Re: NANFA--Larry

Bob Bock (bockhouse_at_earthlink.net)
Sun, 4 Aug 2002 18:47:41 -0400

I carry a couple of pairs of forceps with me when I go fishing. If you're
careful, you can safely get the hook out without damaging the fish. I've
even taken gut hooked sunnies home to my tanks and they pulled through
without any problems.

But I agree. I would never release a fish with a hook in it.
----- Original Message -----
From: "kahley" <kahley7_at_ptd.net>
To: <nanfa_at_aquaria.net>
Sent: Tuesday, July 30, 2002 1:53 PM
Subject: Re: NANFA--Larry

> As far as the hook rusting out, I think that's a lie,
> spread by manufacturers so that fishermen don't
> feel badly about setting a fish back with the hook
> still attached.
> The local fishermen know about the reef.
> Someone rammed it a couple years ago so I had
> to mark it as a navigational hazard and now I find
> lures there allll the time. Most are those squiggly
> rubber things with the hook shaft embedded in the
> lure. I push them into the logs so the fish get used to
> them and learn that they aren't food. They rust, but
> it takes more than a season for them to rust through.
> No fish is gonna live long enough for the rusting to
> save it, if it can't hunt. As to rapalla and such, like
> Larry has, I'm not sure how long they take but the
> one in his mouth is shiny new although the lure
> is getting beat up by his attempts at freeing himself
> of it.
>
> Larry is maybe the biggest of the catfish.....maybe
> 30+ inches. I know how explosively powerful they are.
> I'm intend to feed him heavily, which is going to be hard since
> there are five of them and it's gonna take a lot of food.
> But that way, he should be eager to be near me and I
> might get a chance at the lure. I don't have a net, and
> doubt that I'd have much success with one if I did.
> Catfish are incredibly fast...faster than me for sure.
> But I do have a big beanbag type, float thing that is made of
> a soft nylon mesh. They are used to it being nearby, so if I
> can get a hold of the treble hook/lure with pliers i might be
> able to haul him into that and have Mike cut the hook or hold
> him while I do.
> It's gonna take time to get him close and 'still' enough, though and
> three hands would be nice to have about now <sigh>. I just hope
> he doesn't get hung up someplace in the meantime. They like
> to lay up under the roots, in the undercut bank downstream of the
> valseneria garden.
> If he's still around tomorrow, I'll begin gentle-ing him and stop off
> at the hardware store on the way home for cutting pliers and
> long needlenose. I just have to try. Almost every year, one of the
> resident bass has a lure in his mouth. They can't close it and
> can't even feed. I just don't want to watch what happened
> to those fish, happen to Larry.
> If you do fish, and you get a lure stuck inside the fish, put it
> out of it's misery rather than putting it back to suffer.
> I used to fish. In fact Mike and I spent the better part of two years,
> wandering around the east with our boat. We'd put in, and find
> an island to camp on for a week or so. We lived on fish and cheap
> hot dogs. Fishing for food is a legitimate thing to do IMO.
> But catch and release?
> I just can't stand seeing the fungus and infections from rough
> handling, not to mention the lures in the mouths. OK...I'll
> get off my soapbox.
> Thanks for the suggestions and I'll keep ya'll updated.

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