Feeling terrible and discouraged about accidentally killing a bass

[MassYak85]

I do feel bad when I kill one, usually happens a couple times a year where I put one back that I know doesn't have good odds (usually a gill has been damaged). I've taken home fish to eat before that I knew would probably die. 

 

 

[Alex from GA]

I do it the way Harold and the previous clip said but with a different tool.  https://www.amazon.com/Baker-BSF65-Straight-Scissors-Forceps/dp/B001448WDS/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=forceps+with+scissors&qid=1567469675&s=gateway&sr=8-1

They're thinner than all the needle nose pliers and can turn the hook even in smaller fish.  I also flatten the barbs to facilitate removing the hook easier, in the fish or me.

[P4B]

12 hours ago, BassWhole! said:

If you fish, some fish are going to be injured or killed at some point (pun intended) it's inevitable. The only thing within your control if you choose to fish is to learn how to minimize the possibility of either. As far as your feelings about this, they are your feelings, and that's a personal thing that you need to work out. All this "you should just" advice isn't going to change how you feel, though time, and life experience certainly will.

Vegan bass fishing? That's a new one on me.

I have sort of changed my mind on being vegan toward Bass because everyone is saying how incredibly good they are... people I have known said they never liked bass so that discouraged me from trying it haha

[Bass Whoopin']

I've had this feeling before as well. One of those "I hope he makes it" moments. Just from the way it was hooked and how i had to get it out. It happens. But that fish is probably gonna die sooner or later from being prey, a bad year in temperature/ pressure changes to the body of water, etc. But that doesn't mean showing remorse or feeling a certain way is a bad thing. I've had that feeling too. It sucks. I love fishing and appreciate all the catches i get no matter how big or small. Seeing them swim away is always the cherry on top. However, there are a lot of hunters who feel sad after they harvest an animal after a hunt. There is nothing wrong with that. Some people can do it year after year and feel nothing, while others may feel sad. We all have our differences. It happens though, don't beat yourself up over it. If that fish shares the water with Musky that hook is nothing compared to what the teeth of a musky would do to that fish... It's the circle of life. Do your best to remove the hook and keep fishing. You could always go to a single hook or barbless hooks if it bothers you that much. It would be harder to catch and you may lose more but i wouldn't lose sleep over it. It's all apart of fishing bud, shake it off and learn from it.

[jbsoonerfan]

Don't

 

I have typed a number of replies, some of them came off as harsh and rude. So my simple reply is, don't feel bad. If you really do, don't fish. That's the best way I can say it.

[lo n slo]

i fed an Osprey Sunday morning, it happens.

[Spankey]

This was a decent thread bub. A lot of good advise. Try to move on, seems like you feel a bit better about it.  It happens. Would imagine it happens more Often with live bait. Getting some good tools is a must. Especially a good pair of diagonal cutters. You might fish another 4 years and not have it happen again. Good luck. 

[Bass Junke]

11 hours ago, Alex from GA said:

I do it the way Harold and the previous clip said but with a different tool.  https://www.amazon.com/Baker-BSF65-Straight-Scissors-Forceps/dp/B001448WDS/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=forceps+with+scissors&qid=1567469675&s=gateway&sr=8-1

They're thinner than all the needle nose pliers and can turn the hook even in smaller fish.  I also flatten the barbs to facilitate removing the hook easier, in the fish or me.

^^^^^ This! Pliers are great and a necessary tool for fishing. Forceps, hemostats, whatever you call them they are much smaller, longer, thinner. They come in every conceivable size. Used to be able to go to the hospital and get them, they would toss out lots. Best of all you can get them angled and they slip through the gills much easier.  

[MAN]

There was a gentleman that had a booth at this past ICAST show I talked to...he was previously a federal game warden out of Texas and had invented a tool just for this situation.  Pretty cool and probably a MUST CARRY for the original poster of this thread.     ...for the life of me I can't remember what he called his gizmo.  

[Choporoz]

This thread has same technique and some other good, related info:

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/12981-how-do-i-remove-a-hook-a-bass-has-swallowed/

[Black Hawk Basser]

I don't mean to come off as condescending at all, but there's a reality to our hobby that a percentage of even the "safely" released fish will die as a result of the catch.

[TnRiver46]

21 hours ago, P4B said:

I have sort of changed my mind on being vegan toward Bass because everyone is saying how incredibly good they are... people I have known said they never liked bass so that discouraged me from trying it haha

People that say bass taste bad almost always fish for money, tournaments or guides

[Terrance Waters]

On 9/2/2019 at 2:06 AM, GreenPig said:

I just can't feel bad about eating fish, deer, and hogs. Big ol pan of baked Largemouth and spotted bass.

Looks delicious!

[Bluebasser86]

I had a spot die on me Sunday. It wasn't even hooked bad and didn't bleed but it must have hit a bad spot because I was still fishing the area when it floated back up and started thrashing on it's side. Didn't make it long before an osprey swooped it. Everything dies and nature doesn't waste it. It's okay to feel bad, I got no satisfaction out of killing a fish I won't, and couldn't (not a keeper) eat, but I'm not going to loose any sleep over it. That fish might have met it's demise to a big flathead or bigger bass later the same day, who knows?

[P4B]

On 9/3/2019 at 4:58 PM, TnRiver46 said:

People that say bass taste bad almost always fish for money, tournaments or guides

I haven’t really thought about it like that. It makes so much freaking sense though... I don’t know if the people who’ve told me this in the past have fished tournaments because they people who have said this are people I talk to when fishing and I never really see them again. Makes tons of sense though