Mortality Large vs. Small?? - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

SurfCaster413 · 07-04-2010, 12:00 PM

The only fish I have had die on me where scoolies that inhaled the plug down so deep the second they are out of the water you see blood coming out of the gills. I know right then this isn't gonna be good

Slipknot · 07-04-2010, 12:30 PM

Water temp. is also a factor
but I feel stripers are pretty tough fish as far as survival. As long as you give a cow enough time to recover and they'll let you know when it's time, they live just fine like SK said. If a schoolie didn't get a hook in the gill or something like that it will swim away just fine. I don't think we as recs kill anywhere near the amount killed as bycatch from netters and draggers.

numbskull · 07-04-2010, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SurfCaster413

The only fish I have had die on me where scoolies that inhaled the plug down so deep the second they are out of the water you see blood coming out of the gills. I know right then this isn't gonna be good

By study, those fish have a >50% chance of surviving if released.

Striped bass eat spiny things. Their gills undoubtably suffer damage, and certainly they have evolved to deal with this. Also, just like us, they have a clotting system to keep them from bleeding to death. Water also dilutes blood and makes things look worse than they are.

Let the fish go, give it a chance. I have caught a healthy 14lb bluefish with an entire severed gill arch protruding from under its gill cover.....long ago scarred and healed. The fish fought like hell. I'm sure someone assumed that fish was a goner when they threw it back. They were wrong.

BigFish · 07-04-2010, 01:03 PM

Kids....no place in my post did I "propogate the killing of fish"! My post was simply started, thinking about when folks release truly large fish....fish over 25 pounds lets say! Of course the larger the fish it makes me wonder how many of them actually survive and are we just letting them go to waste on the bottom of the ocean??? I applaud folks who catch a great fish and release it....in fact if you know me I am basically a catch and release fisherman! I only keep 8 or 10 fish a year!!! So please folks for the sake of this discussion...lets not put words in my posts that are not there....K??

BigFish · 07-04-2010, 01:05 PM

After further reading Numbsculls post again I resent all that George staets as far as I am concerned and take it as an insult!! I do not propogate the killing of fish George and as far as my plug sales that has nothing to do with this discussion and I resent that you stated that perhaps it does!!

BigFish · 07-04-2010, 01:08 PM

May I also mention that I continue to disagree with the so-called "authorities" on the catch and release percentages......I think the percentage of mortality on released fish is alot better than the "estimated" 8%. I have never seen more than 1 or 2 of all the fish I release in a given season have any problem and that is only due to taking a plug too deep....which does not happen often!

BigFish · 07-04-2010, 01:10 PM

I find it funny how people exaggerate what the actual thread starting post is about???

Slipknot · 07-04-2010, 01:15 PM

I see now, I never saw THAT reply by NS, I was replying at the same time then I read yours. sorry

Larry, relax it's the internet, maybe he read it wrong
people make mistakes and I have no idea what is going on here

Slipknot · 07-04-2010, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigFish

May I also mention that I continue to disagree with the so-called "authorities" on the catch and release percentages......I think the percentage of mortality on released fish is alot better than the "estimated" 8%. I have never seen more than 1 or 2 of all the fish I release in a given season have any problem and that is only due to taking a plug too deep....which does not happen often!

right, if I recall correctly, they did a study of a mess of fish in an enclosure, caught and released and determined mortality.

But like you said, I bet it's closer to 2% than 8. In nature other factors are involved and they don't know what precentage is fishing bait or plugs/jigs/flys etc.

Gut hooked fish tend to die but plenty of them live, even with a leader hanging out. The so called "authorities" might tend to skew numbers how they wish.

Slipknot · 07-04-2010, 01:09 PM

I guess I missed something
I didn't see anyone put words in your post

I only keep 1-2 fish a year

I have let go hundreds of large bass
some I don't even take from the water, it's easy with a single hook, then I hold the tail and revive and release, no way that fish dies, maybe of old age or a week later to a commercial but not from me catching it.

I think large have as much chance as a schoolie after a fight as long as you don't mistreat either one. Does that answer your point?