Catch & Release Works

[Eskimo]

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Do you have any amazing catch & release stores to share?

Last month I was fishing for perch on a very well known and heavily fished New Jersey reservoir when the tiny lure was hit by a stocky sixteen-inch Largemouth Bass with a distinctive ulcerating tumor between his right eye and mouth. I managed to land the fat boy on a light rod and proceeded to take some selfies with him.

When I went to pull the hook I noticed he was hooked in a precarious spot where the gill meets the bottom of his mouth. I probably should have cut the line, but I reasoned it was a small hook and popped out the hook.

I was startled when his mouth was suddenly filled with blood. When I placed the fish back in the water, he swam away but there was so much blood the water looked like someone just dumped a can of fruit punch in the lake.

I felt horrible that the bass was released in such poor shape. I never want to kill a bass, but if you stick hooks in enough fish, you're going to make a few bad releases.

The next week I was fishing for perch in the exact same spot and to my surprise the I caught the same bass again! It was easily identifiable by the tumor on his face. This time the bass had somebody else's heavy-duty snelled line and a snap-swivel protruding from his esophagus.

I was amazed. In one weeks time, this bass was:
*caught by me
*released bleeding profusely
*recovered enough to be caught again by someone else
*this time he was gut hooked
* caught for a third time by me again!
* released

I learned a few things from this experience.
1) Bass can recover from a hook injury if you get them right back into the water.
2) The fishing pressure on this reservoir is intense.

Think about it. If that bass is getting caught three times in one week - how many times has that bass been caught this year? How times in a fish's life is he caught and released before a bad release or some selfish jackhole kills him?


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Here is a picture of the bass. Noticed the tumor and the snell with the snap-and-swivel. The small hook in his upper lip is mine.

[bowzonly]

Is there any public water in NJ that don't get hammered? Me thinks not.

[jimcnj]

Tuff Joisey bass!

[Lard Almighty]

I have several catch and release success stories.

Once I was fishing Lake Champlain, and the guide broke off a bass on the hookset. A couple hours later we were fishing the same spot, and the guide caught the fish he broke off. On the same lure, no less!

On more than one occasion I have caught fish with a length of mono sticking out its butthole. Oddly, I have only ever encountered this with smallmouth bass.

I have caught two wild tiger trout in my life. In both cases, I caught the same tiger trout from the same spot a few days later.

I once caught a pickerel and hooked it badly in the gills. I brought it home and put it in my fish tank. Even with half its gills severely damaged, the fish survived in the tank for a year.

My policy is, if I catch a fish and it is hooked badly, and I have no use bringing it home, I release it and give it a chance. Fish constantly surprise me with how tough they are.

[jimmythegreek]

I have caught the same 1 eyed hybrid this year and last year both times at nite. Hes got a scar above his left eye looks like a bad treble hooking that took out his eye, its all white and grey. Hes grown a few inches and at least a pound so they can do fine w a handicap. Theres a nice musky in LH that Dante has caught 3 times over the years that has a bad eye as well, C+R does work and its the only way to fish freshwater

[CabesaRoja]

There used to be this one Rock Bass in the lake right by my house and he'd always be sitting in the exact same spot for around 3 years. Was the fattest fish I've ever seen, always had a giant belly. Was actually keeping tabs on him to see if he would one day hit the state record. But I haven't seen him in a while, I think someone took him since he was visible from the shoreline. Here's the last few pics I have of him from maybe 2 years ago or so.

[thyer]

Was fishing on a remote lake in the Adirondacks and couldn't stop catching the large mouth, epic day. Landed this one fish that had a distinct round mark on the side of his head, release and caught same fish an hour later 3/4 of a mile away.