Gerry, they're pretty tough and salties aren't as susceptible to infection as fresh water fish. I had a biologist show me how to remove hooks out through the gills and we tracked stripers for years after this operation was performed on them. Tarpon are prehistoric badazzes. We can hope the only well deserved infections were to the perp. I got an ear infection listening to his hag run commentary. I'll anxiously wait for the nest installment where he holds the bait in his mouth and a 150 lber swallows his head.