Will bass/fish die if they swallow plastic worms?

[leslie_goes_mental]

Just curious.  I mean, stuff like Gulp they may take it for the real thing.

[Grey Wolf]

Not unless it has hooks attached.

[Dan:]

Not a bad question, most fish just pass soft plastics if they get swallowed but I wouldn't go throwing your used baits into the water.

[Glenn]

Berkley Gulp?  Nope. It's designed to dissolve.  But other plastics?  Yes, it happens on occasion.

http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/skinny-fish.html

[TruiteBR]

I have seen a bass that swallow a senko. We caught it later and we saw the line coming out of his mouth, so we pulled it and the worm came out with the hook attached (texas rigged)

[kikstand454]

yup... ive done the same thing. broke off on a stump and fished the same area a few days later and caught a fish with my cajun line (at the time) stckin out. i slowly pulled and got my half digested strike king zero (god it smelled) and my hook still rigged weedless. apparently i had got my sinker hung and broke off. i thought the whole situation was kinda funny. i caught him on the same rig. lol.

[Matt 825]

Last summer I was fishing at Lake Champlain and I caught a 2 IB smallmouth out of 30' and when I got him close to the boat he puked 5 or 6 plastic lizzards.  I figure someone must have dropped a bunch in the water by accident and he ate them like a turkey on thanksgiving as they fell down.  Just proves that fish are stupid.......lol

[5bass]

They can pass plastics all the way thru. I witnessed my partner catch a largemouth that had what looked like a ZOOM trick worm coming about half way out the wrong end when he got it in the boat. My partner helped the little fellow out if you know what I mean.

I also had a bass spit up a ZOOM Ol Monster worm along with a few shad while in the livewell. The big worm didnt clog the fish up but it sure clogged my livewell drain when I forgot about it.

TIP: It is a whole lot easier to get them out BEFORE they make it into your drain.

[bassfisher2]

I used to do a lot of fly fishing for trout and I have caught a few trout with a team of flies hanging out of their anus , having passed through , even some big muddler minnows on one occasion . I have also caught plenty with fresh pike or cormorant damage, I mean guts spilling out and big deep slashes - it didn't seem to affect their appetite !  I reckon this proves  fish don't feel pain  the way we do .

Bob

[J Francho]

I mean, stuff like Gulp they may take it for the real thing.

That is the point, isn't it?  They usually pass the plastics no problem.  Holding tanks at large TX. usually end up with quite a bit of plastics at the bottom.

[SDoolittle]

TIP: It is a whole lot easier to get them out BEFORE they make it into your drain.

No kidding! It took me forever to dig a puked up super fluke out of my drain. It was half digested and kept falling apart and it was too slimey to get a grip on. Good times!

[5bass]

TIP: It is a whole lot easier to get them out BEFORE they make it into your drain.

No kidding! It took me forever to dig a puked up super fluke out of my drain. It was half digested and kept falling apart and it was too slimey to get a grip on. Good times!

That worm had made it so far in that I had to take the boat to the car wash and stick the high pressure hose into the drain to blow it out.  :

[boatnik13]

The Fisherman Magizine dated 10/30/2008   NO# 44

Mid Atlantic edition

States>  In a 2007 study at a unity college in Maine.

            38 brook trout were fed a comercial trout diet containing a

            assortment of plastic lures over a 90 day period.

            The trout ate from waters surface as well as the bottom

Conclusion> lures were recoverd from the stomachs of 63% of

            test fish. 12.5% of the fish consumed more than 10%

            of their body mass in "soft plastic lures".

            That 12.5% lost significant weight , decrease in body

            condition factor and began displaying anorexic behaviors.

            Just thought I would share this info and I realize its not a

            known bait  or  soft plastic name brand in general.

[Chad.]

Why are you asking this question?

Just  curious.

[Palmetto Fisherman]

The Fisherman Magizine dated 10/30/2008 NO# 44

Mid Atlantic edition

States> In a 2007 study at a unity college in Maine.

            38 brook trout were fed a comercial trout diet containing a

            assortment of plastic lures over a 90 day period.

            The trout ate from waters surface as well as the bottom

Conclusion> lures were recoverd from the stomachs of 63% of

            test fish. 12.5% of the fish consumed more than 10%

            of their body mass in "soft plastic lures".

            That 12.5% lost significant weight , decrease in body

            condition factor and began displaying anorexic behaviors.

            Just thought I would share this info and I realize its not a

            known bait or soft plastic name brand in general.

10% of their body mass.

Take a normal 2lb LMB he has to eat 3 and a half  oz of plastic....

[Krzkev]

I caught this fish about a year or so ago, she should have been 5+ but she went about 2.5.  I caught it and said to myself, Wow look how skinny she is, must be and old girl off her last spawn.  I look in her throat as I unhooked her, and to my suprize a 6 or 7 inch bloated senko was stuck in her stomach stickin out of her throat.  She probably didn't make it even though I retreived the worm, no hook to be found.