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Returning a pike

J

jambop

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Hi Yesterday I was down at a local lake lure fishing and caught a couple of small pike. I returned them both but the first had taken the lure quite far into its throat. I got the hook out fairly easily but did see a little blood but the fish swam off quickly ... will it survive and should I worry about returning fish like this? I thought it had nothing to lose as had it been caught by a local it would probably have been eaten by now ?
 
jambop said:
Hi Yesterday I was down at a local lake lure fishing and caught a couple of small pike. I returned them both but the first had taken the lure quite far into its throat. I got the hook out fairly easily but did see a little blood but the fish swam off quickly ... will it survive and should I worry about returning fish like this? I thought it had nothing to lose as had it been caught by a local it would probably have been eaten by now ?
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It’s a good job that you’re not like your Eastern counterparts,
They don’t return ANY fish they catch.
Our lakes and rivers that used to be teaming with decent sized specimens are all gone.
 
jambop said:
Hi Yesterday I was down at a local lake lure fishing and caught a couple of small pike. I returned them both but the first had taken the lure quite far into its throat. I got the hook out fairly easily but did see a little blood but the fish swam off quickly ... will it survive and should I worry about returning fish like this? I thought it had nothing to lose as had it been caught by a local it would probably have been eaten by now ?
Click to expand...
The pike should be absolutely fine Jambop. I have caught thousands of pike over the years and had lots that have bled on occasion unfortunately, but they all went back strongly. I have also had to help people struggling to unhook pike because they did not know how to handle it correctly and some of these fish have literally been dripping blood but I still managed to get them back alive.

Pike seem to be one of the most resilient fish to injury but I just wish people would learn how to handle them better.
 
Got more chance living if put back ? the main thing with pike is the fight takes alot out of them especially in the summer months when oxygen levels are low in the lakes and rivers, so recovery time is more important before letting them go ?
 
richtic said:
Got more chance living if put back ? the main thing with pike is the fight takes alot out of them especially in the summer months when oxygen levels are low in the lakes and rivers, so recovery time is more important before letting them go ?
Click to expand...

When I put the fish back ito the water to recover it flew out of my grasp so I am assuming it was OK was a bit worried about the blood ... then a few minute back I thought hold on a minute I pricked my thumb on the things teeth and there was a bit of blood that could have been my blood and not the fish's ... One or two drops of blood in water looks like a massacre has taken place ?
 
On the point of removing a pike from the water in France the minimum acceptable size is 60cm now one of my two yesterday would have been about that size so it would have been in the pan by now ?
 
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