Feel Good Story Gone Bad. Bass Health At Local Pond.

[FishHard247]

So this afternoon I take the ol Coleman crawdad out. I have a true honey hole that's not accessible unless you have a boat and with the owners permission I let it rip.

In June I caught a near PB of 5.5 pounds and 21 inches long. It's the fish in my profile. Since June on the same pond I've PB'd a 26" hoss and a 23" that went 6 pounds.

The 5.5 I hooked in my profile was hooked in the right eye. I have no idea how I hooked him in the eye but it was with a jig. I felt awful because his eye was punctured really good and tho did my best I knew he would be blind in the right eye.

Tonight was looking good. It was 7:45 and the frogs started in. I was throwing a black Texas rigged zoom trick worm with a painted black bullet sinker on a 5/0 hook weedless under a fallen tree on seguar 12 pound test on a cinch knot.

Long story short I pulled in a 2.1 pounder and threw him back in. Immediately throwing back at the same tree I hooked a dream.

He hammered the drag and took off straight down. I let him pull it. I've lost too many by panicking and putting my thumb on the reel and snapping the line. I got him to the boat and immediately knew that it was the one eyed 5.5.

I pulled him in and measured him. Same 21" and when I weighed him I got bummed out. He was 4.5 pounds. His right eye was full of water and flat. I pulled the hook out and eased him back into the water. He swam off really soft.

I was pumped but then again I was ready to go home. I know I should turn in my man card with this post but hey this fish is loosing weight because he can't be as efficient with his feeding and its my fault. Oh well at least he ain't dead on someone's wall ya know. Just had to share. Thanks for all the help on this site. It's helped me to be able to catch what I can.

Thanks Guys.

[ThatZX14Fella]

I'm not very keen on fish anatomy, but I think I hooked a bluegill through the brain one time. I hooked him through the eye and it took me a while to get the hook out. Put him back in the water and he just swam around in circles for a few minutes and just floated to the top. I felt bad, but if I were super worried about the fish I wouldn't be fishing. I respect them, and I don't want them to die because of a foul hook, but you can't help it. I do my best to keep the fish I catch alive. Most of the time I don't even bother with taking pictures unless it's one of the bigger ones I've caught, I just try to get them back in the water as fast as possible.

[Jeff H]

None of us are proud to cripple any of the fish we catch.  I'm 52, been fishing since I was 4 and I've unintentionally hurt many fish in my life but you suck it up and drive on.....unfortunately it's just part of the game.

 

Demonic Forrest....Love the Supermoto avatar!  I still want one to ride to work!

[MIbassyaker]

I will say what I always say to threads like this: 

 

It is a sign of humane virtue to be disturbed when confronted with the fact that your angling activities have harmed a fish. Congratulate yourself for your ethical sensitivity, and consider making a donation of some of your time, influence, or money to a conservation effort or fund. Compensate for what you've taken by giving back.  

[ThatZX14Fella]

None of us are proud to cripple any of the fish we catch.  I'm 52, been fishing since I was 4 and I've unintentionally hurt many fish in my life but you suck it up and drive on.....unfortunately it's just part of the game.

 

Demonic Forrest....Love the Supermoto avatar!  I still want one to ride to work!

 

Thanks man. I wish it were mine. Just a pic I stole from google. Lol I'd like to have an enduro more, but supermotos are awesome!

[baxtervol]

Great post and story. We all have our stories of fish we wish would have hooked differently.

Just last week I caught a nice four pounder fishing a pond. I was not paying attention and got a late hook set on my plastic worm. The fish had the 4 aught hook all the way down and was bleeding profusely. I put the fish in a cooler with some ice added to the water in hopes of stopping the bleeding. The fish lived only a few more minutes. I felt bad for the fish, but felt worse knowing this fish was never gonna grow to be a lunker to be caught by me or someone else. However,the fish was quite tasty that evening with some fries, cole slaw, and tartar sauce. My son and I talked about the fact that had we not been talking I would have gotten a good hook set and we would be eating something like spaghetti or pork chops for dinner.

I think catch and release instills in all of us a healthy respect for our wary adversary. I'm never gonna cry over a fish, but I do feel a tinge of disappointment when a fish is injured or killed in the battle, especially one that has beaten the odds and grown to over four pounds.

[d-camarena]

Lately ive been catching monsters on the wacky rig, but ive noticed that ive hooked a couple deeper than id like. None have died that i know of but i dont like it. I might change hooks, maybe ill try circle hooks

[Bluebasser86]

It's very unlikely you're the reason that fish has gotten skinnier. Bass have no problems finding food in water so muddy they can't see the end of their noses or in the pitch black of night. In those conditions they rely heavily on finding food through vibrations using their lateral line. If a fish's eye is injured, they'll switch to using their lateral line as their main way to find food. I've seen fish that were blind in both eyes and still feeding effectively. 

 

It's summertime, fish get skinny this time of year. Most likely it's a female that you caught prior to the spawn when she was still fat with eggs. 21" and 4.5 pounds is a little light but nothing crazy. 

[clh121787]

I watched a matt allen seminar in a tank with alot of lunkers shocked up from the delta. The biggest bass in the tank was 14 pounds. And was blind in one eye. maybe from a hook. Who knows bUt, oNE eye didnt stop her from growing. Another option, if you think a fish is going to die or does die from a puncture wound take it home and eat it. If it's legal.

[the reel ess]

Contrary to what people in high places like to tell us, we can't live in the world and engage with it without leaving a footprint. It is quite possible that's not your fish, but at least it's still living and, apparently, still able to feed. One of my biggest bass caught had one eye, sores all over it, some disease eating at its fins, and it was still eating. I wish it had had two eyes if that would have make it bigger and healthier.

[BassinLou]

I don't think your fish's weight issue has anything to do in regards to his lost eye.

[WIGuide]

It's very unlikely you're the reason that fish has gotten skinnier. Bass have no problems finding food in water so muddy they can't see the end of their noses or in the pitch black of night. In those conditions they rely heavily on finding food through vibrations using their lateral line. If a fish's eye is injured, they'll switch to using their lateral line as their main way to find food. I've seen fish that were blind in both eyes and still feeding effectively. 

 

It's summertime, fish get skinny this time of year. Most likely it's a female that you caught prior to the spawn when she was still fat with eggs. 21" and 4.5 pounds is a little light but nothing crazy. 

x2 he beat me to it.

[FishHard247]

Well thanks guys. This does make me feel better. I didn't mention the fact that just before I hooked the one eyed fish, I hooked a whale and once again panicked as he/she took the drag back to the fallen tree. I put my thumb down to slow the drag and boom, it snapped. Man, those ones who get away. Its like that one good golf shot on a crappy day of golf that keep you coming back. The tug is my drug! Have a great one!

[Jaderose]

Maybe try a little heavier line?

[Jar11591]

The fact that you caught him again means he was feeding/active at the time. Animals, including fish generally won't feed if they're sick or dying.

[HoosierHawgs]

Contrary to what people in high places like to tell us, we can't live in the world and engage with it without leaving a footprint. It is quite possible that's not your fish, but at least it's still living and, apparently, still able to feed. One of my biggest bass caught had one eye, sores all over it, some disease eating at its fins, and it was still eating. I wish it had had two eyes if that would have make it bigger and healthier.

But then it would have seen more clearly and stayed away from your lure!

[FishHard247]

Im sure it was my knot. I don't re-tie but I may start. Ive bent a 5/0 hook pulling that line off of a stump before so Id say it was my fail on the knot.

[HoosierHawgs]

Im sure it was my knot. I don't re-tie but I may start. Ive bent a 5/0 hook pulling that line off of a stump before so Id say it was my fail on the knot.

What line is it? Some lines are notorious among anglers for bad knot strength. Braid also can have knots slip if not tied correctly. What knot are you using? Are you always lubricating your knot?

[FishHard247]

What line is it? Some lines are notorious among anglers for bad knot strength. Braid also can have knots slip if not tied correctly. What knot are you using? Are you always lubricating your knot?

 

12 pound seguar Mono in Green tied in a Cinch knot and I put a little spit on it before I Cinch it up.

[HoosierHawgs]

12 pound seguar Mono in Green tied in a Cinch knot and I put a little spit on it before I Cinch it up.

As long as you carefully tie that knot I've never had a clinch break on me with 12# Trilene. May have to up your poundage in heavy cover with big fish.