Thread: Gut hooked fish.

It happens, you did what you had to do.

That is the legal/ethical thing to do, and what the CO's will tell you to do.

I know how you feel, as it bothers me when I do it .... but, you can't legally keep it, so you have to depend on Ma Nature to put that fish to good use feeding other critters.

it bothers me also. i just hope that he feeds a bald eagle and that helps me get past it

Guys, I agree on the gut hook stuff, but I guess the officers have had this excuse for years for undersized fish. (it was gut hooked so I kept it). I Bluegill fish a lot, so if I have a few smaller Gut hooked fish, I keep them on ice and fillet them, rather than throw them back and hope a turtle eats them. My most frustration is with the FINs Lakes and the Trout the KDFW do such a good job of stocking. I see people catch trout that the KDFW spend a pile of time growing and stocking in the lakes and I see people fish for these without a trout stamp (which is legal), basically gut hook them and thrown back in to die and most are thrown up on the bank so they can watch a Crane eat them. The cranes around the two FIN lakes here(Georgetown) at least eat most of them and will walk within 5ft of you when you catch any fish, looking for a meal.

Bothers me too.. but have to throw them back per the law.

I don’t like killing fish I’m not going to keep either, but.... the turtles and birds gotta eat too


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Years ago KDFWR had a one under rule for largemouth. An old CO told me they did away with that because it was meant for good but boats he checked say, if 4 people aboard would have 4 supposedly dying bass in the boat....hence this rule is in force. Those 9 15/16 inch fish kill me when we can't keep them.

Do like i do cut the line as close to the mouth and turn them lose.the fish will eventually get rid of the hook.