# Does lifting kill tarpon?



## notthecompleatangler (Aug 13, 2006)

I have heard that taking a big Tarpon out of the water can kill it because it's organs get diplaced and crushed from being hung vertically.... I have also heard that mouth gaffing them makes it very tough for them to eat as they prey escapes thru the hole in the jaw membrane. Looks like Florida Fish and Game thinks lifting is too hard on the fish... Hard to believe they would enforce this. Anyone know anything about this?? I do know in Florida Tarpon motality from big sharks is a real problem.

http://forums.sportfishingmag.com/blogs/?q=node/139


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## AlanKulcak (Aug 24, 2007)

wouldnt think lifting a fish would have any large effects on the fish, i agree that its probably not something they like, but ask yourself what happens to there organs when they jump 10 feet out of the water thrashing from side to side like a wild man!! then come crashing down.... Im pretty sure they can handle it.. Just make sure you do it in a timely manner, just for a quick pic. and let her loose..


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## Animal Chris (May 21, 2004)

Jumping is a natural escape mechanism for fish like tarpon and billfish and they are not applying an unnatural force to their body and skeleton. Being lifted by their lower jaw is not natural. When you are talking about dragging a 100 lb plus fish over the side of the boat for a picture, you will have to apply more force than the weight of the fish to accomplish this task. This additional force will be applied to the area where the head and the body of a tarpon connect, the area of the gills, the throat and the spine. This certainly can't do them any good. Plus, you are scraping the protective slim from their sides and scales. The other thing is that fish are designed to survive in a bouyant environment. Lifting them out of the water, they lose this 25% and put more undue force on their body and their organs. 

Personally, for the good of the fish, leave them in the water, use a gloved hand to grasp the lower jaw to hold it still while you remove the hook and take a couple of quick shots and release it none the worse for wear.


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## Capt. Lowtide (Jun 30, 2004)

I've heard that damage may occur, not sure since scientific data has not supported it that I know of. One thing I do know is that much of the slime will scrape off the body when drug over the gunnel and it is difficult to get a fish out of the boat. 
Gaffing a fish in the mouth can't be good for them either, a gloved hand is much easier on the fish and the wire man if the fish decides to go ballistic. I've gaffed fish in the mouth, drug them up the gunnel and into the boat, but will try not to do that anymore.


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## haparks (Apr 12, 2006)

this is great info for when my day comes one year i wont mess up cuz u guys told me what was good practice and what was not--thanks for the info


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## Scott G (May 24, 2004)

My rule of thumb...again, mine for me, is for fish under a hundred I'll glove grab 'em...over a hundred, they get the hook (most of the time). Those big fish are too dangerous, I don't have any gunnel to hide behind in my skiff if they jump.
Nothin' more than sore thumbs to speak of so far.


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## davidb (May 10, 2006)

Even a Lip Gaff will hurt the fishes ability to feed. The puncture reduces the suction power of the fish. There were studies done on catch and release at Boca Grande but I don't know where to find them. The biggest factor there was shark kills and secondly release mortality that ran as high as 10%. When these are put together it results in lots of Tarpon killed.


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## Scott G (May 24, 2004)

I've been curious as to if those large "lipper grippers" will work...I'm not gonna stick a $250 boga on one to find out.


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

davidb said:


> Even a Lip Gaff will hurt the fishes ability to feed. The puncture reduces the suction power of the fish. There were studies done on catch and release at Boca Grande but I don't know where to find them. The biggest factor there was shark kills and secondly release mortality that ran as high as 10%. When these are put together it results in lots of Tarpon killed.


The mortality studies as I recall showed a high increase in mortality as a result of fish being dragged on the boat. If the fish was left in the water, a significantly lower mortality was noted.

Most of the fish tagged with the PAT tags have had a lip gaff in them. It is necessary when placing the tag in the fish to have control over the fish. Most of the fish released - and now its in the 50+ range - have all lived. I think its less than five percent have fallen prey to sharks. There is no indication the lip gaff has hurt them significantly enough to cause the fish to not survive. However, that being said, I still agree, if you can get away without a lip gaff, then don't use one. That simple. But if you do, don't lose sleep over it either.


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

davidb said:


> The puncture reduces the suction power of the fish.


A graduate student a number of years ago studied with high speed cameras how a tarpon feds. They used small tarpon in tanks and then fed them and video taped the feeding. What they found was that, amazingly, no suction actually took place. What was discovered was that a tarpon uses a rapid expansion and thrusting motion, which while appearing like suction to our eyes, is really a reach out and grab and gulp technique. When he presented his paper, it blew me away. I was stunned and amazed. Don't know if anybody else has done another study to back up his conclusions though...

ps - don't shoot the messenger, just reporting what I heard.


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## davidb (May 10, 2006)

The source I quoted on the lip gaff issue did not have any data to support it. My own observations would lead me to believe that they do inhale prey like a large mouth bass. The unusual mouth shape and under bite may function entirely differently than a large mouth bass does. And it could change from juvenile to adult fish. Nothing suprises me about these fish, or maybe everything does. 

A lip gaffed fish brought under control quickly and not dragged into the boat is probably far healthier than a gloved fish that beats its head against the boat repeatedly.

I'll see if I can find the Boca Grande study, but that is a different situation with some fish hooked multiple times and big sharks on patrol always.


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## finatical (Dec 3, 2004)

...a healthy tarpon is very rugged animal they haven't survived millions of years literally "swimming with sharks" by being fragile. they free jump for what ever reason but i doubt it is to self inflict pain and/or injury... 

obviously dragging one over the gunnel is not good due to the physical stress and potential introduction of an infection or disease but a hook in the corner of the mouth or gaff "wound" in my opinion is fairly benign...lifting the total weight of the fish by a "lip gaff" probably not good but i doubt it causes a serious injury...

do u wanna get controversial? ...what about light tackle VS heavy tackle? ...an hours fight VS twenty minutes or less?

IMHO unless your gunna spend considerable time (up to 30 minutes?) reviving a fish there is gunna be a night and day difference in survival rate between a quickly caught/revived/released fish and a "spent"/revived/released fish...and there is data to back this up with other species.

tight lips & lines,

kenny


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## finatical (Dec 3, 2004)

"do u wanna get controversial? ...what about light tackle VS heavy tackle? ...an hours fight VS twenty minutes or less?"

...looks like it's time to switch baits...i can't believe that last post didn't even get a nibble? 

;-)

kenny


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## ssb (Sep 2, 2004)

*Study*



davidb said:


> Even a Lip Gaff will hurt the fishes ability to feed. The puncture reduces the suction power of the fish. There were studies done on catch and release at Boca Grande but I don't know where to find them. The biggest factor there was shark kills and secondly release mortality that ran as high as 10%. When these are put together it results in lots of Tarpon killed.


Hope you can find that Study.

From my own experience at Boca.
From the only thing I could observe.

The sharks played a big role in the kill with
a tired and/or gaffed tarpon. Think about the big record hammerhead caught in the pass there last year.... and the damage that hoss could do in a normal feeding freenzy... much less.... when they are tired being brought up from 60 to 100 feet and/or gaffed with all the blood.


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## mastercylinder60 (Dec 18, 2005)

notthecompleatangler said:


> I have heard that taking a big Tarpon out of the water can kill it because it's organs get diplaced and crushed from being hung vertically....


this is very true. however, it has nothing to do with "lifting," but everything to do with the natural force of gravity. you must remember that living a life underwater is a living a life virtually not effected by the normal forces of gravity. if you take a marine creature out of the water, he suddenly becomes effected by an environment greatly effected by the forces of gravity, which are virtually foreign to marine animals. also, the greater the mass of the marine animal, the greater the force of gravity on it when out of the water.

imagine yourself living all of your life on the moon, then suddenly being subjected to the gravity of earth. that's what it is like for a fish coming out of the water.


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