Hook In or Out?

By Ralph Manns

"When a bass is deep-hooked, just cut the leader close to the hook and let it go. It'll be fine because the hook will rust out."

How many times have you heard that advice? Bet you didn't know it's nothing more or less than bum dope, given the results of some modern-day scientific studies. Some years ago, the late-Doug Hannon noted that hooks left in bass to rust out is a problem because they simply don't rust out fast enough, even in salt water. He also suggested that leaving the shank of a hook pointing up the throat of a bass acts like a lever or trap door that prevents swallowing, thus causing the bass to die of starvation while waiting for normal body processes to eject the hook.

As Hannon explained, "Food coming down a bass' throat will bypass a hook shank IF the shank lies tightly against the side of the throat where the barb is lodged. However, if the shank protrudes into the throat, food coming down can push the shank across the esophagus, thus blocking it. Deep-hooked bass even may feel pain as the food rotates the barb and regurgitate the food."

Those observations were scientifically verified by John Foster, recreational fisheries coordinator for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, who studied striped bass at Chesapeake Bay. His researchers held throat-hooked stripers between 16 and 28 inches long for observation in half-strength seawater, so that hooks had ample opportunity to rust away. Size 1/0 and 2/0 stainless steel, bronzed, nickel, tin, and tin-cadmium hooks were hooked in the top of each fish's esophagus, with an 18-inch length of line connected to the hook.

After four months, 78 percent of the hooks still were imbedded. Cadmium-coated hooks poisoned 20 percent of the fish, and production of these hooks was stopped. Bronzed hooks were less likely (70 percent) to be retained than tin-cadmium (80 percent), or stainless steel (100 percent) hooks.

In a second test, the line was clipped at the eye of the hook, as advised by most existing catch-and-release (C&R) guides. One hundred percent of the stainless hooks again were retained, while 56 percent of tin, 76 percent of bronze, 84 percent of tin-cadmium, and 88 percent of nickel hooks remained. Fish mortality was greater when all line was trimmed. Foster theorized that the lengths of line hanging from a fish's mouth kept the hook shank flat against the side of the esophagus and allowed food to pass. Without the line, food could move the hook and close the throat.

Meanwhile, hooks rusted slowly in stages, and the bend and barb became smaller very gradually. Stripers formed scar tissue around imbedded hook points, a typical reaction of body tissue to foreign matter. Foster noted, however, that once the tough scar tissue formed, hooks became more, not less, difficult to remove. Months after fish were hooked, infections sometimes developed around points, causing some deaths.

Based on his research, Foster recommended anglers carefully remove even deeply imbedded hooks. If the hook cannot be removed, then it seems better to leave about 18 inches of line attached. Perhaps someday, these findings will reach C&R anglers, the biologists who are researching C&R and publish C&R guidelines, and TV anglers who teach by their example.

Another good idea is to carry strong wire-cutting pliers. Cut off protruding barbs in the throat, and the hook shank falls free easily.

Texas reseachers have compared the mortality of largemouth bass hooked with live bait and artificial lures. Their main finding: "There is no biological justification to regulate use of live bait to catch bass."

In two separate tests, largemouth bass in a private water were landed by TPWD anglers using Carolina-rigged scented plastic worms, crankbaits with multiple treble hooks, and live carp fished with either a Carolina rig or a float. To simulate normal fishing conditions, anglers with different levels of expertise were used.

While fishing with floats, anglers were instructed to delay hooksets until floats went completely under, simulating the way typical amateur anglers fish with unattended rods. Under all other conditions, anglers were to strike immediately upon feeling a hit. Captured bass were immediately examined to identify hook-related injuries. When bass were hooked deep in the throat, the line was cut and hook left in place. (TPWD did not identify whether the cut was made in the traditional way, near the hook, or with line hanging out the fish's mouth.) Bass then were kept in a large holding net over a 72-hour observation period to determine short-term mortality rates. Sixty bass were taken, using each method. Tests were made in August, when water was warm and stress and mortality are normally high.

The average mortality under these worst-case conditions was 22 percent. Carolina rigs with scented worms caused the highest mortality, followed by live carp used under floats, crankbaits, and Carolina-rigged carp minnows.

TPWD biologists concluded that the timing of the hookset appeared more critical than the type of bait used in the determination of short-term death rates. The data showed bass hooked in the throat had poor survival odds. Evidently, largemouth bass took both lures and live bait fully into their mouths almost immediately. The bass pros' advice to strike without delay is important to reduce fish mortality. Angling techniques that delay hooksets should be avoided.

Carolina-rig and worm combos likely killed more fish because the loose-floating leader prevented immediate detection of some strikes, and flavored worms are easily swallowed or held in the back of a bass' mouth. Eighteen percent of bass taken on rigs with worms were throat-hooked.

In contrast, Carolina rigs with live bait and live bait under floats caused less mortality, likely because live preyfish often are held in a bass' mouth for a few seconds, killed, and turned to be swallowed headfirst. This gives anglers a few seconds more to detect hits before baits are ingested. The decision to delay hits when live bait was used with floats and to strike immediately with Carolina-rigged baits likely caused the different mortality rates of these two techniques. Nevertheless, 10 percent of bass hooked on Carolina-rigged live baits were hooked in the esophagus.

It is no surprise that crankbaits are less likely to be swallowed, as their artificial nature is immediately detectable to fish. When fisheries are managed primarily for C&R or trophy bass production, it may be appropriate to ban use of multiple rods to reduce delayed hooksets, or to limit lures to items unlikely to be swallowed. In any case, C&R sportsmen will want to avoid techniques that delay hooksets, like fishing with unattended rods.

The TPWD study showed that bass hooked in the tongue and esophagus had about a 50 percent chance of dying, while bass hooked in the lips, mouth, jaw, or roof of mouth had 25 percent or less mortality. Interestingly, only 12.5 percent of gill-hooked fish died. This finding suggests anglers who kill and eat or mount gill-damaged bass because "they are unlikely to live" are in error.

TPWD also compared the survival of bass when they were bleeding and when leaders were cut and hooks left in the fish. Removing hooks improved bass survival when bass were not bleeding. But there was little difference in mortality when bass were bleeding or hooks were left in the fish.

Anglers practicing C&R, rather than to eat bass, might note these findings. Fish caught with only superficial wounds are likely to survive release. Small, deeply-hooked and bleeding bass likely should be eaten, rather than released to die later. But lunker bass are so valuable that they should be released immediately, even if they are bleeding or deeply-hooked. Remove the hook if possible. Leave an 18-inch leader if you cannot remove the hook.

Ralph Manns is a distinguished outdoor writer whose materials appear in popular publications, such as In-Fisherman and other outdoor magazines. On the web, he is a contributor at the Bass Fishing Home Page.

Ralph is a strong proponent of conservation and proper care of the great bass fisheries and water resources that we must manage and protect as anglers. His articles always encourage proper handling of bass by anglers, in livewells, and during weigh-ins.

This article has appeared in various venues. I found it at www.bassdozer.com.