Will fish die if they swallow plastic worms?

[Glenn]

Could you be killing fish and not even know it? Find out here: http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/skinny-fish.html

[midnighthrasher]

I have wondered that for years... Gulp seems to be one of the only " big " fishing lure company making biodegradeable plastics. i wonder if a fish digests gulp better than regular plastics.

[seyone]

good read.

[LCpointerKILLA]

I always thought bass coughed up plastic baits when they swallow them, because I've seen them do it. I guess this goes to show us that there is a lot we still don't know about how catch and release fishing affects the fish and the fishery.

[alwayslooking]

last year, in the summer, my dad and i were camped at sam rayburn, tx,,,another group of campers went out fishing,,brought in some fish,,three bass,,,upon cleaning,, one of the bass had 3 zoom trick worms and 2 senkos in its stomach contents,,,my thought at the time, was, this thing is malnurished

[scaledriver]

Did that fish get all them in his stomach from the plastics being toosed overboard once they was in too bad of shape to be fished with?  Or do you think it managed to get all them off of hooks etc?

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

Possibly,but that article states that the gentleman has occasionally lost plastics during the fight with a struggling bass as have we all.That is also somthing to think about.How many times have we seen other fish follow a hooked fish to the boat or even try to steal the bait?

I for one highly discourage throwing used baits overboard and have been over the subject a couple times on this forum and through it with a few people I know that do it.You can throw a rig out and deadstick it for five minutes and a fish may come by and pick it up.What is going to stop them from doing it just because it doesn't have a hook in it? My buddy likes to rip the baits apart in pieces and throw them out.There are also environmental issues with certain chemicals in the baits as well. I also imagine that the fish may still eat the broken baits as well since studies have found various objects of every shape and size in fishs stomachs including bottle caps,sticks,pebbles,snail shells,tabs from soda cans,plastic silverware,aluminum foil.

Please keep trash in its place!Even if you don't think that your doing any harm litter is still litter. Thanks for the article Glenn.

[Guest lll]

good read

[Hammer 4]

Great read Glenn..

Why on earth would anyone throw their plastics overboard..? 

Just think of all the snagged baits underwater..I wonder if this is partly to blame for some of the floaters I see..

[Pantera61]

1.  There are several companies beside Berkeley Gulp which make biodegradable baits.  Megabass is one, Imakatsu is another.

2.  Although I don't doubt some bass ingest and have problems digesting plastic worms but what about snakes?

[NasTMcfingas]

Looks like I'll have to invest in some Biodegradeable plastics. :

[Lund Explorer]

1. There are several companies beside Berkeley Gulp which make biodegradable baits. Megabass is one, Imakatsu is another.

2. Although I don't doubt some bass ingest and have problems digesting plastic worms but what about snakes?

And birds, amongst other critters.

I remember one night when the side door to our garage was left open.  As I was getting ready to hitch up the boat the next morning, I discovered that a racoon had made a visit.  The remains of a chewed plastic bag that just the day before had held almost 100 brand new 7" power worms was almost completely empty.  At the time, I was more upset that the critter had decided to dine on a favorite color, than on his chances of survival.

Just another good reason to keep an old coffee can in the boat.  Great place to throw used baits and all the other junk like old line, etc.

[Pez]

Very interesting article! Goes to show you how polluting the water affects the fish and environment.

[scaledriver]

Yes excellent article something I hope many read and tell others about.

Bassin Fin@tic said it well  "Keep trash in its place"

[Blue Streak]

Put everything in your pocket and bring it home with you. Nothing should go overboard.

[tnbassfisher]

There are ways to repair old baits.

That being said, there is no need to throw them overboard.

[NBR]

I also subscribe to hauling damaged plastics home or some where else to the trash can. I to have seen pieces of plastic lures in my live well. I have also caught bass with a piece of worm hanging out of it's vent.

I don't have a clue as to the damage the plastics might do but the bass seem to puke them up or pass them through so they would not always be fatal.

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

I also subscribe to hauling damaged plastics home or some where else to the trash can. I to have seen pieces of plastic lures in my live well. I have also caught bass with a piece of worm hanging out of it's vent.

I don't have a clue as to the damage the plastics might do but the bass seem to puke them up or pass them through so they would not always be fatal.

No not always fatal.They do many times pass them or vomit them. Some of the high salt baits are the ones to be concerned about.Ever see what happens to a wet senko sitting in the bottom of the boat for a week or so? It expands and turns into a giant hot dog.Things like this could actually be what plugs a fish up.

[brianbass]

How fast do the biodegradable worms degrade? Are they really better for the environment?Or am I just being taken for my money?

[senile1]

Adding something unnatural to a natural environment is always going to disturb some aspect of that environment. Purposely dumping plastic baits in the water is obviously going to affect the aquatic environment in some manner. From this article it would appear the accidental loss of plastic baits in a body of water is enough to have a negative effect as well. I think biodegradable baits are the future of our sport with respect to fishing "plastics" if we want to protect our waters and the creatures that reside in them.  Currently, I own very few of these baits.  I tried Gulp a couple of years back and wasn't impressed.  I'm thinking it would be a good idea to give some of these baits a fair hearing.

[b.Lee]

WOW, I shall be more careful from here on out

[Stoney McSoney]

Yes we just pulled a big plastic worm out of a lake trout stomach. It’s the second time I have seen this. Kinda sad…

[Functional]

On 12/21/2009 at 8:29 AM, brianbass said:

How fast do the biodegradable worms degrade? Are they really better for the environment?Or am I just being taken for my money?

we used biodegradeable BBs back when I did airsoft (requirement of some Gov properties). For fun my team threw some in water and some in soil to see how fast it would biodegrade. Well after 5 years they were still there when we stopped playing for various reasons. 

 

unless its a paper bag I consider biodegradeable a gimmick. Best chances are take your trash with you if you can help it. 

[TOXIC]

On 12/21/2009 at 7:06 AM, Bassin_Fin@tic said:

Ever see what happens to a wet senko sitting in the bottom of the boat for a week or so? It expands and turns into a giant hot dog.Things like this could actually be what plugs a fish up.

Careful with the broad brush statements.  I know everyone calls stick baits “Senkos” but I know for a fact that original Yamamoto Senkos do not swell up like the knockoffs.  That’s in no way saying they are any better for a fish if ingested but there’s a better chance of passing it if it doesn’t swell.  I’ve always saved used baits and thrown them away on land after a day of fishing.  I’ve also seen a fish pass a hook with 3 inches of mono attached to it.  This last trip to Headwaters in Florida I caught a smaller bass and he puked this up.  

[BigAngus752]

On 2/19/2024 at 11:33 AM, TOXIC said:

Careful with the broad brush statements.  I know everyone calls stick baits “Senkos” but I know for a fact that original Yamamoto Senkos do not swell up like the knockoffs.  That’s in no way saying they are any better for a fish if ingested but there’s a better chance of passing it if it doesn’t swell.  I’ve always saved used baits and thrown them away on land after a day of fishing.  I’ve also seen a fish pass a hook with 3 inches of mono attached to it.  This last trip to Headwaters in Florida I caught a smaller bass and he puked this up.  

 

Agree!  All stick baits are "Senkos".  All vibrating jigs are "Chatterbaits".  Everyone sets their "drag" to prevent backlashes and overruns.  It seems like anyone on social media is "that guy" if they are a stickler for using proper terminology, but NOT using the correct terminology leads to a giant amount of misinformation.  And not just for bass fishing.  

 

By the way, sorry that fish had a bait in his gut, but the Zoom Ultravibe Speed Worm in june bug is one of my favorites so I'm glad to see they like eating it!