Tear Jerker

kennethdaysale · 11-14-12, 08:35 PM

While tossing a jig around this afternoon I happened to catch this fish. Didn't have a tape in the boat but based on length in relation to my arm and my tackle box, this fish was every bit of 27". I knew as soon as I saw her there was something terribly wrong. Weighed only 5.8 a 27" fish in these parts is ALWAYS 10-11 lbs or more. These pics don't really show what an emaciated old girl this actually was. I've always sorta wondered what happens to old fish that manage to live to the end of their lifespan. After 40 years on the water I've never seen a "floater" that I felt must have died of old age....but I swear this one can't last much longer

Anyway notice the size of her mouth and head, then how skinny she was. I've seen unhealthy fish before but this was just heartbreaking, and not because I wished I had caught her at the weight her length would have allowed. The saddest thing was as I unhooked her I looked down in her throat and the ends of two plastic lizrds were sticking out. When I pulled them out they were all swollen up like they had been in the water for months (yall know what i mean?) And not that they were lodged in there and could have stopped her from eating, no they were just loose. I'm convinced she had grown so weak that she had resorted to just sucking up anything that looked remotely edible from the bottom. When I pulled them out her throat didn't close back up like it's supposed to, it just gapped open like she had no muscle tone (or will to live) left. I of course turned her loose but the the thought crossed my mind to take her to shore and bury her with some dignity rather than know she'd soon be pecked to death by the turtles, but alas no shovel in the truck.

Included a pic of a BIG crappie bycatch on a KVD 1.5

bassinbob · 11-14-12, 09:17 PM

She seems to have good color. I wonder if she has more plastic in her? I did read how a lot of injested plastic could do this to a fish. Sort of sad either way. Beaut of a crappie.

bamabassman · 11-14-12, 10:30 PM

interesting for sure keneth. maybe by removing the plastics oyu saved her? let's hope so pal. and that IS a nice crappie.

USMCbassman · 11-14-12, 11:29 PM

KDS- I ran into a similar situation here a while back. Once I find the pic I'll post it up (not to hijack your thread, but to show emaciated this fish was). I couldn't get over how "ugly" it was. I never carry a tape or have a scale. When I seen the bucket coming up I got super excited as I thought I had a hog on there and just didn't want to fight. WRONG...this fish was super long and extremely skinny.

That crappie is a nice slab!

EDIT: Found it...even though I thought she was ugly, I felt bad for her.

Bryan · 11-15-12, 12:44 PM

My guess is those swollen plastic lizards in her throat were exactly why she was so emaciated, that's actually fairly common. They get stuck inside fish and prevent proper digestion and eventually the fish starves to death. You may have saved her by pulling them out, assuming there were no more in her stomach.

Nice catch regardless.

bluebasser86 · 11-16-12, 03:24 AM

Fish will eat plastics off the bottom of the lake that in turn swell up and will not pass through their intestines. So basically they starve to death because they can't digest their food properly. I'm sure removing those lizards will help but chances are she has more in her stomach already. I read a really good article awhile back about fish eating plastics, since then I do what I can to make sure all my plastics make it to the trash by the end of the day instead of ending up in the lake.

MrMakk · 11-18-12, 06:00 PM

the crappie looks a nice but unusual, i'd usually expect to fine somthing like that out in exotic places.......

its a shame about the bass though, we tend to have similar fates with some pike that goes belly up over here, usually it'd be terminal deadbait traces left by incompetient anglers with gear that is not suitable for deadbaiting.

flfireman · 11-18-12, 10:46 PM

They claim most bass over 5 pounds have almost a quarter of their stomach filled with discarded soft plastics. Imagine how big they would get if we would stop discarding used plastics off the side of our boats. I will yell at you if I catch you tossing plastics off my boat. Have a wally world bag tied to console for used plastics.

11-14-12, 08:35 PM	#1
kennethdaysale BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: rock hill, sc Posts: 2,315	Tear Jerker While tossing a jig around this afternoon I happened to catch this fish. Didn't have a tape in the boat but based on length in relation to my arm and my tackle box, this fish was every bit of 27". I knew as soon as I saw her there was something terribly wrong. Weighed only 5.8 a 27" fish in these parts is ALWAYS 10-11 lbs or more. These pics don't really show what an emaciated old girl this actually was. I've always sorta wondered what happens to old fish that manage to live to the end of their lifespan. After 40 years on the water I've never seen a "floater" that I felt must have died of old age....but I swear this one can't last much longer Anyway notice the size of her mouth and head, then how skinny she was. I've seen unhealthy fish before but this was just heartbreaking, and not because I wished I had caught her at the weight her length would have allowed. The saddest thing was as I unhooked her I looked down in her throat and the ends of two plastic lizrds were sticking out. When I pulled them out they were all swollen up like they had been in the water for months (yall know what i mean?) And not that they were lodged in there and could have stopped her from eating, no they were just loose. I'm convinced she had grown so weak that she had resorted to just sucking up anything that looked remotely edible from the bottom. When I pulled them out her throat didn't close back up like it's supposed to, it just gapped open like she had no muscle tone (or will to live) left. I of course turned her loose but the the thought crossed my mind to take her to shore and bury her with some dignity rather than know she'd soon be pecked to death by the turtles, but alas no shovel in the truck. Included a pic of a BIG crappie bycatch on a KVD 1.5 __________________ Sometimes you gotta risk it to get the biscuit.

11-14-12, 09:17 PM	#2
bassinbob BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Pitts. Pa. Posts: 3,801	She seems to have good color. I wonder if she has more plastic in her? I did read how a lot of injested plastic could do this to a fish. Sort of sad either way. Beaut of a crappie. __________________ you can have my fishin rod when ya take it from my cold dead hands

11-14-12, 10:30 PM	#3
bamabassman BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: cedar bluff, alabama Posts: 15,292	interesting for sure keneth. maybe by removing the plastics oyu saved her? let's hope so pal. and that IS a nice crappie. __________________ so many lures, so little time.

11-14-12, 11:29 PM	#4
USMCbassman BassFishin.Com Veteran Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Oceanside, CA Posts: 532	KDS- I ran into a similar situation here a while back. Once I find the pic I'll post it up (not to hijack your thread, but to show emaciated this fish was). I couldn't get over how "ugly" it was. I never carry a tape or have a scale. When I seen the bucket coming up I got super excited as I thought I had a hog on there and just didn't want to fight. WRONG...this fish was super long and extremely skinny. That crappie is a nice slab! EDIT: Found it...even though I thought she was ugly, I felt bad for her. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by USMCbassman; 11-15-12 at 12:21 AM.

11-18-12, 06:00 PM	#7
MrMakk BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: UK Posts: 118	the crappie looks a nice but unusual, i'd usually expect to fine somthing like that out in exotic places....... its a shame about the bass though, we tend to have similar fates with some pike that goes belly up over here, usually it'd be terminal deadbait traces left by incompetient anglers with gear that is not suitable for deadbaiting. __________________ Alex,

11-15-12, 12:44 PM	#5
Bryan BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: VA Posts: 198	My guess is those swollen plastic lizards in her throat were exactly why she was so emaciated, that's actually fairly common. They get stuck inside fish and prevent proper digestion and eventually the fish starves to death. You may have saved her by pulling them out, assuming there were no more in her stomach. Nice catch regardless.

11-16-12, 03:24 AM	#6
bluebasser86 BassFishin.Com Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Gardner, KS Posts: 605	Fish will eat plastics off the bottom of the lake that in turn swell up and will not pass through their intestines. So basically they starve to death because they can't digest their food properly. I'm sure removing those lizards will help but chances are she has more in her stomach already. I read a really good article awhile back about fish eating plastics, since then I do what I can to make sure all my plastics make it to the trash by the end of the day instead of ending up in the lake.

11-18-12, 10:46 PM	#8
flfireman BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Palm Bay, Fl Posts: 2,751	They claim most bass over 5 pounds have almost a quarter of their stomach filled with discarded soft plastics. Imagine how big they would get if we would stop discarding used plastics off the side of our boats. I will yell at you if I catch you tossing plastics off my boat. Have a wally world bag tied to console for used plastics. __________________ In the Lord all things are possible.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)