I ran into a situation Sunday that I hadn't before.

I caught a decent schoolie and during the fight I could see the blood comin' out of his gill, so I knew I had hooked him bad. I was using a 5" bass assassin with a 3/0 hook and the fish had inhaled it pretty good. Right in the gills.

Now gut hooked fish, I just clip the leader as close as possible and release the fish. My first question is what our the schools of thought about gill hooked fish?

I work the hook out as carefully as I can.

Anyways, the fish was pretty bad off and I worked him for a while, but he kept going belly up. I knew he was close to 28" so I put a tape on him. I had to work him a bit to get 28", but I really wasn't sure. I got him back in the water and ran the trolling motor for awhile, pulling him through the water and he started to get frisky and finally kicked out and off he went.

Got me to thinkin'... what's the legal measurement? Nose to tip of tail? I never really worried about it 'cause I don't keep many (0 in 2000, 2 last season, 0 this year... not preachin', just my choice).

If the fish dies, would you keep a borderline fish? Or feed it to the crabs... that was my debate.

A badly hooked short, well, you just feed it to the sea. But this fish was really, really close.

The legal length is from the jaw to tip of tail. This must be measured flat not by running the tape over the fish. I use a stick that has a stop on it like the mesuring sticks in freshwater, if any of the tail touches the line it is legal BUT a fish that size will always "shrink" a little after putting it in the cooler. If I keep a bass I like them around the 29" range much better taste than a larger bass and I hate to see floaters.

knowing the fish most likely wont make it????? and it being borderline????? I think the REAL question is........

"if I am going to keep a fish it might be one that isnt going to make it anyway.....but do I risk the chance of taking a borderline fish?????and getting caught with it???"

AGH!!!

Jenn, that's exactly what I'm sayin'... I know its only one fish, but I hate to see it go to waste. I guess nothing is wasted in the ocean, but that's my debate.

Keep a borderline fish if it dies, or feed it to the crabs.

I guess not alot of people have an opinion on it.

SM, Unfortunatly there are rules set forth to help protect this species, and although you caught a fish and it was bordelin. In my opinion you should not keep that fish. It isn't going to waste, as the ocean is a feast or famine world and something will get fed by that fish, even though it may not be a human.

If you keep that fish and you are checked by the environmental Police, you have no more rights than someone out there taking fish intentionally short. That is the law, and as sad as any one of us feel about deep hooking a fish and having to throw it over the side dead, because it isn't the legal size is just one of those circustances we cannot avoid as long as we put hooks in the water with the intention to hook up on a fish. It happens, and at least by practicing catch and release most of the time, we are protecting alot more of the species today than in the past.

One more thought for you is this. Last week when mom and dad where here. Mom caught 2 fish with hooks in them. One had a 12 inch steel leader attached to a 50 lb test mono leader with a snap swivel and a hook in its belly which it was already passing thru its anal area, and the fish was very healthy and still eating. The hook was starting to rust, so I think that eventually it would have passed also.

The other fish had a hook stuck in it's jaw witha leader attached on the outside of the fish, so it was most likely broken off during the fight. This fish also was feeding well.

As far as hooking fish deep. When that happens to us. We don't lift the fish by the leader, we grab the fish by the jaw and cut the line off as close to the hook as we can and release the fish ASAP in hopes that the hook will rust and the fish will be fine. We have gill hooked 2 fish this year pretty bad. Got the lure out of the fish and held onto him until he swam away. Whether or not he made it will will never know for sure. But that's the chance you take and hope it is OK.

Schoolie, While a lot of us here agree with your feelings and motivations on it, odds are that an EPO that pulls you over and discovers a possible "short fish", that EPO is less likely to understand your reasoning or even beleive that you are telling the truth. Just as easy for him to through the book at you... Even if it's a floater...

Best thing we can do is try to release fish as quickly & safely as possible. Fish mortality is going to happen and again, nature will do with it what it needs...

FW&JR, I would've let it go whether it swam away or not. I wouldn't risk getting caught mainly for the reasons C-ratt stated. Shrinkage :)

That was always an issue in the BASS tourny's I used to fish. Those fish could shrink up as much as half an inch and that was a 12" fish. I would imagine a 28" fish could shrink even more. And like I said, I had to work the tail, etc. to get 28". And like you said, I doubt the law would care about my sob story about the poor fish... bet they've heard that before, true or not.

However, the whole time I was trying to revive the fish, I was debating it. They are pretty hardy fish though. I've had a couple bad bleeders that I thought were done, but they kicked out just fine. They may or may not make it. They are a heck of alot tougher than freshwater cousins...

Guess the marine environ is just a little bit tougher.

SM a striper that just makes the legal limit will always measure short after some time in the box. I have seen them go down as much as an inch. Its funny you mention freshwater bass. You have a 12" fish that just measures in the morning and by weigh-in its short! and these are fish still alive! I can't figure that out??? If I find a floater that is legal I will always take it home even if it means me not keeping a bass. Me and my family love bass and welcome a meal of it, along with cod, haddock, flounder, fluke, scup, sea bass, and variuos hard shelled species. Damn now I'm hungry and sitting here with a bum leg:smash:

:confused: QUESTION, all the fish that have been caught w/ line an hooks in them that everyone finds from time to time, would fishermen, an the FISH be better off using
(CIRCLE HOOKS)?:smash: you say!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"GOOD LUCK GOOD FISHIN"

I have gone over to circles when eeling with mixed results. Good hookup ratio, still a few deep hooked. I use 4/0-5/0 gamukatzu (sp?) which are slightly offset. I think a true circle is straight leaving even less chance of deep hooking. Not sure who makes a true circle.

But I am 95% artificials and I probably wouldn't hook many fish using circles with the jerkbaits.

They don't hold onto 'em very long. I have seen a rig that uses a circle and a screw lock at the turn of the hook. The hook is actually in front of the bait... have you seen any success using circles with artificials?

I thought I'd seen a post where you had mentioned tying flies with circles... if so, any reports on its success? I'd be interested to hear that.

... But honestly, I'm pushin' 400 fish so far this year and I've only had 2 or 3 which were badly hooked, all in the gills. I'm not sure you can avoid it totally.

I also fish most of the time with a pinched-down barb, which I really like and don't think costs you very many fish... with that I often don't even pull the fish from the water. I lose a few, mainly right at the boat, but on a good day, you start to appreciate not having to grab every fish.

SM gami has true circle hooks in the octopus style, myself I do not like them. When I use bait I usually hold my rod and try to hook the fish quickly never letting it run more than the slack in my line before hooking them. Sometimes I lose the fish but if its a larger fish the hookup ratio is high. Rarely do they have it swallowed but if it is in a spot that will hurt them I cut the line as close to the hook as possible and NEVER use stainless hooks. As for gill damage I have caught a few with gills that were broken or damaged and the fish was still alive. One of the biggest problems is fighting a fish on very light tackle till its exhausted and anglers not properly reviveing them before releaseing. I never dump a fish if it is weak, grabbing it by the tail and moving it back and forth getting water through its gills will usually revive it. Sometimes it takes a few minutes the fish will usually swim out of your grasp when its ready.