To release - or not to release

[Peter Lowe]

Hi All

Went out for a bit of popping at my local haunts today and was lucky enough to get onto a few GTs.

We had to retire earlier than I would have liked due to the noahs arks moving in on MY fish. One got a nasty love bite and as it has rarley happened in the past, I was very concerned as to wether I should have released him or not ? He was bleeding a bit and as their is really nothing else I would want to do but let them go, it got me thinking and I drove the boat a fair way away to hopfully ensure the noahs wouldnt get him - however the I though is this a good thing or not.... any ideas or comments on this would be great as I was stumped as to what I should do.....

 

[Andy Rowe]

Nice fish, it looks like he was happy to be out of the water momentarily .

Didn't look like he was bleeding too bad, hard to say much more about the damage from the picture.

I think you did the best thing you could do by moving it away from the immediate area to release the fish and save having his mates massacred as well. What else can you do apart from giving up the game.

Andy

[Chris Young]

Good fish Pete..was good tides today 
I agree with Andy on all points , I just hope you gave it a good smack on the arse when you released it.
Oh btw how many was a few 

Cheers Chris

[Chris Young]

Naah, I changed my mind

I recon' you should stop fishin' for GT"s & let "ME" catch some

Crusty

[Mick Cunningham]

Naah, I changed my mind

I recon' you should stop fishin' for GT"s & let "ME" catch some

Crusty

Nah not let him BUT BUT let me go frist shhhh

by the way well done crazy pete .

that gt donen,t look that bad .
i,m happy about you putting him back so i can catch him next time 

[Brandon Khoo]

Pete - at least in my humble opinion (for what it's worth), you did the right thing.

If you decide not to release it, the fish has zero chance of survival as you've made the decision to kill it. Doing what you did by driving a distance away before rleasing it gives it a chance. It might be injured but these fish are tough as nails. I've caught them in the past missing assorted parts of their anatomy but the fish have obviously survived what looked like serious injuries.

[Peter Lowe]

Good stuff,

Thank you gents, I was worried about taking him from his primary dwelling, but leaving him to be released were he was caught was not going to be good. He did indeed swim off with authority.

Mick/Chris - you just need to get out thier bro - they are always about.

Chris - my few is more than 2, we lost more than we landed -again- but hey I'm not here to brag, mainly wanted to know that if this happens again do I get out the noisy gaff and go swimming, should the relocation away from HIS home be no good, as it was just one Noah hanging around and I am happy to relocate him instead.

Thanks again.

[Travis Heaps]

Great fish Peter!  Any more info on your trip? (lures/structure you were fishing etc)

As fa as relocting it - fish swim all over the ocean - you only have to look at some of the information gained from tagged fish that have been recaptured.  I think the small distance you would have moved the fish wouldn't have worried it in the slightest.

[Angus Hulme]

I think the small distance you would have moved the fish wouldn't have worried it in the slightest.

that same small distance might not have worried the noahs either?

But GT's aren't normally very high on the dinner menu for sharks, are they? 

[Peter Lowe]

Hi Travis

To answer your question, I was trying out a new spot I have been going and checking out for some time now but have only seen rat kingies at, it is a big rock that is next to a main beach and on sunday the current was ripping, so armed with my new found knowledge of currents and washes form the Shoalwater trip this year, I fished the front current from about 60 mtrs away and as it is only about 10 mtrs of very clear water I was very excited to see a school of decent GTs follow my popper (which is of the Jai flavour) 3rd cast and ZZZZZZZZZ we had a ball and caught some great Gts. However from that spot the waves can be quite dangerous and a person on watch with the motor running is a must, the guy I fish with is still learning this art so we didnt hang around too long once our friend Noah turned up - I hope this gives you some idea, I apologise for not being too specific as I work bloody hard to find these spots and only the most dedicated will work it out - GTs RULE......

Hey Angus - you are correct in saying GTs are not a sharks No1 tucker normally, I have watched a healthy GT smash big sharks at feeding time whilst diving so the GT does rule - it is a different story when the GT is injured though..... Sharky sharks.......

Cheers

Peter

Great fish Peter!  Any more info on your trip? (lures/structure you were fishing etc)

As fa as relocting it - fish swim all over the ocean - you only have to look at some of the information gained from tagged fish that have been recaptured.  I think the small distance you would have moved the fish wouldn't have worried it in the slightest.

[Aaron Concord]

'Crazy' 

Glad to see your still pinning local Gees.
I'd have released it...doesn't look too bad an injury and as already pointed out, a dead G has NO chance!
I looked at the spear hole & 'mong' right eye of my PB and it CERTAINLY copped a heap of flack during its lifetime, still to be a cranky reef dweller after all it had been through...they're bloody robust fish eh?

Aaron.