Breaking off big fish

[JoshS]

I've been on a big summer pike pattern this year and have landed some nice fish on musky sized deep diving cranks. Last weekend I had the unfortunate incident of breaking off a monster on 80 pound braid (still going through a mild grieving period), I must of had a weak spot in my line caused by bouncing baits off rocks, ledges, etc.

 

My question is: What happens to the fish? I've heard hooks will rust out, the fish will unhook itself, live with it. Any thoughts? I'd hate to be the reason for the demise of such a trophy.

[mercman]

I've been on a big summer pike pattern this year and have landed some nice fish on musky sized deep diving cranks. Last weekend I had the unfortunate incident of breaking off a monster on 80 pound braid (still going through a mild grieving period), I must of had a weak spot in my line caused by bouncing baits off rocks, ledges, etc.

 

My question is: What happens to the fish? I've heard hooks will rust out, the fish will unhook itself, live with it. Any thoughts? I'd hate to be the reason for the demise of such a trophy.

 

 

from what i've learned and read, the hook should rust out, or fall out. i recently caught an 11 inch LMB,too small to keep, hooked through the gill plate.Looked really bad ,bloody,so i cut the line and put it in the live well. when i got back to the dock, the hook was in the bottom of the well, and the fish was swiming around just fine, so i put it back in the water and it swimmed away looking fine.

so, depending how he got hooked, i think he should be fine.

[bigfish1965]

If the lure can't be shaken out and it is interfering with eating, the fish will likely succumb before the hooks rust out. But, it is a risk we take every single time we fish. Catch and Release probably has a 10% overall delayed mortality rate (higher in the mid summer or some species caught in deep water). But kept fish have a 100% mortality.

Not much you can do...80 pound line would leave anyone feeling confident. It is gonna happen even when you take precautions which you clearly have done.

[esoxansteel]

Hooks on many lures are much better than they used to be so rusting might be a thing of the past, hopefulyy the fish can still feed, and the hooks are not embeeded in both the upper and lower jaw, the bright side is ive personally had a mid 40in muskie break off and 5 minutes later jump and throw the lure back at me, ive seen salmon jump and throw lampreys 15 to 20 feet when they become attached, so hopefully the big pike will do the same

[GBW]

I was fishing with CCMT the other day and we had both seen a lure on the bottom of the lake and figured one of three things. Line broke during a cast, line broke do to a fish and the either it shook it out or it did rust out. Now that I think of it, I'll see if I can get it out of the lake this weekend and have a look...

Like it was said (above) that as long as it's mouth isn't hooked shut to stop it from feeding it will be fine.

 

But kept fish have a 100% mortality.

Edited August 31, 2010 by GBW

[glen]

Maybe some pics of the pike you have been catching would help us solve this.

[Djeep]

caught a pike this morning that had a worm hook through its snout, pike was thick and healthy and the hook was almost rusted out so it was clearly there for awhile.. however, a face full of trebles may interfere with its eating habits a bit more than a worm hook

[Raf]

sometimes that's fishn. important thing is we try to do our best.

 

a good idea is to use a long wire leader (48" or so) when doing the type of trolling you describe (banging rocks). braid is not very abrasian resistant even if its 200lb test. you may already be doing that and poop happens but, a 4' leader would definately take a lot of that abuse instead of your main line.

 

another good option for that style of fishn is to forget braid and run single strand wire on your reel. with a twilly tip on the rod. you will get down deeper with less line out too.

Edited August 31, 2010 by Raf

[JoshS]

Maybe some pics of the pike you have been catching would help us solve this.

 

 

Here ya go detective.. (fish a lot solo so not the best pics)

 

 

That's a 7in bodied lure in its mouth (killer summer pike bait!)

 

 

Thanks for the responses, makes me feel better knowing she still has a chance. I use a long 125# floro leader, and pretty much a musky setup, so just one of those unfortunate incidences I guess. I just hope she's still able to eat.

Edited September 1, 2010 by JoshS

[OhioFisherman]

I never liked losing fish, especially if I lose them and the lure at the same time. Stuff happens though, I have seen pike struggling on the surface and after taking a look? They got the fish they were after headed down the wrong way, tail first so the spines on the fins opened and wouldn`t go down. Easier to throw or pull out than a face full of hooks I guess.

[mpt]

Wow those are some beauties!

[daryl0815]

I always wonder too about this issue.

 

From what I have read on the issue, and what I have heard that fish have a sort of acidic mouth and body fluids, which aids in the deterioration of the hooks, meaning that it wont take a year to rust the hooks out, I have heard that it only takes a few days in some cases. Of course it depends greatly on the type of hook you are using aswell, regular hooks deteriorate rapidly, whereas stainless hooks will take much longer to break down, thankfully we dont have too many stainless hooks around here being that there isnt any salt water.

 

Also after alot of thrashing hooks seem to work themselves loose after a while, I think the fish that you lost will be fine, and there is a good chance that the fish has already freed itself

Edited September 2, 2010 by daryl0815

[bare foot wader]

such is fishing, it happens...

 

try going barbless, see if you notice a difference at all in losing any fish as compared to barbed.....