Bass Eating Plastics

[bryand82487]

The other day while fishing one of the bass I caught had a plastic worm sticking halfway out of his throat. It was only a plastic worm no hook. I unhooked my lure from him and pulled the worm out of his throat and let him go. Now I know for me anyways bass rarely take my entire plastic off the hook and eat it, but when they do, or if they just eat one off the bottom of the lake do they realize afterwards it was fake or do they believe they had a good meal? Also is it even possible for them to digest it or does it just stay in there stomach there entire life?

[Jig Man]

I don't know if it would digest or not. I saw a similar instance once. I had a smallmouth on a jig with a beaver trailer. It jumped and spit the jig. The beaver was gone.

A few minutes later my fishing pardner caught a smallmouth. While he was unhooking it, it spit up my beaver which it evidently had swallowed.

[agssebvtsece]

I'm pretty sure all soft plastics decompose. I don't know the timeframe but i'd be surprised if they didn't. Maybe i'll take a senko and leave it in water and find out.

[Grey Wolf]

I'm pretty sure all soft plastics decompose. I don't know the timeframe but i'd be surprised if they didn't. Maybe i'll take a senko and leave it in water and find out.

Let us know how long it takes a senko to totally break down.

[deep]

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

[bryand82487]

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

Thanks very interesting article!

[zenyoungkoh]

Maybe i'll take a senko and leave it in water and find out.

You'd have to leave in it acid solution thats similar to the stomach!

[Avalonjohn44]

Great article about the bass consuming plastics. There have been times when my plastic has come off a few feet from shore and I didn't bother retrieving it. Will make the extra effort now.

[Jigfishn10]

Unfortunatley, plastic baits will be the next shoe to drop next to lead. Bass see them on the bottom like a dead sticked bait, pick them up, eat them and can't pass them out.

JMO

[Nibbles]

You'd think they'd be able to cough them back up if it starts to irritate them. I've seen bass puke up half digested shad and bluegill when they're stressed.

[agssebvtsece]

Unfortunatley, plastic baits will be the next shoe to drop next to lead. Bass see them on the bottom like a dead sticked bait, pick them up, eat them and can't pass them out.

JMO

Plastics will NEVER get banned. Huge difference between lead and soft plastics.........as of now.

[esoxangler]

Curious to know what happens to Gulp when a bass digests it? It's composition is different than your everyday plastic baits..or at least advertised as.

[River Rat316]

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

Completely different environment than a lake, most lake fish (around me anyway) won't see that many discarded plastics in there lifetime. But people also need to remember not to throw their used up plastics in the lake, throw it in your boat and clean it out after each trip!

[CKFishin]

Completely different environment than a lake, most lake fish (around me anyway) won't see that many discarded plastics in there lifetime. But people also need to remember not to throw their used up plastics in the lake, throw it in your boat and clean it out after each trip!

+1

[TimJ]

I have seen a LM caught in my boat, about 15" long, with a 6" manns jelly worm hanging about 3" out of its anus. we pulled it out slowly and returned the fish. the worm still had colour but had a bleached look to it, prob from stomach acid I guess.