# I'm wrong..



## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

View attachment 304909
Anyone older than dirt remembers being told if the hook is in the fishs throat to cut the line and the hook will rust out?? I never been a fan of that, I just keep the fish. I've always thought cutting the hook off was bullcrap and the fish is going to die.. well today I got a lesson, first off the hook is NOT gonna rust off because steel doesn't rust without oxygen.. (lol, sorry) .. I caught this walleye trolling a crank bait and let me tell you he fought like he was 10 pounds instead of 3.. I never even noticed the snelled hook attached to a steel leader until I was going to filet him, (yes he's a male) I'm guessing their knot failed It must of broke off from the steel leader because that's a simple dehook..


----------



## ezbite (May 25, 2006)




----------



## hailtothethief (Jan 18, 2017)

Fish is suppose to secrete enzymes that rust steel. Thats the story i was told.


----------



## miked913 (Feb 29, 2008)

What if it just got hooked and broke off the same day? What might be the rate of rust off?

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk


----------



## bumpus (Jan 17, 2015)

https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/fishing-lure-left-in-a-fishs-mouth/


Interesting enough article...I had to cut the line on a few undersized crappie I caught tonight figured it was better than killing the fish


----------



## Eyecrosser (Apr 10, 2016)

The hooks will rust depending upon what type of finish was applied to the hook during the production process. Many hooks now have coatings that prevent rust.


----------



## ya13ya03 (Sep 21, 2010)

I'll bet it was hooked very recently and then You caught it.


----------



## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

There is oxygen in the water. The fish strain it out when it runs through their gills. I don't know how long it would take to rust and fall out. The fish may starve before the hook comes out or it could get infected. 

I usually just keep the fish if it has swallowed the hook too unless it's not a legal size. I'm not getting a ticket from the warden keeping an undersized fish.


----------



## 2120Tom (Jul 2, 2008)

As a youngster going to Canada with my Grandpa every year after school was out, I would always walk the shoreline in the first day or two after arriving and many times I would find lures washed up by waves, stuck in the rocks and shoreline brush. The lures were mostly larger floating styles like Rapala', Bombers, Rebel used by pike and musky fishermen and most always had a treble hook or two with a barb or two rusted through and missing. 
A fishes metabolism corrodes the hook and they disintegrate, likely in less time than we could believe possible.


----------



## miked913 (Feb 29, 2008)

Years ago when I duck hunted a lot more we would hit all of the duck blind drawings and that usually was about the time when the lakes were drawn down for winter, while checking out our blind locations right after they lowered the water you could sometimes find dozens of lures around all the stumps, and all needed new hooks and split rings as they were in advanced state of rust and rot.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk


----------



## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

steel will rust under water plus the fish's metabolism will do the rest.
sherman


----------



## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

hailtothethief said:


> Fish is suppose to secrete enzymes that rust steel. Thats the story i was told.


and


----------



## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

Ok ok I guess I shouldn't of said won't rust, anything will corrode under the right conditions..


----------



## fmader (Aug 8, 2018)

ezbite said:


> Ok ok I guess I shouldn't of said won't rust, anything will corrode under the right conditions..


Haha I'm with you on this rust issue... Corrosion is a different story. Rusting is called oxidation. It needs oxygen to occur. The Titantic has been sitting at the bottom of the Northern Atlantic for a hundred years. It still hasn't rusted away.

I was always told that the fish can dissolve a hook in its mouth (but I've also been told a lot of things that are not accurate in my life lol) Even if it did rust out, how many years would that take?


----------



## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

it all goes back to the old adages that I may not always be right but i'm never wrong.



fmader said:


> Haha I'm with you on this rust issue... Corrosion is a different story. Rusting is called oxidation. It needs oxygen to occur. The Titantic has been sitting at the bottom of the Northern Atlantic for a hundred years. It still hasn't rusted away.
> 
> I was always told that the fish can dissolve a hook in its mouth (but I've also been told a lot of things that are not accurate in my life lol) Even if it did rust out, how many years would that take?


the titanic is a lot thicker metal than a hook. and it has a lot of it rusted away. it is not like it was when it first sank. even humans metabolism will attack most foreign objects in there body. a fishes defensive metabolism will attack the hook causing it to dissolve over time.
sherman


----------



## fmader (Aug 8, 2018)

sherman51 said:


> it all goes back to the old adages that I may not always be right but i'm never wrong.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I understand this. The Titantic was used as a sarcastic example. Iron will oxidize under water as long as the water is oxygenated. Iron rusts much quicker if it is exposed to open air with the presence of water. Also, iron will deteriorate much quicker in salt water as salt is an enzyme that works as a catalyst in oxidation. What I am saying, is that in order for a hook to completely dissolve into nothing in fresh water, it's going to take longer than a weekend. It will likely take years. There's a difference in finding lures that need hooks replaced and finding lures that have hooks that are completely gone. 

Which brings us back to how fast the fish's enzymes breaking down hooks? Does species matter? Etc.?

Yes. I will risk cutting the line if a fish has the hook buried. Like mentioned earlier in the thread, if it's legal size, I will keep it.


----------



## winguy7 (Mar 12, 2014)

There's also a little YouTube experiment with blue Gill. Most of them coughed the hook back up in a week


----------



## HawgHunter (Apr 13, 2004)

Fishing in Canada a few years ago, throwing a Chartreuse/silver rapala and hooked into a huge smallmouth in a shallow bay. Fought it for at least 5 minutes so it was hooked well and ended up breaking me off. The next 2 days fishing the same area you could see the fish swimming around with the rapala hanging out of its mouth. The third day, found the rapala washed up onto shore, so he must have somehow dislodged the rapala on his own.


----------



## Daego Doug (May 31, 2009)

EZ once.....the wife said I was right ....anything is possible


----------



## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

HawgHunter said:


> Fishing in Canada a few years ago, throwing a Chartreuse/silver rapala and hooked into a huge smallmouth in a shallow bay. Fought it for at least 5 minutes so it was hooked well and ended up breaking me off. The next 2 days fishing the same area you could see the fish swimming around with the rapala hanging out of its mouth. The third day, found the rapala washed up onto shore, so he must have somehow dislodged the rapala on his own.


yes, but a lure being thrown is a lot different than just a hook buried deep in a fish and the part hooked in the fish dissolving on its own.

I was bass fishing when I was young. this huge bass on its nest wouldnt hit anything I tried. I used a large trebble hook and doubled some 40# nylon line. I cut it a little short but used it anyway. I threw the treble hook out in the nest. when the bass went over the hook I jerked. I thought I had missed the bass and laid the end of the line down to add more line. about that time the line took off as I had hooked the fish. a few seconds later muddy water started boiling up around a small stick up. then I seen the bass swimming around on its nest. when the water cleared up around the stick up the line was wrapped around it with the hook hanging on it. just goes to show what a fish will do to get rid of something that don't belong.
sherman


----------



## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

fmader said:


> I understand this. The Titantic was used as a sarcastic example. Iron will oxidize under water as long as the water is oxygenated. Iron rusts much quicker if it is exposed to open air with the presence of water. Also, iron will deteriorate much quicker in salt water as salt is an enzyme that works as a catalyst in oxidation. What I am saying, is that in order for a hook to completely dissolve into nothing in fresh water, it's going to take longer than a weekend. It will likely take years. There's a difference in finding lures that need hooks replaced and finding lures that have hooks that are completely gone.
> 
> Which brings us back to how fast the fish's enzymes breaking down hooks? Does species matter? Etc.?
> 
> Yes. I will risk cutting the line if a fish has the hook buried. Like mentioned earlier in the thread, if it's legal size, I will keep it.



BOOM!! I like this reply!


----------



## jl106112 (Mar 3, 2015)

Might have something to do with the fishes body rejecting the foreign object and moving it out of the tissue. Ie: scar tissue continuously forming behind the hook until it meets the end of the tissue and falls away. Like a piercing


----------



## JamesF (May 20, 2016)

I've caught a few fish that, had a rusted hook with some type of cartilage and redness a6a little slimy. Caught a big sheephead at Fremont, gave it to a biologist. He cut it open and there was huge hook with about 5 feet of line. The hook didn't have a point or barb on it. He said the fish would probably die before the hook was gone. The hook could cause an issue but every one is different.


----------



## glbags (May 7, 2009)

WHO CARES GO CATCH FISHEES


----------



## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

fmader said:


> Haha I'm with you on this rust issue... Corrosion is a different story. Rusting is called oxidation. It needs oxygen to occur. The Titantic has been sitting at the bottom of the Northern Atlantic for a hundred years. It still hasn't rusted away.
> 
> I was always told that the fish can dissolve a hook in its mouth (but I've also been told a lot of things that are not accurate in my life lol) Even if it did rust out, how many years would that take?


Considering how deep the Titanic is, I'd guess that would be a pretty low oxygen environment.


----------



## Wow (May 17, 2010)

I really don't believe that hooks rust out in time to save the fish.......... I would buy rustable hooks for live bait fishing if it could save a few fish. I'd store them in oil. Fortunately, really cheap hooks, probably do.--Tim


----------



## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

Wow said:


> I really don't believe that hooks rust out in time to save the fish.......... I would buy rustable hooks for live bait fishing if it could save a few fish. I'd store them in oil. Fortunately, really cheap hooks, probably do.--Tim
> 
> View attachment 305051


But that means you'd have to fish old man..


----------



## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

Shouldn't you have been spreading mulch instead of fishing ?? Lol

A earlier post mentioned saltwater vs freshwater corrosion . Corrosion is accelerated in saltwater because saltwater is more conductive than freshwater . This allows ions to flow more freely between a anode and cathode resulting in accelerated corrosion .


----------



## bigragu (Jan 7, 2010)

If the walleye is a keeper, who cares if the hook rusts or not!!


----------



## Ohio Gas (Feb 2, 2006)

I cant figure out why you would put a smelled hook on a steel leader


----------



## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

I never cut the line on a swallowed hook. I just go through the gills and turn the hook around. It pops right out. Easy peasy and the fish doesn't have a festering wound with a hook in it to get infected.


----------



## STRONGPERSUADER (Nov 5, 2006)

If you have to throw it back and you can’t get the hook out, say a little prayer and maybe have a candlelight vigil for it like the bleeding hearts groups do for the deer when the sharpshooters come in metro parks the eliminate some of of the over crowding.... wow.  Or maybe just remove the hook. It’s not that hard, and if it is the fish is going to die anyway probably.


----------



## rickerd (Jul 16, 2008)

I remember when I was 12 or so, my brother caught a decent sheephead while we were fishing Erie. It swallowed the hook real bad. Had the point and barb of hook sticking out it's Arse. I've always been good at getting hooks out and have used pliers or hemostats since I was 10. I looked at fish, saw the hook, cut the line and pulled it out from the bottom. I think that fish lived.

There is plenty of written evidence that cutting a hook off and letting it rust out, gives fish a better chance than trying to get it out. This usually comes up in the discussions on this site.
Rickerd


----------



## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

I'm truly confused, because I was always taught (by Neal Young) that rust never sleeps, therefore it's better to burn out than fade away.


----------



## triton175 (Feb 21, 2006)

Ohio Gas said:


> I cant figure out why you would put a smelled hook on a steel leader


I had a hard time concentrating on reading the rest of this thread because I kept thinking about this same thing


----------



## fmader (Aug 8, 2018)

swone said:


> I'm truly confused, because I was always taught (by Neal Young) that rust never sleeps, therefore it's better to burn out than fade away.


Hey hey! My my!


----------



## Uglystix (Mar 3, 2006)

1.3 million fishing license sold. If the state took $1 from each I bet they could start a Swallowed Fish Hook Rescue Team. Helicopter with surgical unit and all.


----------



## STRONGPERSUADER (Nov 5, 2006)

fmader said:


> Hey hey! My my!


Let’s don’t make this into a story about a Johnny Rotten.


----------



## Whitefin (Sep 4, 2008)

I once snagged a steel leader though the hole in the swivel (one in a billion chance) resulting in a sucker with the hook down his throat. While contemplating what to do the rusted hook in his throat came apart. I don't know how long it was in there but in the throat they will dissolve.


----------



## fmader (Aug 8, 2018)

STRONGPERSUADER said:


> Let’s don’t make this into a story about a Johnny Rotten.


Don’t worry... there’s more to the picture than what meets the eye


----------



## STRONGPERSUADER (Nov 5, 2006)

fmader said:


> Don’t worry... there’s more to the picture than what meets the eye


You sure? I was thinking bout a thing a friend had said.. I was hoping it was a lie.


----------



## PJF (Mar 25, 2009)

They should make hooks out of the same metal that's in truck quarter panels and Dodge bumpers and this discussion would end......just saying.....


----------



## E.sheets3 (May 9, 2019)

Dissolved oxygen in water will more readily bind to iron than O2 in air. But like has been said previously, many hooks are coated now. Swivels, snaps, and o-rings tend to rust first. I have "operated" on a lot of big bass I have caught with cranks and jerks stuck in a gill. I'm pretty sure one was at least a month old.


Sent from my SM-S727VL using Tapatalk


----------



## reelwonders (Apr 10, 2016)

fmader said:


> I understand this. The Titantic was used as a sarcastic example. Iron will oxidize under water as long as the water is oxygenated. Iron rusts much quicker if it is exposed to open air with the presence of water. Also, iron will deteriorate much quicker in salt water as salt is an enzyme that works as a catalyst in oxidation. What I am saying, is that in order for a hook to completely dissolve into nothing in fresh water, it's going to take longer than a weekend. It will likely take years. There's a difference in finding lures that need hooks replaced and finding lures that have hooks that are completely gone.
> 
> Which brings us back to how fast the fish's enzymes breaking down hooks? Does species matter? Etc.?
> 
> Yes. I will risk cutting the line if a fish has the hook buried. Like mentioned earlier in the thread, if it's legal size, I will keep it.


Can't believe I missed this thread last week! The mention of Titanic caught my eye. You're all right on the hook will rust out eventually. Through a multitude of processes...oxygen in the water, salinity (even freshwater has a little salt), alkalinity of the water, water PH, and the fishes metabolism..... BUT, the Titanic caught my eye because a good friend of mine drives one of the DSRV's used by Bob Ballard and has been to the Titanic before. The depth, pressure, and lack of sunlight all contribute to it rusting slowly.... BUT, it's actually in danger of rusting faster because they've now discovered one of the bacteria's found down there eats the metal.... Just one more reason why I think my friend is totally nuts....

and BTW, nice fish EZ


----------



## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

reelwonders said:


> Can't believe I missed this thread last week! The mention of Titanic caught my eye. You're all right on the hook will rust out eventually. Through a multitude of processes...oxygen in the water, salinity (even freshwater has a little salt), alkalinity of the water, water PH, and the fishes metabolism..... BUT, the Titanic caught my eye because a good friend of mine drives one of the DSRV's used by Bob Ballard and has been to the Titanic before. The depth, pressure, and lack of sunlight all contribute to it rusting slowly.... BUT, it's actually in danger of rusting faster because they've now discovered one of the bacteria's found down there eats the metal.... Just one more reason why I think my friend is totally nuts....
> 
> and BTW, nice fish EZ


Why is it in danger now and not 20 years ago? Rust is rust, depth is depth.. what's changed?


----------



## swone (Jan 24, 2007)




----------



## Sean Ebra (Dec 6, 2017)

ezbite said:


> View attachment 304905
> View attachment 304907
> View attachment 304909
> Anyone older than dirt remembers being told if the hook is in the fishs throat to cut the line and the hook will rust out?? I never been a fan of that, I just keep the fish. I've always thought cutting the hook off was bullcrap and the fish is going to die.. well today I got a lesson, first off the hook is NOT gonna rust off because steel doesn't rust without oxygen.. (lol, sorry) .. I caught this walleye trolling a crank bait and let me tell you he fought like he was 10 pounds instead of 3.. I never even noticed the snelled hook attached to a steel leader until I was going to filet him, (yes he's a male) I'm guessing their knot failed It must of broke off from the steel leader because that's a simple dehook..


It will rust out.just takes time.that was removable as it looked like it was not in his stomach.


----------



## reelwonders (Apr 10, 2016)

ezbite said:


> Why is it in danger now and not 20 years ago? Rust is rust, depth is depth.. what's changed?


Nothing's changed except for scientists understanding of how it's rusting. It'll rust eventually, and when the bacteria where discovered 10 years ago, they predicted it would be essentially gone by now.... which obviously isn't right. I just think it's an interesting tidbit!


----------

