Trout Fishing and cutting the hooks...

[FadedOne]

So I have heard and read time and time that if a trout takes the treble hook too deep you can cut the line and let him go. I have heard that the hook would rust out in days. I wondered how long it would take so I emailed Eagleclaw and asked them.

Here is the response:

Yes, eventually it will rust out providing that it is carbon steel and not stainless steel. Corrosion time depends on the finish of the hook, salinity and Ph balance of the water, humidity, etc. There has been no concrete research done that establishes a set time-line due to the numerous variables at play.

Chances are that if a trout get's a treble stuck in it's throat it's not going to make it that long. Trout are fairly fragile and we have found that the best way to try and conserve this fishery is to use single hooks, and better still, single barb-less hooks.

<name removed>
Product Manager
Wright & McGill Company
4245 East 46th Avenue
Denver, CO 80216


So with this in mind am I killing the trout everytime I cut the line and set him free with a treble hook stuck in his throat? I honestly wonder does it take days, weeks, months, or years for that hook to come out. Anyone have any data on this by chance?

[Thisfool]

the only reason i would be using a trebel hook is if i was useing some sorte of power bait and i had heard some where that even if you get the hook out of the fish he still eat the power bait and that will kill it.

[rabbit77]

a trout will die if it eats power bait I don't think that's true because then the trout wouldn't be safe to eat.

[wulfman]

Here's an idea or two. When fishing for trout figure out whether or not your gonna keep any or if it's manditory to keep the trout or any fish for that matter, that will determine the hooks you use if you use bait other wise use lures. Two avoid powerbait at all possibilites (i believe that the avid use of powerbait is cheating) Only use for emergencies, for when you need to make sure you keep the skunk off. And three, i consider treble hooks used in bait fishing cheating unless it is manditory you keep the fish. There is nothing you can put on a treble hook that you can't put on a single hook in my mind. So all in all, unless on lure's, treble hooks are the devil. They destroy the fish. And powerbait is for the novice fisherman and for emergencies. lol.

Oh and one more thing. Don't cut your line and leave your hooks in the fishes mouth if you can't get it out. Own up to it, keep the fish. Otherwise find another way to fish or don't fish at all.

[Ifishtoolittle]

Here's how I see it a gut hooked trout will almost always die in a matter of days is the hook is not fine wire. Aside from that though I think a lot of other factors must be taken into consideration before one goes about assuming that CPR of gut hooked trout is a good idea.

1) How is the trout's environment like. Is the water clear, murky, CLEAN?
2) Are there predators in the body of water that can put a trout in danger.
3) Did you have the trout out of the water for more than 60 seconds.
4) How long was the fight. (Stress on a fish from a fight might lead to death, but I think that is BS)
5) Did you treat the fish properly while unhooking it.

I would consider those 5 things. Then again to avoid those fatal situations for a trout there is always the circle hook. Basically like you said use single shanked hooks, but make sure that the hook is relatively thin. Another thing that I always think of is if I were a trout how would I fare if someone dumped me into an unknown body of water only to be eaten by something else and to feed on smelly shiny doughballs of crap.

Ok that's what I feel about the whole gut hooking concept.

[STEVE IN SOCAL]

When I NEED to use bait, I use salmon eggs or half nightcrawler on an Aberdeen hook. This hook is a wire hook with a long shank that helps in two ways:

It gives you more time to set the hook after you fell the bite, without the hook disappearing down the fish's throat.

The long shank is easy to grab with hemostats or needle nose for removal. Smashing the barb will help even more.

[jim young]

I don't know the Wulfman but, I agree with that guy 100%.

[mth1997]

I think a good experiment is in order. Put one of your hooks in a glass of water and see how long it takes to dissolve. Try different hook types and different types of water (lake water, tap water, salt, etc). Let us know how it goes. Better yet, take photos and post it all up.

My two cents: go single barbless, period. If you KNOW 100% you're gonna keep fish, trebles are accepteble. Any other TROUT fishing scenario, treble hooks are over kill. Absolutely unacceptable for catch and release scenarios with TROUT. I've been seduced by the fly side, but toward the end of my lure casting career I would switch the hooks out for just one single barbless hook at the end of the lure. Doesn't change the action one bit in my experience and my catch rate didn't change. (I made the change after getting one treble stuck in my hand while the fish was struggling on the other. Lucky I went barbless, but still: OUCH!!!)

[AngryAgent]

When fishing pay lakes that it is mandatory to keep your fish feel free to use treble (fish killers) hooks. When fishing the Sierra's or other locals for natural trout or even trout that you would not see normally at your normal local use single "J" hooks preferably barbless. You will be surprised at how easy it is to keep your fish from coming off with barbless hooks and that most of it is mental rather then not. I fish barbless even at pay lakes just because I like to make sure the fish gets back to swimming away as fast as possible and I don't lose fish due to the lack of barbs but more to fishing mistakes of not paying attention.

As far as leaving trebles in the fish I can't see how that would be good no matter how you look at it. Trout are a delicate species as it is and the way I see it would be that you leave the trout with a hook that will make it susceptible to infections and basically condemn it to a death sentence anyways. If you are fishing with trebles keep your fish, otherwise fish single's.

[golfish]

I let the kids fish with treble hooks. They\we eat what they catch while we are camping. That is the rule and will not be broken. That said, I'm taking my son to Crowley next month for his first fly fishing. He's been in a tube but never fly fishing. I hope his first fish is "the Piano" .....Hooking into a fish that you know in the first 5 seconds (hec, 2 seconds) you will never see it, is the best feeling around. Oh the look on his face.

I'm looking forward to some perch.

[cutbait]

I've caught countless stockers with hooks in there belly. Also countless trout crappin powerbait.

A buddy here at a local stocker pond uses 6 snells, gets the trout to the edge and cuts the line. I've caught countless fish of his with his size 6 hook in the fish gut.

[Sierra_Smitty]

I've caught two fish this summer with treble hooks hanging out of their arse - so they definetly can pass them. I have also caught probably a dozen fish this season with treble hooks still visible in their gullet - so they can still be agressive even with a hook in their throat. I never recommend that folks practice C & R when dunking bait but if I know for a fact that they're going to regardless of what I think - then I recommend that they keep the fish in the water, cut the hook as close to the mouth as possible and release it as quicly and as gently as possible. If they do this, my hope is that at least some of the fish will pass the hook or be caught and kept by someone else before they die so they're not wasted.

I'd love to see catch & release bait fishing made illegal.....I'm sick of seeing dead fish littering the bottom of the lake.

If folks want to practice C&R, IMO they should learn to fish artificials - period.

[goodguy]

If a trout gets hooked deep it's gone. You might as well keep it he's just going to be bass/catfish bait at that point... Then you have the bass/catfish trying to pass the treble hook.

[sierraslam]

I see people handle trout with a towel or dry hand all the time. That's a dead trout too. If you fish bait, and I do from time to tiime, keep everything. If a trout is bleeding keep it.