Foul Hooked

[Cammy]

ausfishers i am asking the question, "if you should keep a foul hooked fish", in salt or fresh.even if its in the gills, the fins, on the head or anywhere other than the mouth, i cant think of a time i have done that, but i probly have:-/ . anyway does anyone recon you would keep a foul hooked fish of a life time? im not sure if i would ,

( im not sure if this thread has already been done)

cam;)

[blu]

It don't matter how it's hooked as long as it makes it into the boat or beach or bank .....

[jtpython]

It's like using light line the quicker the fish is in the boat the better one's tummy is full LOL
HUNT GATHER FEED THE FAMILY
< I have 6 kids

[Poodroo]

So long as it is a legal sized fish then who cares how it was hooked but if it is undersized then put it back in. It will either survive or become a meal for something else. Better than being caught with it by a fisheries inspector. ;)

Poodroo

[snasman]

Im with them if its legal its in the pan (if you want it of course)

[Angla]

I once caught a lizard that went 900mm long and nearly 6 kg. My first monster Flatty. Foul hooked with a whiting hook in the side of the head........ Tasted great...........about 7 years ago.

Chris

[rick k]

depends why you go fishing.

Very personal, assuming it is legal and one isn't fishing in a comp with rules that prevent it.

[aussiefool]

Why not???? If you are fishing for a feed, just because it's fouled hooked means nothing to me. If your into C&R your going to let it go anyway

[Feral]

Some fish, particularly Barra, will give a lure a smack with their head if it is annoying them enough, you have still enticed the reaction!

[finga]

Some fish, particularly Barra, will give a lure a smack with their head if it is annoying them enough, you have still enticed the reaction!
Yep, good call. Entice the reaction...
No such thing as a foul or flooky hookup. They were all meant to be done that way. Just ask me everytime it happens ;)

Only ones I don't like were the big jag hooks people used to use to catch mullet and the like :P

[tug_tellum]

I would release it. ( After taking off a couple of fillets);D;D;D Mick

[onerabbit]

At our last estuary comp outing (Ballina RSL Fishing Club) one member arrived with a terrific flathead of 5.2 kg, he said he was winding in a small bream when he saw a large shadow following the fish, thinking it was just a ray, he just kept winding until he realized what was following.
As the bream came close to the boat he was able to net the flathead which was still 4 feet behind the bream, still following.

Call it arse or class, there was nothing illegal in the method of capture, just incredibly good luck & quick thinking.

Muzz

[Mozza]

My 2nd-biggest barra came in hooked in its 'forehead'.

I realised almost straight away what had happened and fought it very carefully. By the time I slipped the net under it the single hook embedded had gouged a cone-shaped hole in the skin - it seemed to have slid under a bit of bone/cartilage.

Either way it was 80% luck 20% skill.

Yep, I kept it.

The camera was at home. Nah, just kidding - the fridge was well and truly empty and one big barra gave our family of four about a doz. dinners. No wastage - wings kept for the bbq, cheeks cut out to make nuggets (the best eating part of the fish), and the frame frozen for the crab pots.

Mozza

[BrandonH]

I am pretty sure in the book it’s classified as illegal but as most of you have said does it really matter? You have enticed the "hit" or reaction that got the fish hooked one way or the other and that’s good enough:) as long as your not ripping a set of big hooks through a school or trying to jag a fish I think its ok;)

Dam fluke that netting the flathead mate!!! I nearly hooked up to a silver trev down south a couple of weeks ago when my dad was on to one. He had 3 others swimming around the hooked fish so I cast towards them, had one come and look but I was way too keen to hook-up and totally missed him:-[ arh well next time;D

Cheers N
Tight Lines

Brandon…

[mickstar001]

id keep it!

[catalina]

If I have hooked it in the gills or other sensitive area I won't let it go because it probably won't survive, but I don't have a problem with keeping foul hooked fish!

[Jeremy87]

I'm not sure if i understand what your saying. Are you asking if it is some way unethical to keep a foul hooked fish? Or are you asking if you think you should keep a fish just because its foul hooked and its survival rate may be compromised? When i go fishing i either go purely for sport with catching a feed in mind. When i want a feed i go and chase masks reefies tailor etc. if they are legal and foul hooked they go in the kill bin. If they are a less desirable species or i haven't taken an esky i give them the benifit of the doubt. worst case scenario is something else eats them.

[moondancer]

I'd keep it if it was legal, and I wanted it for a feed. I reckon the legality around not foul hookoing/ jagging fish is a bit of a mystery..to me at least! L

[stubbie]

Of course you would keep it!!!

[snelly1971]

I agree with Blu...doesn`t matter how ya catch them...ive lost enough so if i foul hook one then im just getting one back they owe me...

[werewolf]

Um "foul hooking" generally just means you haven't managed to get a hook into the fishes mouth. But who cares? You have still hooked it!!! Why should this matter on whether you should keep the fish or not (apart from damage if it is to be released), or claim it as a PB/trophy catch etc? You have still done the same work to land it and often more if you "foul" hooked a fish in the side! I hooked an 83cm shark in the side recently. It nearly spooled my 15 pound bait runner! After a 10+ minute battle, I was quite happy to recover all my line, the shark and then put it in the esky:)

[blaze]

foul hooked a nice little gummy shark the other day, about a metre, the fool thing chased a flathead up on my mates line and was silly enough to keep swimming around the flattie dangling in the water. Just scruffed the gaff and end of story for the gummy, nice clean gaff shot. The gaff looks like a big hook so I hope that counts. Also got a couta one day right in his bum hole,
cheers
blaze