if I didnt get the hook out but on the other hand we didnt intend on keeping anything we caught in the first place. Ive read and heard elsewhere that a fish would survive with a hook thats been swallowed.

In the end I released the fish in the hope it would survive regardless of the hook.

Did I do the right thing??

vibefreak · #2 19-06-2009, 03:57 AM

The hook should just rust out mate.

Shane · #3 19-06-2009, 04:03 AM

Apparently gut hooked fish should survive, as per VF's post, but I also think it would depend on how much yanking on the line was done.

ie pull the fish out of the water then try and rip the hook out.

I dont think the fish would be to happy after that

If I actually gut hooked a fish and wanted to put it back I would, give the guy a chance, but I wouldn't be upset to take that one home either. I will ask the guys in the environmental biology dept here at work and see if anyone has an opinion on the matter.

Minnows · #4 19-06-2009, 04:38 AM

back in my baito days, caught a blackie for dinner, was a top conditioned fish yet when i cleaned him, he had a massive rusty old hook tho his gut.

Superduperman · #5 19-06-2009, 04:58 AM

I seem to remember someone saying they had a bream in thier livewell that had swallowed a lure right down, then when it came time to weigh in the lure was just floating in the livewell and the fish was fine.

Just release it if it swallows a single hook IMO.

Danmaso · #6 19-06-2009, 05:09 AM

i wouldnt wanna be released if i swallowed a single hoook id want some one to get it the hell out of me!

but yeah the hooks rust out or they just stay there unless you yank on the line thats when you pull there guts apart and they will die...

#7 23-06-2009, 07:01 AM

In retrospect we all should just look at what sharks eat and see how they corrode metals like stainless steel and other objects that they hoover up....

I remember fishing out of a mangrove tree and catching a shovel nose ray and gutting it, found a stainless steel hook way near its anus (inner gut) so close yet so far i guess...

LastnameWhiting · #8 23-06-2009, 08:27 AM

in my experience yanking the hook out trashes the fishes gills n innards and once released back into the water the fish cant breathe and will die. Always cut the line off as far down as you can and let the fish go.

dishley · #9 23-06-2009, 04:14 PM

Has anyone actually put a hook in a container of salt water and see how long it lasts? I'm a bit suss of this theory. I will try it myself with a jig, hook and treble

bream miagi · #10 24-06-2009, 01:03 AM

ive found most times 99% ive deep hooked bream on lures...just leave them in the live well with lure still attached.. and there pretty good at spitting the lure themselves

phil jagger · #11 24-06-2009, 01:21 AM

Nah...that fish is dead now.

Piscator · #12 24-06-2009, 02:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phil jagger

Nah...that fish is dead now.

Theres something to be said about thinking positively

BrissyBreamer · #13 24-06-2009, 05:49 AM

If you ask me I believe it has survived, but this is only if the hook wasn't yanked. I hope it did live on,

Thanks BrissyBreamer

crusty · #14 24-06-2009, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dishley

Has anyone actually put a hook in a container of salt water and see how long it lasts? I'm a bit suss of this theory. I will try it myself with a jig, hook and treble

Its not just the water but the digestive juices/acid of the fish that will breakdown the hook, not the lead. Don't know how it would go with a stainless hook.

Can't be good for the fish, but more would survive with the hook left in then gilled and gutted. But fish on a plate properly appreciated is better than a carcus in the water.

All you can do is take as much care as you can and hope for the best. If you had a livewell you could put in for a while to check its condition in an hour or so.

All in all you IMO you did the best you could and thats all you can ask of yourself.

Noddy · #15 24-06-2009, 01:27 PM

I caught a little snapper once that actually had a approx size 6 -8 hook comming out of it's ass, I detached to hook from it's bottom and released it and it swam off fine. I guess there insides are used to processing hard sharp stuff as there bound to get the odd shell as well as thick bones etc. from the food they eat.