I have no idea what they feel or don’t feel. I’m an avid fisherman, but my intention is to actually cook and eat what I catch. I’m not really interested in fishing and throwing them back. It needs to have a purpose for me to do it.

During the pandemic, I basically subsistence fished and was in the river almost daily. Last fall, I went to Alaska and fished coho salmon outside of Juneau. We caught 18 of them and brought home three cases of salmon filets, which we’ve been working our way through since. The market value of the salmon paid for the trip in my estimation. Not to mention a fishing trip to Alaska is an incredible experience.

I go fly fishing a lot. My dad told me the same thing. But everytime I catch a fish, I can't help wondering about the terror that fish must feel when it is being hauled out of it's home with a hook and a line, and all it thought it was doing was getting a bite to eat.

Anyway, I try. I always catch & release, and I order barbless flies, or I file the barb off of the hook. I never use live bait either.

I don't believe your dad. Haha

Anytime I see an animal being caught or shot or whatever, that causes them pain, it really bothers me. That's why I don't fish. I just can't stand it when I see them wiggling in pain. Not even an impaled worm from a hook. I know, yes, I know we have to hunt for food, but it still bothers me.

Many animals, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, are believed to feel pain. While it's impossible to definitively know what another creature experiences, the presence of nociceptors (pain receptors) and similar nervous system structures, along with observable behavioral and physiological responses to harmful stimuli, strongly suggests that animals experience pain.

Vertebrates:
It's widely accepted that all vertebrates, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, experience pain. They possess the necessary neural pathways and nociceptors to detect and respond to painful stimuli.

Invertebrates:
While the evidence is less conclusive for all invertebrates, many, like some insects and cephalopods, are believed to feel pain. They may not experience it in the same way as vertebrates, but they demonstrate behaviors that suggest they perceive and react to harmful stimuli according to a biologist on Vox.com.

How we know:
Scientists rely on several indicators to assess pain in animals, including:

Physical changes: Animals exhibit specific physical changes when in pain, such as stiffened whiskers, narrowed eyes, or pinned-back ears in mammals.

Behavioral changes: Animals may show changes in activity levels, appetite, or vocalizations when in pain.

Self-administration of pain relievers: Animals will self-administer pain medication when in pain, suggesting they can perceive and want to alleviate the discomfort.

Recoil responses: Invertebrates with simple nervous systems show withdrawal or recoil responses when stimulated, indicating a basic level of pain perception.

Pain management:
Understanding that animals experience pain has led to improved pain management strategies in veterinary medicine and research, including the use of anesthesia and analgesics.

"This doesn’t even hurt this little guy.”

I was told something similar when I was a little older, maybe 8 or 9.

I didn't believe it, and never went fishing again.

Hasn't stopped me from eating fish, however.

For sure they do. That Grouper fish that charged at me when I got too close to its eggs was definitely feeling something.
I grabbed a puffer fish by the tail once (they get stunned by light when shone on them at night) and it definitely didn't like that.

Not usually but having read recent books on octopus intelligence I am rethinking that. I have only ate it abroad, as pulpo, maybe no longer.

I hate it when people say that about any animal. It's obviously not true. Pain is something we all feel, because it's a way for the nerve endings to tell us something is wrong. That's why when I catch my own food, I try to end its life as quickly and mercifully as I can.

I wont go fishing as I get upset taking them off the hook. I do eat fish though.

I truly understand and believe that

Good song I read somewere

Im sure they do

They feel a little slippery when you catch them, a little rough when they dry out and you clean them and really satisfying whe you scrap their bones off the plate.

Never really thought about them having feelings.

Yeah fish absolutely have feelings.

Well, I'm going out on a limb here, and reporting that Rock Bass are either....
A. Dumber than a box of rocks (definitely a pun)
B. Enjoy pain and suffering.
C. Have no control when food is near or in their face.

In my experience, probably 7/10 times, they will instantly swallow that hook.

Are they actually fish? I thought they were different, like cephlopods or something.

They have lots of feelings.

Any thing alive feels.

What about pigs?

Does the fish question the intelligence or feelings of its food?

All animals have feelings.

Fish have feelings and emotions as do chickens and cows who actually aren't dumb

Sheep are as dumb as a box of rocks... taste pretty good too if it's cooked properly.🤷‍♂😆
Fish don't strike me as all that intelligent.🎓

I'm convinced I have met people less smart than a chicken or cow.

There’s a hierarchy of life forms .

Idk why but I instantly thought of lobsters

https://www.worldanimalprotection.org/latest/news/octopus-farming-in-spain-sparks-global-concern-over-animal-welfare/

@NYCChick 😔

I saw a documentary of divers who were petting the fish! They actually liked being petted!

Yes it’s cruel and wrong

Suffocation is the worst pain imaginable