Moray In Distress

[alcina]

I certainly wasn't promoting using a 6" trout and bass tool on a full-brown moray!

Where's your sense of adventure?

 

[Mr.X]

I agree... and you'll note that I said I wasn't sure they made one big (read: long) enough to use on a moray. Perhaps if one could be tinkered with and made to be a couple feet long or so, it could be used. Just an idea to provoke some thoughts... I certainly wasn't promoting using a 6" trout and bass tool on a full-brown moray!

It would be interesting for someone who has fish surgical experience here to chime in. My thought would be to use some quinaldine and take the poor fellow to a proper aquarium where he could be looked after and operated on properly. I've seen disgorgers in use and the practitioners shove the terminal end so far into the internal organs of a gut-hooked fish that they basically kill the animal that they are trying to "save". Mostly, the fishermen want their hook back.

Sorry to see critters like this. I was on Catalina and saw a hooked giant seabass. I tried to get the line off the hook but was unsuccessful. I think a record sized giant catfish (in captivity) recently succumbed to an old injury caused by infection after hooking.

 

[RonFrank]

I forwarded a message to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, and referenced this thread. I have no idea if they can do anything, but it's worth a try!

 

[REII]

Wouldn't a regular fishing hook rust away in a few days? I thought that fishing hooks were made that way for that purpose. I could be wrong but I remember reading that somewhere.

TOM

 

[Fastmarc]

Not good to see at all. Such a sight would have had me distressed for the rest of the day.
I asked a friend of mine who has some experience on operating on various fish what she thought could be done and basically she said that this eel could potentially starve to death. Apparently eels do not tolerate handling well and attempting to manually extract a potential hook could not only cause more trauma/damage to the eel but to the person attempting to help. Capture/anesthesia would definitely be the way to go as the situation could be fully assessed and help could be rendered.

I guess this is one that is better left to the experts. Hopefully someone will think it worth the effort and do something.

 

[Mr.X]

Wouldn't a regular fishing hook rust away in a few days? I thought that fishing hooks were made that way for that purpose. I could be wrong but I remember reading that somewhere.

TOM

Myth mostly. Hooks, and especially stainless steel hooks can stay on for indefinite amounts of time.

I was trying to find the article of the giant catfish who died as a result of an infection from a hook. I found this instead about catch and release:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/24/ap/tech/mainD8J2I95G4.shtml

 

[REII]

That's pretty sad. I have seen Barracudas and large Grouper and Jewfish with hooks in them.

I wish there were some standard in the hook's properties that would allow it to rust away without harming the fish. Think about how many fish, Eels and probably Turtles that get hooked and break the fishermen's line off leaving them with a hook in them.

TOM

 

[Cecil]

From personal experience I have seen a hook come out.

This hook was missing two weeks after this shot.

One data point but at least there is hope.

 

[PapaBob]

Wouldn't a regular fishing hook rust away in a few days? I thought that fishing hooks were made that way for that purpose. I could be wrong but I remember reading that somewhere.

TOM

I am not sure the hook is the problem. It had a lot of monofiliment on it and the mono had wrapped around some sponge and uprooted it. The sponge and the mono was stuck in the critter's throat. You can see a bit of it in the second shot. I was hoping to get the sponge out and the mono trimmed. I think the eel can live with the hook.

Ron: Way to go. I will post on the conch forum and see if anyone can help.

---Bob

 

[Scubakevdm]

I am going to call the guy who owns the boat I dove off to see if he has GPS marks. If so, I will then forward them to Kev at Splashdown. I don't know if this is a spot they dive or if any of them really want to try surgery on a Moray.

We're going out tomorrow at 1:30, if you can get me close I'll do what I can. Good lookin out.