What are the effects of hooking a bass in the gills? After having two suck a trap deep on Saturday, I've been curious about their chances of survival. Both had the rear treble embedded in the gills and were streaming blood when released. Is that something that a fish can recover from? Or is it the equivalent of a punctured lung?
Bass mortality after being gill hooked?
- Thread starter jason
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Liveliner
Well-known member
When you deep hook or gill hook a bass hurry but carefully use your needle nose pliers so as to minimize ripping tissue. A trap or crank bait may be a little hard to deal with but with a single hook I have always heard that it is better to cut the line very short and leave the hook in. I have a small set of wire cutters handy that cut at the front so as to cut hooks off jigs and similar lures.
That is a very good point you have brought up
That is a very good point you have brought up
rsimms
Well-known member
I can't say for sure (not sure anyone can), but my bet is that it is the equivalent of a punctured lung... high probability of mortality. Actually the best way to know is to put it in the livewell and observe it for an hour. If he's still kickin' in an hour, maybe he'll make it. Of course don't do that if it is undersized. Still no guarantees due to chances of infection to the wound.
Fishin Fool
Well-known member
I agree with Rsimms. I did a lot of pond fishing back in the 70's and early 80's and can say with assurance that when I hooked a fish like that it normally died after release. With them being in a pond it was easy to see them flopping around on the surface, coming up and going down. Sadly,if the fish is a keeper, you might was well keep it because in all likelyhood it is going to die.
fischnrod
Well-known member
I had a 3and 1/2 lber suck down a trap and the hooks were deep in the gills when i got him in the boat and he was bleeding some. I knew he might die if i started trying to get the hook out so i imediatley cut the line and droped him in the livewell. I was fishing a tournament on the G (choo choo div) and i needed the points,it was my only fish for the day. At the weigh in he was still as lively as ever. One of the guys doing the release had some side cutters and was able to cut the hook off the trap & released him. I think he made it,he had stopped bleeding by the time we released him. I know i will carry a looonnng pair of side cutters from now on...emoFish
Pointer 78
Well-known member
During last Saturday's club tournament, I caught my only keeper with a trap where one hook was in her gills. The hook came out pretty easily but she was bleedingfairly badly. The water in the livewell turned red in a few minutes. We didn't have any Please Release Me or Rejuvenade in the boat so we ran the aerators full blast the rest of the day. When I checked on her from time to time, she was either on her side or belly up. I figureed she was a gonner. When I looked in the livewell before weigh-in, she was swimming around nicely and put up a fight to get her out. When i released har back in the lake, she took off like a rocket. I'd like to think she survived. I always carry Rejuvenade in my boat. I think it makes a big difference in the mortality rate.
Well, that was not what I wanted to hear...but expected. The hooks came out fairly easily, however, most of the damage occurred during the fight. After releasing the first one, I immediately thought of the little ziploc baggie of Rejuvenade that Bprice gave me...I had packed light and left it at home in the big bag.</p>
Oddly enough, they were only sucking the royal shad pattern deep. The royal red trap was always in the lips
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Oddly enough, they were only sucking the royal shad pattern deep. The royal red trap was always in the lips
G
Guest
Guest
Jason, not exactly the answer to your question but here is some research on hooking mortality of sauger by the stinger hook, which often ends up in the gills.
http://www2.tntech.edu/fish/sauger.html
http://www2.tntech.edu/fish/sauger.html