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| Just curious if any of you other guys have cut hooks on other species besides muskies while muskie fishing or if I am in the minority? This last year I cut hooks for a 3lb. bass that totally inhaled my cowgirl. That was really the only way that fish could have survived. I also cut all the hooks on my bulldawg for a 46" pike that I caught last summer. Both fish were released successfully. I think as long as you have the tools to do it, ethically, it is the right thing to do.
We have all heard the stories of bass fishermen slitting bellies of muskies with a knife. Not saying all bass fishermen do this, but a few have. I know I release every bass with the same respect that I release a muskie. Any thoughts?
Edited by Baby Mallard 12/9/2008 9:32 PM
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Equal rights unless I decide to eat that other fish. Then all bets are off! |
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Location: Yahara River Chain | Of course most cut hooks if that what it takes to get a successful release. I had a kid last fall get a bass on a DC8 and had to cut hooks or else it would have died. |
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Location: Musky Tackle Online, MN | I'll cut the hooks from other species if need be, no different than a musky. Plenty of pike have come to the boat where the Knipex has come out right away. I can't recall having the need to cut hooks for anything other than the Esox yet. But criteria for cutting hooks is the same for me, regardless of species.
Aaron |
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| Without question -- I am a total CPR-er and liberally cut hooks to save them all. I'm sure I'm in the minority here, but I am who I am, and I do what I do. |
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Location: Glenmoore PA | I will cut hooks on any species if they are deeply hooked.
Edited by Esoxmtk 12/10/2008 10:36 AM
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Location: Cedarburg, Wisconsin | Half the time I'll keep the fish and eat them if they are legal fish. A good fish fry with real fresh fish can't be beat! Of course if they aren't legal, or I don't want to keep them then they get the exact same treatment muskies do. I cut hooks off my Crane baits half a dozen times or more last year when tiny little pike tried to inhale them. Same with a couple bass that wanted my Suicks really really bad. Snip, clip, flip, splash, next cast. |
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| I'll treat any fish with the same care I'd treat a muskie. If that means cutting hooks, I will certainly do so. Really badly hooked (legal) fish that are likely to die? Well, those get eaten. And if I'm going to eat it anyway, well... Let's just say I want my lure back in one piece. |
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| I will if necessary.
But I am going to wave a BS flag to some extent on this thread. Would you spend an hour or more trying to revive a bass that goes belly up as you would a muskie? Or an 18 inch pike? I'll cut hooks on those if I have to but I will also admit that I will put more time in trying to revive a muskie than I would a small pike or bass. So in that sense I don't treat all fish with the same care that I would a muskie. |
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| Ulbian, while I may actually spend just as much time/effort trying to release any fish I catch, at the same time, I won't feel NEARLY as bad if I get a pike or bass floater as compared to if I ever killed a musky. |
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| does a fillet knife qualify? |
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| ulbian - 12/10/2008 10:10 AM
I will if necessary.
But I am going to wave a BS flag to some extent on this thread. Would you spend an hour or more trying to revive a bass that goes belly up as you would a muskie? Or an 18 inch pike? I'll cut hooks on those if I have to but I will also admit that I will put more time in trying to revive a muskie than I would a small pike or bass. So in that sense I don't treat all fish with the same care that I would a muskie.
I'll do my best to revive a bass or a pike. But if it goes belly up a few times? I will (with the same respect and care I'd use when releasing a muskie) fillet it, dip it in egg and flour, fry it in butter, and enjoy every single bite of it!
Fish ARE food after all!  |
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Location: Hayward, WI | I've cut hooks on some northerns and I think I have on smallmouth before. If the northern isn't too big, I'll usually just keep it and eat it if it's hooked bad! Smallmouth always get released though, and if cutting a hook would save one, I would do it.
curleytail |
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Location: New Hope MN | I have been known to punt rock bass out of my boat. |
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| hammer handles get turnbuckled
Edited by Fishwizard 12/10/2008 3:43 PM
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| I would not cut the hooks on a bass, largemouth in particular. I have not had any problems unhooking largemouth that have inhaled triple d's, large bucktails, 10" jakes.... their mouths open wide enough to fit a pliers in then it is just a few quick twists/pulls,etc and the bait is free. I have yet to release a largemouth that did not release strong.
I have cut hooks on pike twice, both this season, only because it was the only way to get my bait back without killing it and these fish were bigger(32-34") than my eater size. Otherwise ill harvest smaller(26" and under)..... they're quite tasty |
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| esox2 - 12/10/2008 6:17 PM
I would not cut the hooks on a bass, largemouth in particular. I have not had any problems unhooking largemouth that have inhaled triple d's, large bucktails, 10" jakes.... their mouths open wide enough to fit a pliers in then it is just a few quick twists/pulls,etc and the bait is free. I have yet to release a largemouth that did not release strong.
I have cut hooks on pike twice, both this season, only because it was the only way to get my bait back without killing it and these fish were bigger(32-34") than my eater size. Otherwise ill harvest smaller(26" and under)..... they're quite tasty
This coming from a guy who got hooked in his elbow meat and simply yanked the hook out without wincing one bit. Gotta say I was impressed with that one because that hook was buried. |
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| Yes, I've cut worm hooks from bass and circle hooks out of flathead catfish just because I was afraid they might lose an eye. |
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