[Darren Edwards]

guys just a thought,i caught a bass last year and the second treble caused a bad injury to its underbody but i still released it,now thinking about it i wish i hadnt as i dont think it had a chance.whats your limits?how bad does the fish have to be before you think should or shouldnt i.maybe someone can shine a light on how much a bass can withstand after release.cheers daz

 

[Keith White]

profuse bleeding, keep em.

If a hook is deep, keep em. All this rubbish about hooks rusting out is crazy.

stick a hook in your toe, immerse in sea water for as long as you like...

It will still be there. Fish will be dead before stomach acids can do anything i reckon.

Circle hooks for my bait bassing wherever possible.

Rare to get badly hooked bass with lures.

Sometimes suspenders go deeper but I switch out the rear treble if I had any forewarning.

 

[Retired]

I reckon once there is any running bloodloss or the gut cavity is perforated (from inside or outside) then the fish has had it. I don't subscribe to piercing swim bladders either.

BTW IMO anyone who catches loads of fish on lures and claims a 100% return rate is either immensely lucky or turning a Nelsonian blind eye to the odd injury just to satisfy their personal conviction.

 

[James Davis]

Not my favourite subject matter, but it has to be discussed.

Could someone suggest a good light-ish-weight priest for dispatching unsavable fish? Perhaps one of those wooden hammer handles from B&Q?

Also, a couple of reasonabley hard whacks just above the eyes?

Also, when they are still flipping about after hitting them, is this really nerve endings and they are actually dead or are they alive and need another whack?

I HATE having to do it by the way, really hate it. Cfish and Mark Andre I'm not.

 

[Darren Edwards]

would it be daft saying salt would help fish recover from minor injuries ie,lost scales,abrasions etc.ive caught a few fish that have signs of seal damage and think the little buggers pulled through.

 

[Mick Ward]

It is indeed a tender subject, and rare these days on our boat, but every now and then either me or Bob will ask for "donk". We keep a German stick grenade in the back of the boat, its name is "Donk". I recon he came out half a dozen times this year tops. Thing is sometimes I really just do not want to take a bass home, and even if its bled a bit and I am not sure whether it will survive I still put it back. Maybe I am wrong in doing so, but they are funny creatures fish, a slight splash in the water can sometimes seem to stun them and other days a bit of mouth surgery doesnt seem to bother them one iota. So generally I tend to put them back and hope they pull through.

 

[Marc D...]

Not my favourite subject matter, but it has to be discussed.

Could someone suggest a good light-ish-weight priest for dispatching unsavable fish? Perhaps one of those wooden hammer handles from B&Q?

Also, a couple of reasonabley hard whacks just above the eyes?

Also, when they are still flipping about after hitting them, is this really nerve endings and they are actually dead or are they alive and need another whack?

I HATE having to do it by the way, really hate it. Cfish and Mark Andre I'm not.

I use a short (10") tapered wooden leg from an old coffee table that works a treat, i always give 3 hard "whacks" onto the top of the head and have never had any flapping around afterwards..

(maybe the odd twitch, but no flaps. )

 

[Mick Ward]

Oh I should explain that when I said German stick grenade I meant a peice of wood tuned on a lathe that resembles a German stick grenade. And once we decide we are keeping a fish we cut one of its gills with a pair of scissors, then let Donk give it a few smacks above the eyes, two or three and the blood very soon stops pumping out the cut gill, its dead. The loss of blood keeps the white meat white too and its a lot less messy when you gut it.

 

[James Davis]

Ok cool. 2 or 3 relatively hard hits just above the eyes. Yuk I hate it.

Can anyone recommend a priest, bought or handmade, that can fit in to a rapala sling?

 

[Alex Jordan]

I have used the Tuna method - thin sharp spike straight to the brain ... unfortunately lost my tool a few years ago

 

[Ben Field]

I just have a cheap, brass head type thing. Only about a fiver and usually does the job in one hit. Only about 6 inches long too so easy to carry. In fact, its very much like this one...

http://www.sportfish.co.uk/product/spor ... lim-priest

 

[James Davis]

Ideal. Cheers BJF. Hope I never have to use it.

 

[Chris Guest]

Guys my experience is from a boat angling perspective and only fly fishing or lure fishing I find Bass to be very hardy, if I get a "bleeder" and that's unusual ( generally only using sidewinders & throat hooked) I pop the fish in my live well that has a good supply of pumped fresh seawater close the lid give it ten minutes or so and in three seasons I've loss one Bass, Pollack on the other hand just die.
I know most of you guys shore fish and that rules out the above but when I do shore fish I take a "carp sack" and metal peg for just that eventuality, I know it wouldn’t be practical all the time particularly when fishing from rock ledges but the sack takes up no room and it might just save a fish from the "priest"

 

[The Squid]

I put 85 -- 90 % Bass back, but when they are bleeding badly from the Gills I keep them as they are going to die anyway.

Had a 4lb Bass this year that had swolled a 175 Duo Tide Minnow all but 1'' -- no way I could get the plug out, so after 5 min of trying had to dispatch it with a Priest. Cut the plug out when I got back to the car and gave the Bass to a friend on the way home.

Caught a 3lb Pollack a couple of years ago that fought like hell with a deep 3'' long gouge down the back of its head which had been healled for some time.

I am glad that I am not the only person that believes that hooks don't root. Hooks, etc will root reasonably quickly if they are covered and uncovered by the tide.

 

[AndyBertram]

I keep injured fish for sure as they will only end up prey for others!
I will handle Bass very carefully if I intend to return. However, as already mentioned you do get the odd one where its damaged in the fight or the extraction of the lure is difficult.
I use a strong pair of surgical forceps to extract trebles. Works really well and generally don't tear but push back and then clear.

I dispatch them by cutting straight across the gills where they bleed profusely. My thinking is they go to sleep and feel nothing rather than smacking the hell out of them. (they won't really feel a really sharp knife)
The added advantage is a certain amount of blood is expelled from the meat. Especially when I freeze Bass cutlets they seem to be better for it.

views?

 

[The Squid]

I keep injured fish for sure as they will only end up prey for others!
I will handle Bass very carefully if I intend to return. However, as already mentioned you do get the odd one where its damaged in the fight or the extraction of the lure is difficult.
I use a strong pair of surgical forceps to extract trebles. Works really well and generally don't tear but push back and then clear.

I dispatch them by cutting straight across the gills where they bleed profusely. My thinking is they go to sleep and feel nothing rather than smacking the hell out of them. (they won't really feel a really sharp knife)
The added advantage is a certain amount of blood is expelled from the meat. Especially when I freeze Bass cutlets they seem to be better for it.

views?

Must admit, that when wading and wanting to keep one for the table I cut through the gills in the thought that the blood in the water will attract more fish (maybe a Shark) :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Sam Lempriere]

If I keep a fish, I'd always knock it over the head first with two hard hits. Then I cut the gills.

My thinking on this is much the same as livestock slaughter, the initial action is designed to stun or render the animal unconcious and that way the bleeding will not cause any distress. The blood still leaves the fish though as it is still technically alive.