Gut Hooked Or Dying Undersize Fish

[Brian]

Just out of curiosity what is the rule regarding guthooked/dying/bleeding under size fish. If they are obviously dead or dying must they still go back??

Cheers,

Brian.

[Steve07]

There all still definately got to go back,either dead or dying undersize fish.Something else will end up

eating that small fish anyway,either bigger fish,crabs,squid,octopus or whatever.

The best way to release the small one's that are gut hooked is to just cut the line as close to the fishes

mouth as possible & drop it back over,it can cost you a few hooks when sometimes undersize snapper

are a pest out there,but its the only way & the best chance for gut hooked fish to survive after there

released.

cheers mate

steve

[Penguin]

Just out of curiosity what is the rule regarding guthooked/dying/bleeding under size fish. If they are obviously dead or dying must they still go back??

Cheers,

Brian.

A big resounding YES, it must go back so that other sea creatures

can feast on it, so it isnt a total waste after all.

penguin

[Davemmm]

As far as i know there are no exclusions for keeping undersized fish.

I'm not sure how you could justify an "opinion" that the fish was too crook to throw back. For all an inspector knows the fish was fine but was killed after it got in the boat in order to keep it.

Theres been plenty of times that I have thrown a pretty sick looking bream back overboard and watched it float around the boat upside down for a couple of minutes. Certain that I have killed an undersize one only to see it give a flick of the tail and swim away.

Dave

[mrmoshe]

Just out of curiosity what is the rule regarding guthooked/dying/bleeding under size fish. If they are obviously dead or dying must they still go back??

Cheers,

Brian.

It is illegal to foul hook a fish according to the DPI Rules...See Here

While it sometimes happens purely accidently..it is still an illegal method of fishing, and

should be returned to the drink.

Cheers,

Pete.

[Brian]

Thanks gents,

Certainly clarifies it and that's an interesting DPI Rule about foul hooking. I wonder exactly what they define as foul hooked, it is obviuolsy something intentional.

Thanks again,

Brian.

[Boban]

Thanks gents,

Certainly clarifies it and that's an interesting DPI Rule about foul hooking. I wonder exactly what they define as foul hooked, it is obviuolsy something intentional.

Thanks again,

Brian.

My understanding of that is that it addressing the practice of jagging fish. That is using an unbaited treble under a baited main hook to jag (or foul hook) the fish when you feel a bite.

[livo]

My understanding of that is that it addressing the practice of jagging fish. That is using an unbaited treble under a baited main hook to jag (or foul hook) the fish when you feel a bite.

Correct there. Abiding by site rules I will not discuss illegal fishing practices other than to use an example to illustrate. I have witnessed jagging of mullet for use as bait on two occasions by people using metal slice lures with oversize trebles. The difference is that the angler was using the lure with no intention of having the fish chase and bite it. It is the deliberate act of trying to hook the fish in any part of the body without the targeted fish being attracted by a bait or lure.