So here something I was wondering while looking at some game laws. Say your fishing for something like redfish that have a take limit of 27" right .... anything over is supposed to be released. What are you supposed to do if you catch say a 30" and it swallows the hook or something and it's gonna die regardless..are you supposed to toss it back and just let it die ? Or call a game warden and they like , confiscate it ...or what ? Like seriously it's not like your deer hunting and you can pick the deer you shoot it's just whatever really bites , I mean yeah you can do stuff to just Target a certain size or species but still... So if it happens what are you supposed to do ? Because tossing back a dying fish just seems like wanten waste

Toss it back is the only workable law. Otherwise people would be shoving hooks down the throats of over fish so they can keep them. I doubt game wardens have the time to gi out on over fish that are hooked deep.

Don't gut hook em lol

The only way to know it is going to die is to kill it outright, or let it flop around in the bottom of the boat until it does die. Some released fish die and some survive. It's not up to the angler to determine odds of survival.

Cut the line and release with the hook still in place. Fish exude an enzyme that will eat up the hook quickly and it will spit out what's left. About the only for sure way to kill it is by damaging the gills. Some fish species can't or won't reproduce till they reach a certain age/size.

Use circle hooks

Cut the line close and let it go.

Cut the line, the .20 hook isn’t gonna break ya. Easy peasy.

You haven’t violated the law until you take & maintain possession of the illegal fish.

So, yes....if you keep it because it's dead or gonna die....you are in violation.

Yessir is correct......

Throw it back. Something will eat it…..just won’t be you.

Are you just messing with us WD? Please tell me you’re just messing with us. Even if it’s a lie.

What Bigbob said……..

THIS!! ^^^^^^ !!

Or if it's below the limit....I guess wanton waste is better than rule breaking?

As much as I hate circle hooks , they do work.
You just can’t jerk the hook when you have a bite..

He was using a circle hook

Gotta let him figure that one out. lol. They are nice for catfish and striper though.

I actually get fish swallowing circle hooks out here all the time . Got pics to prove it too

Not about the money

I've found about a 50/50 out here instead of the almost 100% I get in fresh water

I mean y'all got a point about people possibly using it to keep stuff ..but man it feels like a waste

X3 - They often do survive. I do that with bullheads that I want to keep alive for bait, they'll live for months in my bait tank for a fact.

The law and morality are sometimes at odds with each other. Late term abortion is an excellent example. Sometimes a law is morally ambiguous. It's probably slightly morally superior to keep and use a fish that's going to die anyway, but it's not worth the possible legal repercussions.

Keith

No workable solution short of assigning an officer to every angler to fill out waivers if every law is followed to the letter and the unforeseen happens.

But I'm sure we'll get there eventually.

make sure they are not offset

Yup

Ditto!

it will not go to waste. Something is going to eat it

If fish is 30" and you have a 27" slot, cut 3.5 " off the tail. Good to keep then.

If he plays those games he better put back more than 20 cent for a circle hook.

Won't work when mr greenjeans is hiding in the bushes with his binoculars like a tattle tail elementary school volunteer hall monitor. lol

Up the size of your circle hook, maybe a 4/0 or 5/0 for those reds, not offset.

That’ll help

cut line , toss back

or if it is an expensive lure snip the hook if you can get to it

either way laws says must go back , Laws are not written to eliminate waste a lot of them cause it

And getting paid to do it!

Or barbless hooks.