Bay Salmon caught on non-barb hook

So, say if you hauled up a Salmon while fishing for something else, and it is already bloodied, what do you do? Throw it back and move on. Just asking.

Meant to say Barbed hook...

So, say if you hauled up a Salmon while fishing for something else, and it is already bloodied, what do you do? Throw it back and move on. Just asking.

Yes, you'd need to throw it back, assuming you are not fishing with gear that is legal for salmon. It would be no different than catching a fish that is out of season, or a fish with prohibited take, or a fish that is under legal size, or prohibited for some other reason.

So, say if you hauled up a Salmon while fishing for something else, and it is already bloodied, what do you do? Throw it back and move on. Just asking.

Yes, you'd need to throw it back, assuming you are not fishing with gear that is legal for salmon. It would be no different than catching a fish that is out of season, or a fish with prohibited take, or a fish that is under legal size, or prohibited for some other reason.

Well shucks...the first one's not free?  Take a risk and fish barbless I guess, you could still land a hali, as you know, on a barbless or pinched circle hook...

Well shucks...the first one's not free?  Take a risk and fish barbless I guess, you could still land a hali, as you know, on a barbless or pinched circle hook...

"Barbless all summer" - one of my mottos.

Lots of lingcod, rockfish, halibut and 3 big threshers caught on my guide trips on barbless hooks.

Lots of salmon too.  My advice is to determine what your goal is and stick to your plan for achieving it.  When I'm strictly going after calibuts I have barbs out, and if I caught a salmon with barbs or two rods out on the hali grounds I'd release it without netting it - because that's how sportsmanship works.  The option is to not be a sportsman.  For many of us it's that simple - very clear cut.

I've caught a thresher and a Pacific halibut on barbless on non-guide trips too.  It's the way for me, because my main target is salmon.

Best of luck.

It's unfortunate if the theoretic fish is all bloodied up, but even if it doesn't live it goes back to the eco system to feed other fish and animals.

It's unfortunate if the theoretic fish is all bloodied up, but even if it doesn't live it goes back to the eco system to feed other fish and animals.

Does it ever. Saw a pack of seadogs going ham on a salmon, real nature red in tooth and claw stuff. The water was pink and silver with shredded salmon.

I, too, follow the barbless all summer on the ocean routine. (I wonder where I picked that up?)     But in Humboldt Bay, when targeting CA halibut, I typically use barbed hooks.  If I hear that kings are in the bay I would move to barbless hooks.  I've also stopped using treble stinger hooks for halibut because of its potential damage to short halibut.  Finally, I once hooked coho while halibut fishing in Humboldt bay, that was released without netting it, of course! 

I've adopted Eric's barbless when salmon is open ethos as well with a few exceptions, and I just accept that if I catch a salmon with barbed hooks I have to let it go.  Even if for some reason I'm using barbed hooks if salmon is open I'll have barbless hooks with me, that's come in handy a couple times fishing california halibut in humboldt bay.