Fish injuries

    It's very interesting for me to see how well fish can recover from injury. I also feel good about it I guess because I like to think that when they tear off sometimes they survive. From time to time I land or see a fish that has been injured and recuperated. Sometimes it's evident that the injury was from a spear. I remember one huge schoolmaster I shot in the Bahamas on a wreck. It was a good solid shot with a sling, but the snapper dove into the wreck and went ape shit and tore off. I saw him two weeks later at the same spot with extensive scarring but he was healed and much more weary of me. There were others but every time I forgot to take a pic. So I've been wanting to do this thread for a long time and finally I got the pics to start it off. This was a hogfish Pantoja shot a few days ago that has obviously been shot with a spear. Please add your pics of fish that were injured and recovered, only to be shot again, or alive which should more difficult to get a pic of.



    WoW at least you got a Picture of that...I've seen a few of them in the wild. Some i cant say are from spears but i know a few of them for sure. I remember seen a huge parrotfish missing a chunk on the head and it was a very fresh chunk. Very skittish to a divers presence. But none the less he got caught of guard one day by another spearo about 2 months later. I remember getting to the beach and see the fish in his stringer. When I did a close inspectiion the fish was fully recover. Amazing how they recover from wounds like that. Nice thread

    I am not sure if I would shoot a fish like that. I think that a fish that survives such wound definitely deserves to live.

    Quote from Adrian

    I am not sure if I would shoot a fish like that. I think that a fish that survives such wound definitely deserves to live.


    I see it as the opposite. A fish that survived a previous shot should have learned of the perils of a spearo with a loaded gun and high tailed it out of there. It deserved to be in the cooler.


    Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

    I have taken several Hogfish over the years that looked like that one. It is amazing how they recover. It is kinda strange that you don't find other fish with similar healed up wonds. I have only found this with Hogfish.

    the hogfishes spine is pretty far down the body, i think thats why they can pull of recovering from that knd of wound,,unlike a mackeral or something with a pretty high up backbone,, i may be wrong,

    Scupper Pro Gives You Wings!

    It's a natural reaction. Our likes and dislikes are instinctually prejudiced. I believe we are programmed to be repulsed by something that doesn't look healthy to preserve our own health. By contrast there are many animals that prey on the weak and unhealthy. In this case I think it is just a matter of using logic to control feeling, I'm sure if you were really hungry you'd be very glad to get this fish. Pantoja wasn't hungry but now we have something to talk about :)

    A halibut with a spear injury.

    I've seen a lot of tail-less stingrays lately and saw a turtle today with only three flippers, I tried to take a closer look at him but he was still able to out-swim me. Pretty remarkable that their systems can handle such trauma without getting infection or even slowing them down to the point where they starve or get eaten - fascinating to me, we as humans are so fragile compared to them.

    A white seabass with a spear injury.

    Quote from mark

    Got out on Monday looking for a little Valentine to be mine and convinced this flattie to come home with me. Followed it up the next morning with a WSB. This white had 2 huge wounds (One on each side) but was getting around pretty good considering. Felt compelled to cull him out of the herd.


    I would give the wounded fish a pass. They are veterans that have been in the fight, wounded, survived, and now deserve to live. Just my opinion, but, interesting photo.

    A few years back I was on scuba on a deeper wreck in VA and found an old, untethered lobster cage stocked full of large tog and black sea bass. Could have stayed there and taken them all one by one, but I did my good deed and busted it open to set them free... But then there was the moral dilemma as I had a gun in my hand. Just didn't feel right shooting them as they were very cautiously leaving their cage. I gave them a solid head start, and felt great about that dive.


    I've seen plenty of wounded fish and it is indeed interesting how they manage to get along. I'm usually inclined to give them a free pass too.

    Quote from Dan

    It's a natural reaction. Our likes and dislikes are instinctually prejudiced. I believe we are programmed to be repulsed by something that doesn't look healthy to preserve our own health. By contrast there are many animals that prey on the weak and unhealthy. In this case I think it is just a matter of using logic to control feeling, I'm sure if you were really hungry you'd be very glad to get this fish. Pantoja wasn't hungry but now we have something to talk about :)


    i dont know he look's hungry in that pic to me jajajajaja :D

    Que viva la pesca :cuba:

    i have to agree with dan in (there are many animals that prey on the weak and unhealthy) if a shark attack a human and wounded the person it wont let you go ta tell the story.




    que viva la pesca :cuba:

    Que viva la pesca :cuba:

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member to leave a comment.

Register a new account
Sign in now