Do you put back fish that have gill injuries

[jackmaster]

Its a friggin shame that its come down to that, but with the fines a fella cant take a chance, many fish die in sekiu and yeah bay, salmon and deep dwelling bottom fish, the seaguls eat better than the sportsman

[LndShrk]

Just wondering  everyones thoughts on throwing back gill hooked fish ? Do you keep them? Seems like it would be a waiste to throw them back.

Yup..
Had to turn this gal back even though a seal had punctured through her gills 


She swam off but was leaving a blood trail behind. 

[wafisherman]

for salmon and steelhead, I'm mainly fishing jigs or flies and rarely do more than lip hook them.  So easy to release and let them continue on their way.  My other favorite method is spoons and spinners - again, rarely lethal hook set.

I only like to fish bait when targeting stocker trout or panfish for the most part...

[Dhoey07]

Fishing for Steelhead with a lil cleo this year, and set the hook on a fish that gave a couple headshakes and then went to dead weight.  Reeled it the rest of the way in and turned out to be a cutthroat that was DOA.  Thought about keeping it, but not worth the possible fine for a 13" trout

[wafisherman]

Fishing for Steelhead with a lil cleo this year, and set the hook on a fish that gave a couple headshakes and then went to dead weight.  Reeled it the rest of the way in and turned out to be a cutthroat that was DOA.  Thought about keeping it, but not worth the possible fine for a 13" trout

Yeah, there will always be some mortality.  But if they die, they won't go to waste.  The ecosystem will appreciate the extra nutrients.  If it is not legal, it goes back.

On the flip side, if legal, even if it is not the size or species I wanted to catch, it comes home.  Too many guys do 'grading' at places like fish lake, where they use bait, gut hook trout after trout, only keeping the 16+ inchers and letting the others become food for the eagles and osprey.  And that is a violation as well...

[_TONY_]

Let's say for instance it's a wild steelhead, that may not be retained, you would have to let it go... Bleeding and all.

If the fish species is open for retention, or is hatchery born (all hatchery fish must die), then it would get the wood shampoo...

Tony

Why do all the hatchery fish have to die?  Not being a hippy, Just wondering why.

No worries! Becasue that is why they are planted in the first place... to harvest.

no CnR for hatchery fish.... ever.

[wildmanoutdoors]

Let's say for instance it's a wild steelhead, that may not be retained, you would have to let it go... Bleeding and all.

If the fish species is open for retention, or is hatchery born (all hatchery fish must die), then it would get the wood shampoo...

Tony

Why do all the hatchery fish have to die?  Not being a hippy, Just wondering why.

First, Hatchery fish have nearly no chance of sucessfully spawning in the wild no matter. Their genes are to shallow to successfully do this. This term comes about from the "chance" a native tries to spawn a hatchery fishes eggs or vice versa. It also comes from the Solduc's Snyder fish program. Some feel it takes the native Brood stock fish and by penning it lessens its genetics. So instead of releasing the fish, kill it if its left ventral is clipped.

Secondly, if a native fish is bleeding bad from the gill chances are it may die. But you wont know unless you put it back as a fish has more of a chance in the water. The fish is designed to be in water, not out. Bleeding stops faster and better if the fish is in the water period.

Third, imagine how many tards would intenionally wound fish if you could keep them if mortally wounded? And look back to my second paragraph. Who qualifies any of us to make the decision just based on a bleeding gill?
Chances are its not going to be dead when you reel it in.

[RB]

Fishing for Steelhead with a lil cleo this year, and set the hook on a fish that gave a couple headshakes and then went to dead weight.  Reeled it the rest of the way in and turned out to be a cutthroat that was DOA.  Thought about keeping it, but not worth the possible fine for a 13" trout

Have had that happen with undersized Blackmouth before, hit the squid or spoon and stuff it through the roof of their mouth killing them instantly. What would be a good eating fish gets tossed back to nature because that is the law

[Dhoey07]

It would be like catching a native steelhead in a gill net while netting for chums, they get tossed right back into the drink....right? 

[Button Nubbs]

The fish stands a better chance of living if let go (even if bleeding) than it does on your plate. Easy decision, no fish is worth a poaching ticket.

[h2ofowlr]

A fish bleeding from the gills is a dead fish.  A judgement call on that one.  If caught by a Leo, definate ticket.

[TheHunt]

I let them go no matter what.  It is too much of a risk.

[singleshot12]

It's cheaper to feed the scavengers than get a ticket of coarse

 I've always wondered what the average mortality rate is with C&R fishing. I bet it's higher than most people think.

[snowpack]

It's cheaper to feed the scavengers than get a ticket of coarse

 I've always wondered what the average mortality rate is with C&R fishing. I bet it's higher than most people think.

I've seen articles that have a range for mortality from 5% to 50% for fish like steelhead and trout, and even seen up to the high 90%s for things like rockfish.

[jackmaster]

It's cheaper to feed the scavengers than get a ticket of coarse

 I've always wondered what the average mortality rate is with C&R fishing. I bet it's higher than most people think.

I've seen articles that have a range for mortality from 5% to 50% for fish like steelhead and trout, and even seen up to the high 90%s for things like rockfish.

:yeah:the rock fish is a fish that it seems wouldnot be allowed to be turned out, anyone who has done some bottom fishn knows what happens when you yard one of them up off the sea floor, guts and stuff comin out their butt, bleeding and we still gotta let them go, its a shame, i know under certain depths you dont have that problem, i think thats why they have fathom limits in some places but not sure. they could make it the first few fish caught is your limit, like they do with razor clams, but some rockfish take forever to get to leagal size, like sea bass, i aint sure but i think they are one of the slowest growing fish around