What to do with dying shorts?

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by Badtaste2k

I am guessing to the DFG a short is a short though?

You got that right and it's no joke!!!

If the DFG let people keep short fish just because they swallowed the hook you'd see sacks of short fish coming in all the time with jerks claiming every fish they hooked was mortally wounded.

If you can reach the hook take it out, if you can't then cut the line and leave it in. If it's bleeding release it anyway. It's now chum.