basswitch Posted June 16, 2009 Posted June 16, 2009 My fishin buddy and I went out to a chain of three lakes near my house yesterday for one of our all day fishing excursions. The bite wasn't great, but I was catching fairly regularly on plastics when I hooked into one that felt bigger and fought harder than any I'd caught on these lakes previously. After getting her in and snatching a couple pictures quick, I went in to get the hook and realized it was caught around her gill. She was bleeding a little, but it didn't look serious and between the two of us we managed to get her unhooked, although it took longer than I'd like. She splashed pretty vigorously when JD put her back into the water, but then went right onto her side. I got up into the bow and held her upright and JD rowed the boat, hoping that the flow of water would revive her. It didn't. We tried for at least ten minutes but nothing worked. In the northern zone of Wisconsin where we were fishing, it's catch and release only for bass until June 20th. So I couldn't even keep her (my husband wants to try bass but I refuse to kill one intentionally) I had to leave her floating there, and finally JD suggested we move to one of the other lakes, because I was SO bummed. Almost made me wanna pack up and go home. I can't remember the last time I unintentionally killed a fish. It hurt. Her day was goin just fine til she met me, and that just sucks. Here's a pic, before I knew she was doomed. :-[ Quote
TheMightyQuinn Posted June 16, 2009 Posted June 16, 2009 The same thing happened to my friend 2 days before the PA opening of bass season. It was my first bass kill in 6 years, that I know of. Not only did I feel bad that I could not revive her but I also felt bad that I had to let a 3 pounder float in the water, dead. Quote
Super User 5bass Posted June 16, 2009 Super User Posted June 16, 2009 [movedhere] General Bass Fishing Forum [move by] five.bass.limit. Quote
avid Posted June 17, 2009 Posted June 17, 2009 Your desire to protect the resource is admirable. but you need to not take it so hard. Fishing is a blood sport. That means there WILL be blood. Keep a conservation mind set fer sure, but you gotta know that this WILL happen again. Too bad you couldn't honor the fish by eating him, but the law must be obeyed. You have a good heart, don't be so hard on yourself. avid. P.S. I saw the photo. It was a pleasure to see how joyful you were. Don't let an unintended consequence ruin your day. Quote
TommyBass Posted June 17, 2009 Posted June 17, 2009 Ya... its going to happen once in awhile. Do you know why? It looks like your hook was on the lip, maybe I just didn't see it right. Does suck you couldn't eat it.. but look at it this way, you could have saved the life of a poor baby starving turtle : ) Nature will take care of it and use it just as you would have. Everything goes around and around. Quote
skeetermike Posted June 17, 2009 Posted June 17, 2009 (you could have saved the life of a poor baby starving turtle) Right on! Right on! It probably won't be the last though.... Wait till you do it in a tourn. Now that sucks!!! Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted June 17, 2009 Super User Posted June 17, 2009 Your desire to protect the resource is admirable. but you need to not take it so hard. Fishing is a blood sport. That means there WILL be blood. Keep a conservation mind set fer sure, but you gotta know that this WILL happen again. Too bad you couldn't honor the fish by eating him, but the law must be obeyed. You have a good heart, don't be so hard on yourself. avid. P.S. I saw the photo. It was a pleasure to see how joyful you were. Don't let an unintended consequence ruin your day. Really...it's no big deal. It's too bad you could not keep it, whether you want to eat the fish or just give it away. There is no impact on the general population and nature wastes nothing. 8-) Quote
Super User Crestliner2008 Posted June 18, 2009 Super User Posted June 18, 2009 Know this....nothing in nature goes to waste. That fish will make fodder for an eagle, hawk or even a turtle or two. Not counting the smaller fish that will feed on it. Try this in the future. Pinch down the barbs on your hooks. It's amazing how efficient hooks are, even without the barbs. The only hook I have barbs on now are my drop shot hooks. Bass get hooked 99% of the time in the upper lip when drop shotting, resulting is 75% of lost fish on the first jump if you crimp down the barbs! (I learned that the hard way!) One more thing you may want to try. If the area you fish isn't too weedy, get some Gamakatsu In-Line Circle hooks. This type of hook will keep the hook out of the fishes' vitals most times. I even crimp the barb on these; that way, if the fish brings your bait down deep and the circle doesn't do it's job (highly unlikely), it's easy to remove it without physical damage. You can nose hook plastics or wacky rig them effectively with circles. Just do not get the "off-set" circle type hooks. This is where the point is not in line with the hook shank. The off-set pointed circle will have a tendency to hook fish deeper than the in-line variety. Good Luck! Quote
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