Big Jim,

You may be big and ugly and can stomp me, 8^), but now you're also wrong. Don't know where Infisherman got it's information, but I got mine from basic biology and well, let's just say that I've disected a few fish over the years. (Of course they were all hatchery trout, except for an ugly bass once.) Fish have well develope central nervous systems, but not as well developed as mammals. They have every capacity to feel pain, and it serves them well - like the comments about predators. Since their nervous systems are not as well developed as mammals, they likely don't feel as much pain from a specific stimulus, like a hook in the jaw, as you or I would. Now I never used a microscope to look for nerve endings in a fish's jaw, but there are likely some there, and it's very doubtful that hook feels very good.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.