Is it Safe to eat the fish you catch?

Actually, it's rarely the baits that contain lead, it's the tackle... splitshots, bullet weights, jigheads, etc... things which the fish doesn't eat... therefore the lead doesn't get into their system (even if on the off-chance you do have a fish swallow an entire jig, you'll be cleaning it before any amount of lead enters the fish's systems). Rather than worrying about this, worry about the waters you fish in:

Highly agricultural areas... pesticides and herbicides are no better for you than they are for the things they're supposed to kill. Fertilizers aren't good for you either... a lot of farmland around (or if it's a big drainage area for farmland... like Lake Okeechobee or the Everglades) I wouldn't eat anything from it. Same goes for golf course retention ponds and neighborhood ponds where all the lawns around the water are super-green and manicured. Yuk

Is there a lot of industry where you're fishing? What kind of stuff is ~that~ factory spewing into the water? Ewww!

Another thing to worry about (a little) is mercury content. A quick look through your state's fishing regulations should supply a list of fish that there are advisories against eating at all or more than a certain amount of in a given period of time and water bodies that the state does not reccommend anything be consumed from. Fish that are higher up the food chain with longer life spans typically contain more mercury (and other toxins) and smaller, younger, less carnivorous species. Please check your state's guidelines.

The particular state that you are fishing in will provide details on what lakes you should not eat the fish in, and which lakes it would be ok to eat them. And it is not lead that is the culprit. It is the mercury that the fish absorb in their bodies that is dangerous. In some lakes it is much more higher then in other states. But even so , if you just eat fish occasionally, there should be no problem. Good luck on your trip.

The department of fisheries should be the ones to contact.

It depends on where you are fishing. Some lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, coastal waters are polluted, and it is more likely that it would be unsafe to eat fish from a polluted area than the concern about fish eating harmful substances from previous catch & release fishing activities.

It's not only safe it's healthy. The key is to fillet it the proper way and cook it properly. Any contaminants in the fish will be primarily stored in the skin and fat. Make sure you fillet the skin and any dark meat out of it. Also cook it in a way which allows the fat drippings to run off. If you pan fry it, it will cook in it's own fat and contaminants

Bottom line fillet and cook properly fish is some of the best food you can eat.

hey thre, yes you can. fish is one of the very very few that can be eaten raw because it is so lean. when he is filleting the fish just make sure that the fillets are clean and free of blood. hope that helps you out a bit good luck good fishin be safe and remember to share the experience

If your worried about it not being safe soak it in salt after you fillet it this will help clean it out and make it where there meat doesn't taste so "fishy". If you don't plan on eating it that day make sure to get them on ice as soon as possible.

well im a pro agiler you she'd not wherry about the led. to tell if the fish is safe to eat fell it if it is so fed it is bad. but if it is former it is go to eat have some good fishing nick

I think yes, cause some fishes can't do something bad for your health!

as long as you clean it properly to remove any toxins , it should be fine to eat.

and if your using harmful bait, then itd be a gut feeling of whether you want to eat it or not -