Aight, dumb question but.. When I catch a fish, would it be helpful to the fish to pop a chunk of worm in its mouth before releasing? My though process is that, while fighting me it...

FS Digest

When I catch a fish, would it be helpful to the fish to pop a chunk of worm in its mouth before releasing? My though process is that, while fighting me it burns calories, calories that it has to burn to get its food normally. So if its fighting me for the food, it burns too many calories, then dies. I’m also aware that at a certain point in fighting, it builds up lactic acid(?) which can kill it in enough volume, and its muscles will break down so I keep that in mind while dealing with it.

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by bobbit_gottit

FS Digest

This question is not dumb, genuinely interested in what people think on this one. I am team “give the fish the worm” unless there’s some solid study done on this proving otherwise

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by DailyHookset

FS Digest

Maybe it would go down the wrong tube haha

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by bobbit_gottit

FS Digest

Hank hill would say give him the worm

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by KendaminEmoKid

FS Digest

I would say no. Getting the fish back in the water quickly with minimal handling is probably going the result in the best outcome.

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by Paramedic229635

FS Digest

Minimal handling and getting him back in the water ASAP.

Fish do not eat under stress, so it would just spit the worm out when back in the water.

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by Dash_Rendar425

Rutinbuck Loc: Haysville, Kansas

I’m with para and dash. Return asap with minimal handling.

Ron620DVS Loc: Guntersville Alabama

When I catch a fish, would it be helpful to the fish to pop a chunk of worm in its mouth before releasing? My though process is that, while fighting me it burns calories, calories that it has to burn to get its food normally. So if its fighting me for the food, it burns too many calories, then dies. I’m also aware that at a certain point in fighting, it builds up lactic acid(?) which can kill it in enough volume, and its muscles will break down so I keep that in mind while dealing with it.

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by bobbit_gottit[/quote]

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Just a few quick questions... How many calories does the fish burn? How much lactic acid does it build up? How many calories does the fish burn when it gets food normally? Last question which came first the chicken or the egg?

Questions like this is why I "DON'T" normally reply to the FS Digest. Guess that I will never learn

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EastCoast

Here are my unscientific thoughts...

Scenario: You have just run more than the length of a football field in a zig-zag pattern to avoid defenders. You score the winning touchdown. Excited and out of breath you fall to the ground as teammates fall on you and the celebration begins. As you struggle to get back on your feet, someone shoves a sandwich in your mouth.

Is your instinct to start chewing or would it be to catch your breath and then take a drink of water...?

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Able Man Loc: North Coast (Cleveland, Ohio)

¿Is it illegal to keep & eat the fish? If so; ¿Why am I "targeting it"? ... ¿Or was it just an "incidental by-catch"? ... Either way, I don't think that force-feeding any wild animal ANYTHING could end well, for myself or the wild animal.

NoCal Steve Loc: Dunnigan, CA

My fish go right into the treated watet in my live well with products like Rejuvenade. These products aren't cheap but I like knowing I'm releasing my fish in tip top shape.

Able Man Loc: North Coast (Cleveland, Ohio)

NoCal Steve wrote:

My fish go right into the treated watet in my live well with products like Rejuvenade. These products aren't cheap but I like knowing I'm releasing my fish in tip top shape.

I'm not familiar / that product; but, it sounds like a good practice. I do recall turning loose quite a few fish, who had "pretty well played themselves out"; BUT; prior to turning them loose, we'd "resuscitate them", by moving them gently forward, then aft; repeatedly, until the fish itself decided it had "enough fight in him" to just swim off, on its own. ... I guess I can see practicing "catch and release"/ good attention paid, to the condition of the fish... ¿Why turn it loose, to just suffer & die?

ricky risteen

I think that is a good thing to do for a played out fish. Yeah a worm is good to give them if you ca do it in the water.I try to keep the fish in the water and release. The Ricky Sitka

Captain Lahti Loc: Kennewick, WA

While it sounds like a humane thing to do, it’s a total waste of time. The Catch and release crowd of trout fishermen (one of the most delicate of fish by the way) catch and release fish constantly and in a day or so often catch the same fish. And on the Clearwater river of Idaho, large double digit steelhead are caught and released regularly. They report catching the same fish within days of release. All depends on conditions and how the fish are handled. Trout caught in warm waters of summer need to be played fast and released quickly with minimal or no removal from the water to allow quick revival.

Other species that are much more hardy under stress like spiny rays I.e. bass and such recover even faster and with rare mortality. As had been pointed out, fish under stress are not going to eat your free worm. It wasn’t a silly question, but the answer is just common sense.

Able Man Loc: North Coast (Cleveland, Ohio)

Captan Lahti wrote:

While it sounds like a humane thing to do, it’s a ... (show quote)

Just 2B clear, on my own personal "catch and release" of the past: these fish were too short, to (legally/ ethically) make a meal of.