Marlin?

[Guest danielinbyron]

some where in the dark cobwebbed hallways of my dillapitated mind I remember watching , reading and or being told that:

Marlin are the only animal that can throw there stomichs out there mouth then suck it back in and live...

Is this true ?

Is it still possible to swim release a marlin that has its gut out its mouth and for it to survive.?

[Guest Reely]

Yes they do, sharks do it also, and they survive after they suck it back in.

[Guest IFishSick.]

Yes I saw it on the livebaiting DVD, the guy said they do it because they've eaten something bad and want to get rid of it. It's just a little red thing that hangs out the side of their mouth.

[Guest danielinbyron]

Thanx guys ....Still need to know if they can be swim released from there?

[Guest IFishSick.]

Yeah no worries about that, it doesn't harm them at all, just like getting sick.

Though mentally i think it would having to swallow your own stomach again!!!

[Ross Hunter]

Dniel,

Although I replied privately I thought that I would post this as well You mentioned that your friend had two marlin captures both gut hooked on circle hooks That in itself is quite rare as these hooks will catch in the corner of the mouth 99 percent of the time. You also mentioned that the boat was at anchor with live baits out. This could be the reason. The fish may have had a lot of time to swallow the hook. when trolling this does not happen. Also when you strike a fish with circles it is a slow effort Just ease the drag up slowly this allows the hook to come out of the gut and catch in the mouth.Don't worry over the years I have accidentally killed a few by gut hooking These days rarely this happens. I have not seen a marlin throw its stomach for a long long time and that is pleasant for a boat that insists on tag and relaese of all marlin..Anglers first, Kids first just does not rate on our boats Let 'em all goes and that's that. The modern angler generally has no problem with this. The survival rate is pretty good these days.Certainly since circle hooks becanme popular 10 years ago. The little blacks are fast and ravenous they will swallow a bait very quickly It is the slow wind that pulls it back out and hopefully does not get them deep.We let a fish go in '76 at Hathead It was a sad fish, gut hooked and a slice in his side when it jumped into the prop I noted it on then tag card...then fish was recaptured years later in Hawai,much to everyones surprise

Regards

Ross Hunter

[Guest danielinbyron]

Thanks Ross .. the first was gut hooked the second was lip hooked .. the second{2 days later} was gut out ..Both on circles ..My mate didn't feel great about keeping the 2nd as we had plenty of fish , and so do the neighbours , and they were quite small under 50kg.. We were chatting about it and realised there was allot we didn't know and made a commitment to do some research.. I don't have an opinion on keeping fish , but we're not accustomed to releasing fish this big and lively .."need to do some learnin and plannin for em" if we want to be able to.

the 3. contributing factors to the 2nd getting gaffed were the fish lungeing green beside the boat ,, the gut being out, giving doubt of its survival, and of course inexperience .. Thanks again Ross .. Theres nothing better when ya don't know some things, then to know someone who does..