Do Fish Get Rid Of Hooks

[streve]

Just curious what people believe.

I have heard many a time that if a hook is swollowed by

a fish you should set the fish free with the hook still in the

fish. The theory being that the fish is able to get rid of the

hook (not sure how......i think it was broken down through

corrosion)

I personally find it hard to believe and feel sorry for the

fish i send back with a hook still in its throat.

Is there any evidence as to what happens to the hook?

I cought a bream lately with a hook in the top of its head.

It looked as though it had been foul-hooked and broken

free, but the hook was still in good contition.

So where lies the truth??????

[Flightmanager]

I also used to believe this , but was told recently that the better quality hooks are quite rust resistant , and will not dissolve.

Ross

[Guest johblow]

This is something i have wondered about it for some time and it always comes into my head when i bite a fish off with the hook still in its mouth.

I have heard the old "it rusts out in no time" story many a time, and i really dont find it plausible. I doubt that the fishes gut or mouth is reactive enough to corrode the hook quickly. My fingers never burn during fish cleaning after all...! And as far as i can tell, there is no way a little snapper is gonna crap out a flattie hook! Thats just my opinion, not fact though!

So yeah, i dunno what to believe really. Id really like to believe that the fish gets rid of the hook and survives though!!!

[Guest danielinbyron]

Don't forget guys adding to the erosion of the hooks is the rejection from the fish's body .. Like ours there body will reject almost anything foreign to it..Also it doesnt nescesarily need to rust the hook thru , just the barb to get it to move out..In humans they use precious metals or titanium for dental work for pins .. I think there are also some grades of stainless the body doesnt reject ..So is it true with the fish , the less corrosive the metal is the harder it will be for both the sea and the fish to break down .If we get a corrosive metal it will infect and get rejected that way.

I always weigh up the possability of hurting the fish more by removing the hook then leaving it leaning to the latter. .If you are finding this to be a regular occurence mustad make a brass looking hook range that do erode quickly but are plenty strong as new... great for bream with lots of undersized ones among them, but the hooks come in all ranges and sizes up to 10 /0

"My fingers never burn during fish cleaning after all...!"johblow

Also dunno about anyone else, but my hands get absolutely stuffed from too much fish handling usually a day later , and i will take my shirt off and thread it thru a jewies mouth before id walk v far with it in my bare hands again ... stings like all get out the next day.

Edited January 16, 2007 by danielinbyron

[Mondo Rock]

There have been numerous studies on this, but the most recent one that I am aware of was undertaken by a group of guys based in South Sydney (I think) where they tested survival rates of jewies.

From memory they found that about 80% of fish released with the hooks removed would survive, and that about 75% of fish released with the hooks still in them also survived. The results were surprising in that they demonstrated that removing vs leaving the hook made very little difference.

What was interesting is that the survival rate diminished far more significantly when the fish were mishandled - i.e. keeping a fish out of the water for five minutes while you shove pliers down its gob to manouvre a hook out of its throat is FAR more damaging to a fish than simply cutting the line and letting it go. Message was clear - if you have gut hooked a fish then, unless you can see the hook and are confident of easily removing it, the fish will be better off if you just cut the line and chuck it back.

One of the scientists who did the research visits this site sometimes - his name is Matt and I think Sharky knows him. I don't have a link to the report but maybe someone else can help?

[mrmoshe]

There have been numerous studies on this, but the most recent one that I am aware of was undertaken by a group of guys based in South Sydney (I think) where they tested survival rates of jewies.

From memory they found that about 80% of fish released with the hooks removed would survive, and that about 75% of fish released with the hooks still in them also survived. The results were surprising in that they demonstrated that removing vs leaving the hook made very little difference.

What was interesting is that the survival rate diminished far more significantly when the fish were mishandled - i.e. keeping a fish out of the water for five minutes while you shove pliers down its gob to manouvre a hook out of its throat is FAR more damaging to a fish than simply cutting the line and letting it go. Message was clear - if you have gut hooked a fish then, unless you can see the hook and are confident of easily removing it, the fish will be better off if you just cut the line and chuck it back.

One of the scientists who did the research visits this site sometimes - his name is Matt and I think Sharky knows him. I don't have a link to the report but maybe someone else can help?

G'day Mondo.

I think the report you refer to is by Dr. Matt Broadhurst and was for the NSW Fisheries Salt Water Trust

Here is the link to the report. Scroll down the Agenda Item 4 for his report on page 13.

http://www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au/__data/ass...4/RFSTEC_15.pdf

Cheers,

Pete.

Edited January 16, 2007 by MallacootaPete

[netic]

Very interesting report, shows that it is better to leave a gut hooked fish hook in then to try and get it out.

Great read, Thanks Pete for the link

[ryan]

Generaly if i hooked a fish in the mouth i release it. If ive hooked it in the throat or gut it ends up as my dinner.

[Mondo Rock]

Fascinating results in that experiment.

From now on I will definitely be cutting the line whenever I gut-hook a fish. I shudder to think about the number of them I must have needlessly killed by trying to get the hook out when it was down deep. Most recent was a juvenile cobia caught at Juno - what a terrible shame.

This kind of research really is worthwhile for looking after our recreational fish stocks. My compliments to Dr Broadhurst for his work!