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| Just a question, no judgements here.
I was wondering about cutting hooks after reading the responses to my post for the Pewaukee 52. I know in "the old days" they used to say cut 'em and let em rust out. More recently, I've heard that with the new and improved types of steel and coatings, this doesn't work like it used to. Hooks don't rust away as quickly, if at all.
On a deep hooked fish or one that's badly hooked, if I can't get the hook out quickly, I'm gonna cut it to give the fish a chance. But, by cutting the hooks and leaving them in are we just prolonging eventual death of a fish???
Pros, any ideas????
Anybody else wanna step to the plate???
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| This is a big debate in my boat. I am all in favor of cutting a hook to get the fish back on it's way asap. My dad believes no hook ever needs to be cut. It at times becomes an arguement with a fish in the net. Even he has had to "resort" to cutting a couple but there were quite a few more that were not that should have been. He also thinks the guys on TV that cut the hooks are leaving the pieces in the fish.[:knockout:] |
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| Hey Scott!
If I caught enough fish to have many hooked such the hooks needed cutting, I might be able to step up and swing mightily. But I don't recall difficulty unhooking any fish last year at all. Unhooking me, yes, some trouble there. I caught 21 fish, by the way. I carry the standard tools and I bet that makes a big difference - big net, heavy gloves, jaw spreaders, long needle nose pliars, some channel locks I named "Dave", and mini bolts.
Two thirds of my fish were caught on bucktails. Are there certain types of baits or techniques that are more likely to result in hook-cutting situations?
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| My opinion on deep hooked fish is that it is going to happen and we can't do anything about it. Being as careful as you can to remove them (careful for the fish and yourself, you don't need to get hooked two) And if possible, place the fish in your live well to make sure she is healthy. Then release here and stay around for a while to make sure she stays down. This past year a friend of mine had a 45 incher come back up so the guy stayed with the fish (and gave up his fishing time) for over a hour. She finally stayed down so he went on his way.
As far as saying " I felt it was going to die, so I had to kill it", that makes it a 100% guarantee that the fish won't make it! |
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| I have to cut at least 2 or 3 fish free each year. This isn't to say they were that badly hooked, some are, but the playing to get them out of the net. If I don't think I can get it out within 20 seconds, the cutters go to work. The trick is the camera, cutters, spreaders, should all be layed out while the fish is being fought, so if hook cutting becomes the choice, everything is handy. |
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| Back for a little food in my tummy....its REALLY cold in the deer stand at Worrall's deer ranch and I have to answer this question.
This is a great question Theedz. I have cut many many hooks in my lifetime and my opinion on this is....If you tear the hook out of the tougne or gill you will kill the fish very quickly. If you leave it cut flush and see no blood you give the fish a sporting chance.
I caught a 39" back while I was puting transmitters on muskies in the Pewaukee study. The fish ate a bucktail and had two in the tougne and one in the gill, a real mess. I took my time with a jaw spreader and snipped and snipped some more. I put the fish in my livewell for about 5 minutes and no blood in the water. So I put a transmitter on it to see how the fish will be. Two years later they still found the fish, it was moving day by day to differnt parts of the lake like normal.
I believe my cutting and taking tender care of that fish that was hooked bad saved its life and made a 40" out it. |
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| Hey Scott, absolutely cut the hooks. I then use a needle nose pliers to take out the pieces, which usually come out quite easily when there isn't pressure on the hook. |
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| I agree with steve usually once the hook is cut the point will pull out prety easy. |
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| OK, just to set this all straight. I always have and still will cut hooks. I'd rather cut the hooks and give the fish a "fighting chance" rather than deciding ahead it wasn't going to make it. Just wanted to ask the question what other peoples opinion was on whether they thought these fish would actually make it or not. Goes back to the old discussion that some make it and some don't. If you don't ever give it a chance to make it, it never will.
Thanks for all the responses though.
Anyone else hear about the hooks not "rusting away" like the old ones did???
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| As far as the hooks not rusting away "like the old one's did", I don't beleive that the "old one's" ever really rusted away as fast as people wanted to beleive they did. In my opinion it was easier for the fisherman to say that the hooks would just rust away than it was to face the fact that there were fish swimming around for a long time with hooks stuck in thier mouths. |
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| You can only do so much.. If you don't cut the hook and keep trying to fish it out with plyers or whatever hook remover tool it will just tear up the flesh and hurt the fish and put lots of stress on it. Cut it and get as much peices out as you can if its in deep. Thats all you can do to ensure a good healthy release. |
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| Some good points made already. I personally try to remove all but sometimes have to cut. As far as hooks rusting, the musky hunter article on gut hooked muskies shows even some of them have lived. Obviously the hook will not kill them in my opinion. |
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| I cut a lot of hooks, well everytime that the hooks are not in a very easy place to pull out. I would rather cut the hooks for ease of the release. I always go and get the pieces out and if there is one that won't come out then so be it, the fish is better off released alive then tortured to get hooks out of it.
One thing I make sure whenever I get a fish in the net and see hooks near the eyes or gills I call for the knipex and cut right away before the fish damages itself by thrashing in the net.
As for the rusting away part I believe it would take a very long time. But a small piece of hook inside the flesh of a fish will probably heel over and be there forever. I don't see anything wrong with it as myself I walk around with metal clamps left in me from a past surgery. The only thing may be infection from the hook and that would be a very small percentage.
Now I am not talking about swallowed hooks here but outside damage from lures. |
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| I cut all the hooks that I see. In the fish and out. Here is on reson why. [:knockout:] |
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