do fish feel pain when hooked?

[urbanangler1990]

i always get into a debate with my dad about this, do fish feel pain when hooked? i heard bass dont becuase they can eat hard shelled crayfish, what do yall think?

Edited April 11, 2007 by urbanangler

[ccmtcanada]

Here's an article...it shows both sides of the argument....

 

http://www.nationalreview.com/swan/swan060503.asp

[Gerritt]

well their have been studies into this and Fish do not feel pain like you and I do, there or no to very few pain receptors in a fishes mouth. however when I say mouth I am talking about fish like Pike, Muskie, bass, pickeral.. where this is very little flesh within the mouth... They anti will have you believe they do feel pain, but have very little data to back it up... they try to use twisted reason.....

 

Now having said that, the above fish I mentioned I did for a reason, because they have very little muscle to none in the locations they are likely to get stuck with a hook. I do believe the case maybe different with soft mouthed fish however ( Carp, Suckers, white fish etc...) they tend to have alot more flesh in the mouth area... and I dont think biologists tested every fish possible to see weather fish feel pain in an area where they are likely to be hooked.

 

 

That being said it does not mean a fish cannot feel pain... however it would probably be completely different then what we as humans would experience. I say that because they do have a central nervous system... take a torch to a fish and I think it would experience pain and its body movements would prove it...

 

Hope this helps!

 

Gerritt.

[Bernie]

No more than when an eagle takes a rabbit, or a wolf on a deer. Its nature, and dont let anyone tell you any different. Its the reason for mans own existence to eat (and a few other things). Im never going to be a veggie kinda guy.

[lookinforwalleye]

This subject usually causes a lot of debate amongst anglers and the P3TA people.

I have read articles done by people that are a lot smarter than me that claim a fish does not feel pain because their brains are not developed enough, I read another article that claimed in another study some scientists injected bee venom into the lips of Rainbow Trout and the fish responded by rubbing it`s lips against the rocks indicating that it was indeed feeling discomfort.

 

Here`s a question for you if it was proven a 100% that fish feel pain would you give up fishing?

[Pigeontroller]

Yes, thats no reason not to fish though!

[MJL]

Here's one article from Ontario out of Doors

 

http://www.fishontario.com/fishing/special...4992&page=1

[urbanangler1990]

thnx for link ccmt, and mjl

 

lookinforwallye, of course i wouldnt give up fishing, come on what kind of question is that? lol haha

Edited April 11, 2007 by urbanangler

[jjcanoe]

If they felt pain they would tell us. Fish that prey on spiny rayed fish such as stickle backs or perch obviously don't feel it when they chomp down otherwise they would search out easier prey. You don't see many animals that eat porcupines!

 

jjcanoe

[irishfield]

NO they don't...and leave it that way....

[Guidofisherman]

I know I do!

 

[Puckhead]

Is there something wrong with me that I started laughing when I first read the title of this thread?

[urbanangler1990]

Is there something wrong with me that I started laughing when I first read the title of this thread?

 

yup...

Edited April 11, 2007 by urbanangler

[Roy]

Maybe it's just a very tiny bit of pain. Like a bit of a headache. Maybe we can adjust.....used to be C&R...then CPR now we can do CPAR....throw in an asperin.

[mrdylan]

Can't be much worse than getting a tattoo and I like getting them

 

I love to fish but I don't hunt reason being no catch and release... Can't remember the last guys I met up with that caught and released a Buck.

 

If one was to hunt me I would be happy to get just a hook in the mouth if I knew I was going to live, If not then just make it quick.

[JerseyDog]

I always find it a little strange that people will tend toward an opinion based on what may be in their best interests regardless of the facts. As an example P3TA would like to prove fish feel pain and anglers would like to deny it - both in order to support their own personal agendas.

 

The way I figure it, they probably do feel pain of some sort, some more than other and some in different ways than others - but either way I accept that as an unfortunate part of the blood sport that is fishing. And while I am not prepared to stop angling I have taken steps to minimize the stress on any fish I catch - with barbless hooks, careful C&R techniques and when a keeper, as speedy dispatch with my knife.

[luv2drift]

if fish don't feel pain there would be absolutely no reason for them to run and create a fight! God created all creatures with a mind and a spirit and humans with a mind, spirit and a soul.....they absolutely feel they are being caught! I fish only to expierence God's creation! .... there's a bit of a bible thumper's lesson for you all. lol.///

[majorlifts]

The In-fisherman did a great article on the subject. Even had scientific evidence that proved fish do not feel pain around the inner and outer areas of the mouth.

 

Musky bites walleye, if musky felt pain, how the hell would he get those damn prickly fins past his gullet? Hahahaaa Damn fish got me 4 stitches and I dont think he felt a darn thing.

[majorlifts]

WHERE the fish feels pain, is the important question for fisherman. Its no question a fish would feel pain if I stuck a hook up his ars, but they are predators, plain and simple. They are designed for their environment. A cheetah has to be fast to catch its meal, a fox has to be cunning, and a fish has to have less pain receptors in its mouth and track to devour live and kicken creatures, like crab fish with scales and teeth.

 

Imagine trying to down a bone fish whole, without feeling pain, Ha, not gonna happen.

[BITEME]

Just to be clear on this in my opinion

Do I care....... No not really

There is a reason we are at the top of the food chain

does it make a difference if its food or sport.....No

will I stop doing this any time soon.......No

do animals have a soul......if we do so do they dont care what any book says

Do i enjoy HUNTING AND FISHING.......HELLYEAH!!!!!!!

and I wish P3TA would fall off the face of the planet

 

 

Just for the record MEAT IS TO BE EATEN WITH VEGETABLES

 

my 2 cents

[Cast-Away]

Send P3TA an email and ask them, then post it back here for a laugh!

[urbanangler1990]

Send P3TA an email and ask them, then post it back here for a laugh!

 

hahaha, that would be interesting

[tonyb]

Of course they feel pain! I don't think that they associate lures with pain, nor do I think they dwell on it or keep it in memory.

 

We have all probably at one point or another caught a fish with a hook in it's mouth from a previous breakoff from another angler, or net marks, etc.

 

If the fish were intelligent beings as P3TA states they are, don't you think they would avoid lures and being caught multiple times?

 

Fish that eat spiny rayed fishes will always juggle the fish around in their mouth until it goes down head first, with the spines not sticking into their throat. Kind of like when you take a bite of a Jalapeno popper and the temperature is too hot, you bounce it around in your mouth until it cools

 

It is not an argument you can win, re: pain vs. no pain.

 

Tony

Edited April 13, 2007 by tonyb

[snag]

Ask Chuck Norris

[ccmtcanada]

Dont really know....dont really care....if I did care, then I wouldn't be fishing.