It’s a question without an absolute answer.

Regardless of how careful you are in your practices and how barbless your hooks are, you will injure and probably kill a few fish by catching them. That’s a fact, not an opinion.

Regardless of whether fish “feel” pain, it certainly does not provide them any benefit to be caught, and seems to cause them a certain level of biological distress, all for our pleasure/amusement.

Given the above, whether it’s unethical/immoral depends on your ethics and morals and whether the potential harm is worth the gain.

We make these kinds of decisions all day everyday. The new iPhone I want was probably assembled by a 9 year old with a gun to her head, driving to the river created c02. I essentially paid an assassin to murder every hamburger I’ve ever eaten.....the list of moral quandaries is long, and the list of definitive answers is short, so that is why I do not add fly fishing to the list.

I fish because I fish.

Enjoy.

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by data_monkey_6

Its good, look at the reviews on amazon, thats where I found it. But make sure you know there’s alot of catfish where your fishing too before you say something doesn’t work or give up on it (i dont mean that in a rude way). This was my first time trying it, only bought it cause I couldn’t find chicken liver and it’s alot less messy and easier to deal with too so thats a plus. This pond i’ve been fishing at is stocked with catfish and bass too so I know they’re there, definitely would’ve caught more if turtles didn’t keep stealing my bait.

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by downsouthflorida