last rites

[phill_itofish]

just to through another twist into this thread how do we stad on live baiting ? because in reality is that not killing undersized fish ??

Personaly speeking i do my best to get undersize or fish i'm not keeping back safe and well but if they dont survive i'm sure the birds, fish, crabs and worms will make sure there not wasted all together!

[phill_itofish]

Talking of killing fish, does anyone use a disgorger for undersize fish? I hate seeing them belly up when theyre deep hooked and dying (in fact I ve gone home a few times when there are tons of whiting about rather than kill loads by accident). Are there any disgorgers out there that do the trick??? The ones Ive seen are all for coarse fish or huge sea fish (sharks, conger etc.)

would a course/game fishing one not do the trick?

or what i've started doing size 3/0 and 5/0 hooks on my pennels not many small fish going to get deep hooked on them :P

[The Great Wallsendo]

You can get forceps, disgorgers, T Bars, gemini disgorgers...there's loads designed for the sea fishing market...problem is if you've got 10 sausages on your fingers and a grip like Thor himself the little fish is still not going to survive

[mark]

Personaly speeking i do my best to get undersize or fish i'm not keeping back safe and well but if they dont survive i'm sure the birds, fish, crabs and worms will make sure there not wasted all together!

absolutely, at least they're in the right part of the food chain, better than getting dumped in the bin or left on the pier

I've cut the hook off a few and seen em swim away. does the hook rot away quick enough for them to survive I wonder??

might drop a hook in a bucket of sea water and see how long it takes

I s'pose even if they don't, they are once again out there in the food chain

[Charlie_Thompson]

Trouble is, a lot of fish are thrown back alive like small banana's and they don't survive... even though it's captor has the best of intentions by releasing it! Ive seen fish been released by hurling them 10 to 20ft back into the surf. As soon as a fish is touched by human hand then it looses it's slimy membrane coating which protects it. Trying to unhook a sea fish in the surf or leaning from a rock edge without the fish leaving the water is practically impossible or dangerous - so what is the answer?

I've recently found out that that this "Fact" is vigorously contested - I have mentioned it in relation to mackerel and how fish should be shook off, as just one fingerprint will burn their skin off and let the water in so they drown (Eh!) Many argue that mere contact with bare human hands does not cause terminal damage. Salmon anglers, are rightly concerned with correctly returning rare and valuable fish and I have seen it argued that their natural behaviour sees them battered and abused much more than careful handling with wet hands will ever do, to no ill effect.

On the other hand as mark has already mentioned the "Fact" that leaving hooks in fish will not harm them as the salt water and stomach acids will melt them like butter in a matter of hours seems equally dodgy

[The Great Wallsendo]

http://www.nesa.co.uk/forums/shore-fishing/13450-killing-fish.html

[Charlie_Thompson]

http://www.nesa.co.uk/forums/shore-f...ling-fish.html

Just had a scan thinking "OMG what the flip did I say" I must have been on a sensible one as I fully agree with everyting I had to say

When I see the picture of a guy with a 5ft 20lb Ling I ask myself "is he gonna eat all that fish?"

That little jem caught my eye though - the answer is to obviously chop the ling in half and throw the half you can't manage in one sitting back. Ling are like them skelingtons in Jason and the Angrynuts. I read it on a forum

The "Half Ling Come Back To Life" forum obviously.

[cod basher]

http://www.nesa.co.uk/forums/shore-f...ling-fish.html

Interesting link Tony, certainly an eye opener and food for thought.