If fish felt pain they wouldn' t fight against the hook would they? Then it wouldn' t be any fun, and no one would fish anyways. I' ve never seen a fish suffocate ' cause someone kept it out of water too long. I' ve seen ' em get tore up from swallowin the hook, but that' s another story. What' s with the " big ol' hook" and " tiny hand" deal? It' s the other way around, man. A small one inch hook, if that, against fish bigger than my shoes? The fish has the advantage, that' s why it' s so fun.

Brandan