Originally posted by Theo Gallus:
...Now if a sunfish has bleeding gills, I figure it's a lost cause and go ahead and remove it from the pond.
I have a well oxygenated holding tank that I put bluegills in if I'm undecided on keeping them. My evidence points to the fact that Theo's right on the money. Bleeding gills always leads to dead fish.
This used to bother me a lot, but now I've come to accept the fact that this is life at the pond. Do what you can. Circle hooks, barbs down, etc. It even seems to help to use the biggest hook possible, and the biggest bait possible because the fish don't swallow it as quickly. But if they bleed, fry 'em up. It's OK, it just makes that much room for the other fish to grow.
