Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Bass Digestive Enzmes

I had a big LMB take a nice BG off my line with hook. I was wondering, is a LMB's digestive juices such that it can dissolve a forage fish and hook. They would have to have a really good digestive system to be able to digest the entire forage fish, bones and all. Can they eliminate a hook that has been swallowed or does it eventually kill them?

heybud, I have been told to cut the line on a deep hooked fiish and the hook will "dissolve".
This hook passed thru a HSB intact...

Ouch that looks like a painfull poop.I have had some deep hooked LMB.All i did was cut the line and move the hook sideways, were the hook now sticks out of gills and with plyers push up and does no damage.Hope this helps.Have a good one

I wish a few experts would chime in. For most of my life I've heard the same thing about cutting the line and releasing the fish. But, I've caught fish with hooks and lines that certainly appeared several weeks old. And, over the years, I've seen way too many fish floating with hooks in their throats.

Do hooks really dissolve? Especially modern chemically/electrically coated hooks? Somehow, I don't think they really do.

I may be taking the wrong approach, but here's how I see it:

I know hooks rust and actually dissolve fairly quickly in saltwater. I'd say cutting the line would work well there.

I've had hooks do the same thing after being in freshwater, but it seems to take a lot longer. I would think a rusty hook would eventually dissolve completely, but who knows how long that can take.

I have seen a number of occasions where bass have the shank of a hook protruding like the photo George showed. As long as the hook makes it into the stomach, the fish's stomach acids will slowly corrode it to the point it can pass. The reason the one in the photo hasn't finished coming out is probably because the curve and point of the hook are stuck.