Bad hooked

[diertae]

What is your personal ethics on badly hooked cats? keep them or let em go and take their chances? I usually catch and release, not that i dont like fish, i just dont feel the need to keep em unless im hungry. i hate to turn back a injured fish, but on the other hand i hate to waste them.

[DANZIG]

In general, just cut the line and let 'em go. Most times they will be ok.
Of course if you have ripped their gills out.. they are had.

[RIP]

In general, just cut the line and let 'em go. Most times they will be ok.
Of course if you have ripped their gills out.. they are had.
I have to agree, I have caught fish that had a hook in their throat from being caught before and seemed to be doing fine. After all they did bite again.

[Dwednuts]

I will realease fish that I feel will make it. If they are bleeding from the gills I will keep them for table fair. I haven't gut hooked a fish in a long time (several years) and even then if the hook wasn't real deep i would cut the line off and release themas long as they were not bleeding profusely.

[Netmanjack]

Dave,
For me it's strictly a judgment call. If there is a lot of blood loss and the wound looks mortal,get it on ice fast!
If it appears to have caused minimal damage,turn it back.
If you cant be sure, err on the fishes side. If it does die it will still be a food source for other aquatic denizens.
Here in Ohio it is against regulations to put a dead fish back in the water or with in forty feet of the waters edge. When I ask a game warden; what about the size limit on different species for only keeping legal fish? His answer was, get it in the water as fast as you can and hope it lives long enough to swim away.

[DANZIG]

"..His answer was, get it in the water as fast as you can and hope it lives long enough to swim away. "

Oh gee, that was a helpful, huh? LOL!
Nothing like a government employee for a straight answer! ROTFL!

[RIP]

"..His answer was, get it in the water as fast as you can and hope it lives long enough to swim away. "

Oh gee, that was a helpful, huh? LOL!
Nothing like a government employee for a straight answer! ROTFL!
Not the brightest star in the sky is he!

[diertae]

im glad we all agree, at least as far as the release goes. I have always tried to let em go, if they were going to swim on their own, they are probably going to be fine. works on trout in montana so i figure cats are a bit tougher and would fare better.

[peewee williams]

I have to agree, I have caught fish that had a hook in their throat from being caught before and seemed to be doing fine. After all they did bite again.
Years ago,several hours into the first day of Spanish Mackeral fishing with my wife.She caught a Mackeral.It had a extra spoon and leader rig in it,s mouth.It was one that we had lost earlier that day.I know,because I hand made all of my rigs,and used a special imported line that was only sold by Cabelas.It bit a spoon and wire leader,with trailing line,exactly like the one that it had hanging in its mouth.This was a few hours later.We would allways lose quite a few rigs while drifting through and casting in the schools.You would be cut off above the leader by random fish hitting the line.What are the odds of this happening?I know that the fish has to eat or starve,but to hook the same fish twice,among millions.I think a lot of released fish do well.I also think that a lot die.peewee-williams

[Netmanjack]

Not the brightest star in the sky is he!

I think they are trained that way. Be vague with the wording of fishing regulations, and at all times be very vague with answers, this way it is at your discretion to issue tickets, the judge is on our side 90% of the time.:rolleyes: