Best practice for deeply hooked fish?

[Tom Butler]

Came across this holdover today with a sz 6 baitholder from last year (very corroded) hooked at the back of the tongue in front of the throat. Obviously it survived and it's feeding. Best option is?
1) Leave
2) Cut just outside mouth
3) trim at hook eye
4) Try to remove
5) Harvest

I went with 2..

 

[Eastside]

Given where you probably were fishing, 2 is a good option, but 5 would have been acceptable. Five would have made your wife happy, based on what you have posted.

 

[O' Clarkii Lewisi]

Came across this holdover today with a sz 6 baitholder from last year (very corroded) hooked at the back of the tongue in front of the throat. Obviously it's survived and it's feeding. Best option is?
1) Leave
2) Cut just outside mouth
3) trim at hook eye
4) Try to remove
5) Harvest
View attachment 12127
I went with 2..

#5 shore lunch.

 

[gpt]

cut the leader as close as you can, thats about all you can do without damaging the fish.

 

[Tom Butler]

Given where you probably were fishing, 2 is a good option, but 5 would have been acceptable. Five would have made your wife happy, based on what you have posted.

I did keep one middle sized one, ~1.5#. We just finished dinner. Happy wife happy life.

 

[troutstalker]

#4, try to remove hook. If unsuccessful, then #5, harvest.

 

[Tom Butler]

#5 shore lunch.

I though about keeping it, but it was early, and I didn't want it to sit while I continued to fish.

 

[O' Clarkii Lewisi]

I did keep one middle sized one, ~1.5#. We just finished dinner. Happy wife happy life.

To me, building a small fire, especially if dead and dried alder is available, and roasting on a green willow stick connects you with your inner hunter gatherer. I've done similar when I can only seem to shoot/find one upland bird. Seems silly just dragging one home.

 

[clarkman]

I dunno, if that fish can get away from an angler using that 30lb mono , I'd have figured he'd have earned it....

then again, it's a hatchery grunt. You've already paid for it....

 

[Smalma]

If legal retaining a deeply hooked fish is a good option; especially if one likes fresh fish.

In those situations where you don't want to the harvest the fish or prohibited from doing so the best option is to clip the leader/line as close to the mouth as can easily be done. Do not attempt to remove the hook! In the majority of the cases attempting to remove the hook will cause more bleeding and ultimately the death of the fish. It is surprising on easily fish can dislodge even barbed hooks from their mouth or throat though that process is enhanced by the use of barbless hooks (personally I use barbless hooks for all my salmonid fishing unless I expect to retain the fish caught -example kokanee in a lake).

In a related topic if a bleeding fish is to be released the best approach is to land the fish as quickly as possible with immediate release (in quiet water if that is an option). Attempting to revive a bleeding fish is usually contra productive as the handling associated with that effort doesnot allow the fish heart rate to slow thus preventing the clotting of its blood.

curt

 

[Tom Butler]

If legal retaining a deeply hooked fish is a good option; especially if one likes fresh fish.

In those situations where you don't want to the harvest the fish or prohibited from doing so the best option is to clip the leader/line as close to the mouth as can easily be done. Do not attempt to remove the hook! In the majority of the cases attempting to remove the hook will cause more bleeding and ultimately the death of the fish. It is surprising on easily fish can dislodge even barbed hooks from their mouth or throat though that process is enhanced by the use of barbless hooks (personally I use barbless hooks for all my salmonid fishing unless I expect to retain the fish caught -example kokanee in a lake).

In a related topic if a bleeding fish is to be released the best approach is to land the fish as quickly as possible with immediate release (in quiet water if that is an option). Attempting to revive a bleeding fish is usually contra productive as the handling associated with that effort doesnot allow the fish heart rate to slow thus preventing the clotting of its blood.

curt

thx

 

[Lue Taylor]

Once caught a fish with a treble hook with line hanging out the ass of a fish still amazed me how that got thru the fish system.

 

[Whitewater]

Clip close and release. Or harvest. Your call. Both are ethical IMO.

 

[SurfnFish]

lightly breaded with appropriate seasoning...

 

[krusty]

I don't eat trout...nor do I know anybody conveniently close that does.

I've clipped plenty of tippets just outside mouth. I don't spend a bunch of time trying to retrieve deeply taken flies with forceps...I tie my own and could care less about losing a fly.

I've caught a few healthy fish over the years with badly corroded embedded lies. If I snip the tippet the fish has a chance....and there's always otters, ospreys, eagles, and loons that benefit from the ones that don't make it. Nothing goes to waste in the Wild Kingdom....including, ultimately, us.

 

[SurfnFish]

A fishery biologist said during a discussion always get the hook out even if it kills the fish, otherwise it can end up in a scavenger/predator.

 

[krusty]

A fishery biologist said during a discussion always get the hook out even if it kills the fish, otherwise it can end up in a scavenger/predator.

That's a good point that I hadn't considered. I've got an email address for a WDFG enforcement officer (they tend to be wildlife biologists and/or have working relationships with department biologists). I wonder if that's a widely held recommendation.

I have (as I'm sure most of the members of the forum have) spent a lot of time picking up amazing quantities of discarded monofilament (often including hooks) around waterbodies...which also poses entangement risks to all sorts of wildlife.

 

[Tom Butler]

I have (as I'm sure most of the members of the forum have) spent a lot of time picking up amazing quantities of discarded monofilament (often including hooks) around waterbodies...which also poses entangement risks to all sorts of wildlife.

Great point, especially because were in the beginner/novice section. I got braid snarls out of the grass, mono, sinkers, powerbait, all kinds of crap the other day. Found I forgot to replace my trash bag.
Not sure whether this is trash or not

 

[gpt]

if the hook is not stainless, it will rust out so stop handling the fish, more harm that way then digging around trying to get a hook out.

 

[Old Man]

I caught a fish out of a small lake in Washington with a snelled hook in the base of the tongue. I pulled the snell and the tongue almost came out of it's mouth. I just clipped it off close to it's mouth and put it back in the lake. No harm done. Just a planted fish.