Not sure what I did wrong. Bass died! 2024

Jonathan Ellingwood reply :

Hi guys , I'm a 100 percent catch and release!! Last night I caught a bass and it was hooked through tongue. Tried to get it out with my hands no success. So I put fish back in water had my wife hold pole while I ran inside to get pliers . I was just fishing my back yard. I finally got hook out and he didn't make it !! I am disgusted with my self! What did I do wrong ? I never want this to happen again.

BrianinMD reply :

You did nothing wrong, it happens.

Most likely the hook hit a blood vessel that runs down the tongue.

scaleface reply :

The bass died while it was under your wife's watch . Hmmm. Dont leave bass alone with her anymore . Bass lives matter .

Jonathan Ellingwood reply :

Go the bass didn't die while she had it in water it was alive, I just want to make sure I can release fish as healthy as possible.

roadwarrior reply :

You did your best, but these things happen. On a brighter note, just remember how many bass you have released successfully.

Bluebasser86 reply :

Fishing is a blood sport. I don't eat any fish I catch, yet I'm sure I'm responsible for the deaths of dozens of fish. I know I had one die on me fishing a small lake in my kayak 2 weeks ago. Wasn't hooked deep, wasn't bleeding, hook came out like normal and it swam off fine. 5 minutes later it was on it's side doing the death dance. The only bass I ever got mounted didn't make it because it was hooked deep. It happens from time to time, nothing you can do about it. Best thing is to have someone on standby to take a fish when they don't make it, at least they don't go to waste then.

CNYBassin reply :

Hooking fish in the tongue lowers their chances of survival versus hooking them in the mouth or lips. Although I'm not sure exactly by how much BUT: Their tongue has major blood vessels run through it, and the heart is not very far back behind the tongue. If it gets punctured, there's not much you can do other than remove the hook as quickly as possible, and release the fish as quickly as possible. You can also buy some Please Release Me or Catch & Release, rub a bit on your finger, and then rub your finger on the puncture in the tongue. It's a coagulant and it may help prevent any more trauma. All you can do at that point is release him and hope for the best.

You didn't do anything wrong though. This is just the chance we take when catch & release fishing. Nothing to be ashamed of. The point is you tried. Clean him up and make a meal out of him.

Red Bear reply :

On 8/22/2016 at 6:47 PM, Jonathan Ellingwood said:

Hi guys , I'm a 100 percent catch and release!! Last night I caught a bass and it was hooked through tongue. Tried to get it out with my hands no success. So I put fish back in water had my wife hold pole while I ran inside to get pliers . I was just fishing my back yard. I finally got hook out and he didn't make it !! I am disgusted with my self! What did I do wrong ? I never want this to happen again.

First thing i would say is, if you dont want to potentially injure or kill a fish, then dont fish at all. It happens to everyone for various reasons at some point in time. There is no need to be disgusted with yourself or feel bad about it. No one wants it to happen while catching and releasing, but at times its going to. Also, always have your pliers with you, even if the house is a few steps away. It may not have saved the fish to get the hook out quicker, but you never know...

golfrnut reply :

I went to smashing my barbs down about 3 months ago. May I lose a fish or two every now and again? Most probably. But less stress on me and the fish when I get them to the boat. If one breaks off, I don't worry quite as much about them being able to eventually throw the hook either.

Jonathan Ellingwood reply :

Thanks for the info guys I'm new to fishing and have not run into this before, first fish I have lost and want to do what ever I can to not let it happen again! What a great sport . I never fished or hunted growing up.

Bass Turd reply :

Don't worry. Your bass's distant cousin on his mother's side twice removed will get even with you by shaking a trebble hook bait and burrying it deep in your finger. When that happens look at the bass eye to eye smile a bit and wink. Balance is restored.

Josh Smith reply :

I lost one for years ago. I gut hooked it on a Mann's Jelly Worm Texas rig. I tried to remove the hook and killed the fish. Now, I leave the hook I'd it's not in the lip.

Josh

WRB reply :

Catch & release has become a cult. I am all for releasing big bass because these fish are rare compared to the overall bass population and should be handled with care.

Bass, largemouth, spotted and smallmouth are a renewable resource and should be harvested within state regulations to keep the fishery healthy.

Tournament bass fishing promotes catch & release more for image than practical purposes and this image has become common practice with recreational bass anglers. Small lakes and ponds can be over harvested and under harvested, balance or selective harvest is the key to healthy bass populations.

I will get off my soap box and simply ask every bass angler handle their catch with respeact. If you severely injure or kill a bass take it home and eat it, don't waste it.

Tom

fishballer06 reply :

It happens. Next time, keep some pliers with you so that you don't have to leave the fish.

Hook removal is easier if you pinch off the barb on your hooks. You might lose a few more fish during the fight, but it will make hook removal easier.

Rhino68W reply :

On 8/23/2016 at 12:14 AM, Josh Smith said:

I lost one for years ago. I gut hooked it on a Mann's Jelly Worm Texas rig. I tried to remove the hook and killed the fish. Now, I leave the hook I'd it's not in the lip.

Josh

Try to learn how to get those out. There is a good thread and video about this somewhere else on this forum.

Catt reply :

OK take his man card & ban him for life

Choporoz reply :

On 8/23/2016 at 12:38 AM, Catt said:

OK take his man card & ban him for life

Pretty harsh....and not necessary...I already forwarded his info to PETA

Bass Turd reply :

On 8/23/2016 at 12:41 AM, Choporoz said:

Pretty harsh....and not necessary...I already forwarded his info to PETA

PETA = People Eating Tasty Animals

Fun4Me reply :

I know it sucks to kill a fish one wants to release back, but it's just a part of fishing.

If you catch and kill a fish, take it home, give it to somebody or just let it be, The turtles, birds, and others need to eat too. I don't like the taste of bass generally speaking, so if I can't find someone to give it to, I leave it for nature to take care of.

J Francho reply :

I think too many blame the hook removal on the death of a fish, and therefore believe they should leave the hook in, and cut it off. I've removed enough of these cutoff hooks to see the effects: skinny fish that are able and willing to eat (they bit my lure, duh!), but cannot due to a hook blocking their esophagus. The real culprit in my opinion is time out of the water. You spend so much time trying to get the deep hook out that the fish suffocates. Be prepared!

geo g reply :

All of us dedicated to releasing big bass sometimes lose a bass especially smaller ones that are harder to remove from the hook. Its not that big a deal, but just practice all the best techniques of hook removal. The quarry is in better shape then it was 30 years ago thanks to catch and release efforts. It is just something that occasionally happens to everyone that fishes.

blckshirt98 reply :

I've lost a few fish as well after unhooking them, it's just a part of the deal. I felt bad after seeing the guys floating belly up but I didn't feel bad enough where I'll stop fishing. Just take solace in the fact that a bird will probably swoop down and eat it, or, it'll sink to the bottom and some crawdads or other creatures will feed off of it, so it's not really going to waste, just going back into the food chain.

WRB reply :

There are several studies that indicate barbless hooks do more damage than barb hooks do to deeper penetration into vital organs. I agree that time out of water is a major stress for fish and the general rule of about 1 minute seems to work most of the time.

We have had this debate many times. IF you put a bass in your livewell the servival rate drops due to poor DO levels, warmer water temps and water contamination in the livewell. If you don't tournament fish no reason to put bass in a livewell. The livewell can harm them lowering the servival rate anywhere from 3% to 30% of the bass will die after being released.

Tom

J Francho reply :

I don't think you can make generalizations about live well systems. Not all are created equal. Many use a water conditioner as well. I'd argue that water in my live well was better suited to holding fish than the lake. I've used it as a recovery area for injured fish. Sure Life makes Catch and Release - great product for anyone that tournament fishes. So good the Share-A-Lunker program in Texas recommends it. No one that uses a live well should be without it, along with things to control high temps, thermometer, and some hydrogen peroxide.
You can find plenty of video on how to improve survival rates if you look at their site.

http://www.sure-life.com/pro_CATCH_AND_RELEASE.html

WRB reply :

John a good managed livewell with water temps no greater than 10 degrees from the water temps the bass live in 70 being ideal, DO level maintained at around 7 to 10 mg/L will keep bass healthy with Please Release Me and Catch & Release additives. 1/2 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide to 15 gallons of water is a good emergency treatment.

How many weekend tournament or recreational bass fisherman maintain their livewell.....very few!

Most bass anglers believe bass are tough fish like catfish that can be mishandled and servive and that isn't true. Bass can take more punishment than trout, still can't breath oxygen O2, it must be dissolved DO between 3 to 12 mg/L.

Get off my soap box again.

Tom

J Francho reply :

On 8/23/2016 at 3:35 AM, WRB said:

How many weekend tournament or recreational bass fisherman maintain their livewell.....very few!

I used to do a yearly seminar on this for my club. You can't get off the soap box for this one.

Raul reply :

On 8/22/2016 at 6:47 PM, Jonathan Ellingwood said:

Hi guys , I'm a 100 percent catch and release!! Last night I caught a bass and it was hooked through tongue. Tried to get it out with my hands no success. So I put fish back in water had my wife hold pole while I ran inside to get pliers . I was just fishing my back yard. I finally got hook out and he didn't make it !! I am disgusted with my self! What did I do wrong ? I never want this to happen again.

Fishing is a blood sport and unlike hunting you can actually release your catch to be caught again hopefully by you when it weights 10 lbs more, but since it´s a blood sport stuff can happen every now and then, if a fish you caught dies and you feel bad about it then ---> get yourself another hobby, golf for example ( even though some bird or a chipmunk may be injured by a ball ) you say you are 100% catch and release, I´m going to ask you, can you demonstrate that 100% of those fish you caught and released are actually alive ? seeing them swim away doesn´t mean they survived.

The fish dies, bad luck, stuff happens ---> "Dear Mr/s dead bass meet Mrs. Frying Pan ! "

A-Jay reply :

Fish long enough - we're going to kill a few sometimes despite our best efforts. C & R is good and so is eating some ( just not fond of bass but do chow hard on a few others).

As for dead bass going to waste - most all of the habitats I'm fishing have a very health population of all kinds of "Dead Bass" eating critters; including but not limited to Eagles, Loons, Turtles, Catfish and I'm sure there's a few more I have listed. So if & when I've release one and for whatever reason it ends up floating behind the boat, it's not long before it's chow for something. And I bet they appreciate it too.

A-Jay

J Francho reply :

On 8/23/2016 at 3:59 AM, A-Jay said:

I'm sure there's a few more

Otters, fox, seagulls and herons are four more I've seen eating deceased bass.

Jonathan Ellingwood reply :

Some of the tough guys in here make me laugh, again I'm new to fishing, and love it. I never got to do this growing up. I dedicate all my time to baseball and boxing and then ended up in the Marine Corps and then became a PGA pro. I now am a tower crane operator and have seen how fishing is an amazing sport. I was just looking for some advice on how to not to harm the fish. I'm very happy for all the people that came out of the womb as professional anglers . For the rest thank you so much for your input. If it ever happens again wich I'm sure it will I guess I will have bass for the first time.

J Francho reply :

Soak the fillets in buttermilk over night, and deep fry them in tempura or beer batter.

It goes down a little easier.

blckshirt98 reply :

On 8/23/2016 at 3:35 AM, WRB said:

Bass can take more punishment than trout

Trout have got to be the wussiest fish around. Those things die if you just breathe on them funny.

iiTzChunky reply :

On 8/22/2016 at 7:33 PM, scaleface said:

The bass died while it was under your wife's watch . Hmmm. Dont leave bass alone with her anymore . Bass lives matter .

I'm gonna start making t shirts that say this. Gonna make a killing.

Caliyak reply :

On 8/22/2016 at 7:33 PM, scaleface said:

The bass died while it was under your wife's watch . Hmmm. Dont leave bass alone with her anymore . Bass lives matter .

LOL, can't stop laughing.

On 8/23/2016 at 4:30 AM, Jonathan Ellingwood said:

Some of the tough guys in here make me laugh, again I'm new to fishing, and love it. I never got to do this growing up. I dedicate all my time to baseball and boxing and then ended up in the Marine Corps and then became a PGA pro. I now am a tower crane operator and have seen how fishing is an amazing sport. I was just looking for some advice on how to not to harm the fish. I'm very happy for all the people that came out of the womb as professional anglers . For the rest thank you so much for your input. If it ever happens again wich I'm sure it will I guess I will have bass for the first time.

Jon, in golf, I'm sure you have hit a bird, duck, car or home. Same thing. Accidents happen and we just move along. Don't let this one incident sour your fishing. Enjoy it and have fun.

Further North reply :

In order of importance:

You didn't do anything wrong.
Time out of the water is key.
- If you need to get a tool (like get your pliers) or make some other adjustment, put the fish back in the water.
- Imagine holding your breath for 90 seconds...that's the perspective that's important.
Crimp your barbs. You'll lose some fish. So what? Unless you're fishing a tournament for money that's important to feeding your family...who cares? The ones you do catch will be way easier to unhook.
- I target pike and muskie a lot.
  - Most of them get released without ever coming in the boat.
  - Most can be released by grabbing the shank of the hook and rotating it out...without a net.
  - Most of the rest can be released by getting them in the net to get them in control...then doing the same.
- If I can do this routinely with 25" - 50" fish weighing 15 to 25 pounds...anyone can do it with a bass.
You're gonna lose some.
- Either eat 'em, or...
- Give them to someone who will eat them, or...
- Recognize that Ma Nature has a system for this. Nothing goes to waste.

C&R has become a religion of sorts among fisherman...and like most religions, it suffers form occasional bouts of extremism. Bass and musky fisherman seem to have the current grasp on that extremism. Don't let it get to you.

Josh Smith reply :

On 8/23/2016 at 12:30 AM, Rhino68W said:

Try to learn how to get those out. There is a good thread and video about this somewhere else on this forum.

It was a smallish bass and a large hook. No room to work.

Josh

GORDO reply :

On 8/23/2016 at 4:30 AM, Jonathan Ellingwood said:

Some of the tough guys in here make me laugh, again I'm new to fishing, and love it. I never got to do this growing up. I dedicate all my time to baseball and boxing and then ended up in the Marine Corps and then became a PGA pro. I now am a tower crane operator and have seen how fishing is an amazing sport. I was just looking for some advice on how to not to harm the fish. I'm very happy for all the people that came out of the womb as professional anglers . For the rest thank you so much for your input. If it ever happens again wich I'm sure it will I guess I will have bass for the first time.

Thank you for your service. Glad you now see why we all love fishing! Killing a fish happens, it sucks but it does. With your mind state of handling the bass you will have a low mortality rate. Just do what you can!

Spankey reply :

I've had it happen to me a couple of time also. I did not like it and also felt bad because I feel I handle fish as well as anybody. I don't play fish until exhaustion. It just happened. Both times it was while worm fishing. Not in the tongue, not hooked deep. I decided to clean them and give them away. Was ok with doing that. This is a good thread you started. Fish on. It might happen again someday and it will be easier to reason with. Move on, fish on.

Don't agree with livewell opinion. I have a good system that works.

bayouXpress reply :

eat em!!

N Florida Mike reply :

Just recently I set the hook on a bass near my dock area.He was a tiny 6 incher.He flew through the air and bonked off my kayak.When I went to release him he was already dead.So I threw him back.Immediately,a catfish swam up and started eating him.A dead fish in the water never goes to waste.

I usually eat gut hooked bass.I carry a cooler and use it like a live well,since I mainly fish out of a 12 foot Jon boat.I watch a possibly injured fish for awhile.If they look OK I eventually release them.If they die they get filleted.As my dad used to say"Waste makes want"

hunterPRO1 reply :

It's one fish don't beat yourself up over it, imo just don't let the fish go to waste.

(I've eaten bass before, they taste good)

I release fish most of the time but sometimes I do fish for food (the entire reason that man came up with fishing) most of the bass I keep are between 2 and 5 lbs never any over 8 except one which was not going to make it anyway

Those things happen, it's part of it.

jesse.seybold reply :

for everyone saying that a fish is wasted if you dont take it home. It's not wasted regardless. I don't alwasy agree with catch and release. A decent culling is good for the eco system of ponds/ lakes. however now a days in ponds and small lakes people tend to fish them dry. A fish that dies on the water will be eaten, as that fish has eaten so many things in its time. Easy peezy nothing to worry about. I'm a catch and release guy too, however a fish dying isn't always a bad thing. Just like deer over population can cause stunted growth due to sufficient food in the habitat.

Evan Lip Ripper reply :

On 8/22/2016 at 8:48 PM, Bluebasser86 said:

Fishing is a blood sport. I don't eat any fish I catch, yet I'm sure I'm responsible for the deaths of dozens of fish. I know I had one die on me fishing a small lake in my kayak 2 weeks ago. Wasn't hooked deep, wasn't bleeding, hook came out like normal and it swam off fine. 5 minutes later it was on it's side doing the death dance. The only bass I ever got mounted didn't make it because it was hooked deep. It happens from time to time, nothing you can do about it. Best thing is to have someone on standby to take a fish when they don't make it, at least they don't go to waste then.

Was it hooked on the mouth? Deep in the mouth? I don't mean in the gullet.

Bluebasser86 reply :

On 5/4/2017 at 9:53 AM, Evan Lip Ripper said:

H

Was it hooked on the mouth? Deep in the mouth? I don't mean in the gullet.

Correct, not in the gullet, but pretty far back.

Evan Lip Ripper reply :

On 5/4/2017 at 10:02 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

Correct, not in the gullet, but pretty far back.

Maybe it hit the brain pan.

Bluebasser86 reply :

On 5/4/2017 at 10:45 AM, Evan Lip Ripper said:

Maybe it hit the brain pan.

That's what I was guessing but it's only happened to little fish forme, never a big one like the OP is asking about.

BassNJake reply :

On 8/23/2016 at 12:14 AM, Josh Smith said:

I lost one for years ago. I gut hooked it on a Mann's Jelly Worm Texas rig. I tried to remove the hook and killed the fish. Now, I leave the hook I'd it's not in the lip.

Josh

I was pond fishing and gut hooked a smaller bass on a line thru swimbait. Since I dont eat fish, I left it for the turtles to eat.

When I went back the next day there was a half eaten bass and feathers everywhere. After I searched around a little more I found a dead bird of prey( my guess is a hawk) and my treble hook was caught in the beak and neck. I'm guessing all the feathers were from the last moments of that birds life struggling to remove my hook that killed 2 animals.

Now, if I cant get the hook out. I'll keep the fish.

RPreeb reply :

On 8/23/2016 at 4:30 AM, Jonathan Ellingwood said:

Some of the tough guys in here make me laugh, again I'm new to fishing, and love it. I never got to do this growing up. I dedicate all my time to baseball and boxing and then ended up in the Marine Corps and then became a PGA pro. I now am a tower crane operator and have seen how fishing is an amazing sport. I was just looking for some advice on how to not to harm the fish. I'm very happy for all the people that came out of the womb as professional anglers . For the rest thank you so much for your input. If it ever happens again wich I'm sure it will I guess I will have bass for the first time.

I'm a golfer too, as well as a recently refreshed angler (just trying to get back into some bass fishing after a 50 year hiatus), and I don't like killing them either, unless the intent is to fry them. However, it's going to happen from time to time and there really isn't anything you can do about it but accept it if you want to keep on fishing. I once killed a killdeer playing golf (low screaming thinned 3W), and I've hit geese several times, so that's not a guarantee either.

Bass fillets, seasoned, battered and deep fried and served with tartar sauce really don't taste much different from any other deep fried fish. Yeah, they aren't as tasty as walleye, but then what freshwater fish is?

flg2010 reply :

I always say be extra careful with pre season bass.... at least where I am if DEP officers see it dead.. your liikely getting a summons.

Dixie Chicken reply :

WOW now THIS is a classic 'thread revival'.

We also do C&R, but I gotta' say that if it's injured, like gut hooked for instance..... that puppy is going in the pan. My wife gut hooked a hybrid on our first outing this year, it wasn't big enough to keep, but it was a goner no matter. Put that puppy in the livewell and ended up making a couple little fillets out of it. Those puppies were taaaaa-ssssteeeee.

I agree with the other post however in that it's responsible to the ecosystem to actually remove fish from it. Same reason why there is a gator season, deer season, ducks, you name it. I don't hunt, although I have in the past. Just don't like the taste of deer, (other than the back strap). We have a creek out back and a deer stand down there, with plenty of deer every year. Love to look at them, just not hunting them.

Fishing however, I just love fish. I'll eat fish, pretty much any kind of fish. Thing is, as far as sport fishing we got busy raising kids and haven't done any real fishing for 30 years. We've rented houses at the lake and done a little here and there, but I don't like to bank fish, ergo I just didn't fish. By my wife's directions last year however "you need a four wheel drive truck to pull that bass boat you've always wanted", so in order to make sure she was happy, I went out and found us one! After losing her folks back-to-back she realized that time is short, and the happiest times in her life were when she was on the lake with her Daddy.... fishing. (Did the same with mine, for decades. So we just did it, and should have YEARS ago!)

This year has been more than awesome. Much, much, MUCH more than awesome..... just getting out on the lake and going back to doing what our dads brought us up doing.... fishing.

Oddly enough, speaking of 'in season'; non venomous snakes are off limits no matter what the season around here. Although when I look on my front porch and there's a 6' rat snake, that puppy better go hide before I get my machete! And no, we don't live in the sticks.... actually it's a large lot subdivision, but this boy feels like a big snake needs to stay in snakeville, and NOT on my porch or in my garage. OTOH, not once, but TWICE there has been a copperhead in our garage!

And TWICE they've left the garage in many more pieces than whence they came.

NorthwestBasser reply :

Don't sweat it man, sometimes fish die. I'm pure catch and release and believe in it fully. But I don't beat myself up when a fish dies or I dont think it's gonna make it. Also, I release fish that are tongue hooked or bleeding bad. I don't keep em and grill them. If by some chance it can make it, that won't happen if I fillet it. And if it does die, contrary to what alot of people think, it's not wasted. There is a full food chain out there that will consume and recycle that fish. Not saying I float dead fish, but I will release a dying fish. Just the way I do it

Evan Lip Ripper reply :

On 5/5/2017 at 12:01 AM, BassNJake said:

I was pond fishing and gut hooked a smaller bass on a line thru swimbait. Since I dont eat fish, I left it for the turtles to eat.

When I went back the next day there was a half eaten bass and feathers everywhere. After I searched around a little more I found a dead bird of prey( my guess is a hawk) and my treble hook was caught in the beak and neck. I'm guessing all the feathers were from the last moments of that birds life struggling to remove my hook that killed 2 animals.

Now, if I cant get the hook out. I'll keep the fish.

The gut hook removal technique is to go through the gills and rotate the hook instead of cutting the line or ripping out the hook.

Evan Lip Ripper reply :

On 8/23/2016 at 12:14 AM, Josh Smith said:

I lost one for years ago. I gut hooked it on a Mann's Jelly Worm Texas rig. I tried to remove the hook and killed the fish. Now, I leave the hook I'd it's not in the lip.

Josh

How did you try removing the hook?

clh121787 reply :

I keep a fillet knife and gallon freezer bags in the boat. For that reason or crappie or cats sandies. Fried fish is probably in my top 5 all time favorite eats. If you use dikes and cut from the gills to the spine while they're still alive. They will taste awesome. I like to do this on a stringer and then put in ice.

10553

Not sure what I did wrong. Bass died! 2024

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