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Thread: Gut hooked, now what? Consensus?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
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    High Desert
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    Default Gut hooked, now what? Consensus?

    Heres the deal, I deeply gut hooked a nice 4 lb LMB on Friday while using a 5/0 ewg hook. The hook was taking up most of the fished throat (blocking) so I attempted to remove the hook. I was able to go in through the gills and cut the hook in half with dykes, and then manipulate the hook out of the fishes throat by passing the hook the same way it went in.

    Problem is, the fish died. I think I wasn't prepared to remove the hook, and had to search too long for the tool fight the wind to keep the boat from running ashore. The fish ended up dying due to exposure. I have done some extensive reading in the past and have come to the conclusion that leaving a hook in the fishes throat is in many times a bad idea, especially if it is a large hook that obstructs the throat enough that the fish would starve to death. But who is to say.

    I was actually kind of bummed as I always c&r.

    What are your thoughts on the subject?

    Some people say cut the line at the hook and leave it as the hook will rust away in a matter of days/weeks and the fish will be fine.

    Others say cut the line 18" outside the fishes mouth to leave a tag end, supposedly this is supposed to help keep the hook oriented so it wont block the fishes throat.

    And finally, another camp says, take gut hooked fish home and eat them as they will probably die anyways.

    I say, 1. plated and stainless hooks dont rust. 2.better to attempt removal if you have the tools, dexterity, and technique down.

    Discuss:

  2. #2
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    Sep 2010
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    Bakersfield
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    Default

    Kill it and toss it in the bushes with the rest of the carp

  3. #3
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    Mar 2011
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mxwrench View Post
    Heres the deal, I deeply gut hooked a nice 4 lb LMB on Friday while using a 5/0 ewg hook. The hook was taking up most of the fished throat (blocking) so I attempted to remove the hook. I was able to go in through the gills and cut the hook in half with dykes, and then manipulate the hook out of the fishes throat by passing the hook the same way it went in.

    Problem is, the fish died. I think I wasn't prepared to remove the hook, and had to search too long for the tool fight the wind to keep the boat from running ashore. The fish ended up dying due to exposure. I have done some extensive reading in the past and have come to the conclusion that leaving a hook in the fishes throat is in many times a bad idea, especially if it is a large hook that obstructs the throat enough that the fish would starve to death. But who is to say.

    I was actually kind of bummed as I always c&r.

    What are your thoughts on the subject?

    Some people say cut the line at the hook and leave it as the hook will rust away in a matter of days/weeks and the fish will be fine.

    Others say cut the line 18" outside the fishes mouth to leave a tag end, supposedly this is supposed to help keep the hook oriented so it wont block the fishes throat.

    And finally, another camp says, take gut hooked fish home and eat them as they will probably die anyways.

    I say, 1. plated and stainless hooks dont rust. 2.better to attempt removal if you have the tools, dexterity, and technique down.

    Discuss:
    way i see it nothing more you can do. did yuo take longnose plyers and try to pull the hook out? anyway i have a similar problem when unhooking small catfish or trout that i want to throwback so they can get bigger. i end up 1 taking gut hooked trout home because there just gonna die 2 let the catfish go because you could cut the head off one and theyll still live a while. for bass they kinda fall inbetween theyll most likely die shortly after but have a chance at living. again you did what you could.
    If your too busy to go fishin; YOUR TOO BUSY!!!!!!

  4. #4
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    Feb 2011
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    Default

    Sorry to say, but the survival rate for a gut hook, from all the years of studies with fishes, deep gut hook will kill the fishes, even with successful removal, with a 90% mortality after 2 hours. Shallow gut hook, chance is 40% survival, 60% death, which can be determined by the fish's swimming strength after 3 hours of detention in an area.

  5. #5
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    Nov 2008
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    Always keep a set of needle nose pliers with you and learn the "through the gills" technique. I've been successful at removing every gut hook this way. I know It can be very disappointing when you know you could have saved a bass if you would have been better prepared to remove a gut hook.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dr. MindBendo View Post
    Always keep a set of needle nose pliers with you and learn the "through the gills" technique. I've been successful at removing every gut hook this way. I know It can be very disappointing when you know you could have saved a bass if you would have been better prepared to remove a gut hook.
    though you removed the gut hook how do you know the bass lived later. you can gut hook a fish and pull the hook out and even watch it swim away but chances are they die later.
    If your too busy to go fishin; YOUR TOO BUSY!!!!!!

  7. #7
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    I don't buy the mortality rates on gut hooked bass or trout for that matter. I have C&R'ed several fish with previous fisherman's hooks still inside the fish's throat, including several trout with broken line coming out of the gullet and all. Exposure is the biggest issue. I think more people kill gut hooked fish exposing them in the attempt to remove the hook. And a 5/0 EWG WILL rust, just not at the rate a non-plated hook will.
    The best thing you can with a gut hooked bass like that is to stick it in the livewell (if you have one) and then add some Rejuvenade or Please Release Me in the well to clam the fish down. Give it some time, let the fish regain its strength, and then try the through-the-gills method. Main thing is not to damage the gills by overhandling, as the damage caused by handling a fish's gills too much will cause hemorraging and most likely death.
    It sucks to lose a good fish to something like an accidental gut hooking, but it happens. Best thing you can do is take it home at that point and do it some justice in the pan.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by dockboy View Post
    I don't buy the mortality rates on gut hooked bass or trout for that matter. I have C&R'ed several fish with previous fisherman's hooks still inside the fish's throat, including several trout with broken line coming out of the gullet and all. Exposure is the biggest issue. I think more people kill gut hooked fish exposing them in the attempt to remove the hook. And a 5/0 EWG WILL rust, just not at the rate a non-plated hook will.
    The best thing you can with a gut hooked bass like that is to stick it in the livewell (if you have one) and then add some Rejuvenade or Please Release Me in the well to clam the fish down. Give it some time, let the fish regain its strength, and then try the through-the-gills method. Main thing is not to damage the gills by overhandling, as the damage caused by handling a fish's gills too much will cause hemorraging and most likely death.
    It sucks to lose a good fish to something like an accidental gut hooking, but it happens. Best thing you can do is take it home at that point and do it some justice in the pan.
    trout dont live when gut hooked. at least hatchery trout dont. they dont even live when hooked in the mouth. Now catfish are survivors, you can have a catfish crapping out the hook pretty much and he'll live.
    If your too busy to go fishin; YOUR TOO BUSY!!!!!!

  9. #9
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    Dude its exposure time. I have landed several gut hooked trout that had the previous angler's line coming out of the stomach, hook still attached. Those fish were gut hooked and either broke off or were released without excess handling, and lived on to continue eating. If you cut the line quickly and don't handle the fish a bunch, it will likely live. Biggest mistake people make in releasing trout is to remove the slime coat and put their fingers in the gills, squeeze the fish hard, just improper handling in general. Not handling the fish if possible is a good way to assure your trout will live after being released.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by fish-o-haulic View Post
    though you removed the gut hook how do you know the bass lived later. you can gut hook a fish and pull the hook out and even watch it swim away but chances are they die later.
    That is something you and I will never know.... I prefer removing a gut hook from a LMB then releasing it. I think it has a much better chance at living if I do this. Trout on the other hand die very easily. I don't bother removing gut hooked trout because I rarely fish for them and when I do I usually keep them.

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