disolving or passable hooks

Question
Occasionally when my husband is fishing, the fish will swallow the hook making it impossible to retrieve. He uses treble hooks.  He keeps some, he throws some back.  The ones he throws back (with the hooks in them), he says will not harm the fish, and that the hook will pass without damage.  Is this true?

Answer
Hi Eileen,

I'm not a biologist, but heres what I know.

A fish will dissolve the portion of hook in its flesh over time.  That time will vary.  A thin light wire hook could take a week or two.  A heavy wire or plated hook could take 6 months.

Depending where this hook is lodged will have an effect on how the fish survives.  A truly "gut hooked" fish may have a better chance than a throat hooked fish.  A gut hooked fish will have the digestive juices working on the hook right away and still have a clear passage to eat.  A throat hooked fish will not.

Having the proper release tool along will help.  A good long-reach forceps and a hook disgorger are a must.

If you do a lot of live or natural bait fishing you may want to try circle hooks.  These are specifically designed to hook every fish in the corner of the mouth even if they do swallow the bait.  My experience is that they get the fish right in the corner of the mouth about 95% of the time.

Trebles are great for lures, but for live bait they can cause problems.

Good fishing!