I was fishing a small lake close to the house today and wound up fishing about 75 yards from the ramp! (Story for another day) when I pitched my plastic in 2 foot of water and it got crushed. I get the 3.4 ponder in and telling my wife to take a pic so I can send to my 3 1/2 year old grandson that fishes with me sometimes. I look down and this bass has a jig stuck in its upper back! I removed it but am convinced that she would have got it out on her own! I’ve foul hooked fish with crankbaits and top water baits but never a jig! Have y’all?

I’ve read that Bass have enzymes in their flesh that rot / rust out the hooks fairly fast. This certainly may have changed but it’s the same reason why you just cut the line on a gut hooked bass instead of ripping the hook out.

The hook will rust out quickly and do way less damage to the fish.

Jeff Sprague was recently seen fishing there

I've hooked two bass in the back while flipping a jig around docks.....both were around 6lbs and caught on weedless jig and pig......first was at lake harding near Columbus,Ga. and i got a "tick" set the hook and thought I'd hooked a big striper the way the fish ran around the boat...finally got her up and into the net...the jig hook was under her dorsal fin...second fish was on logan martin lake,pitched jig under a dock and line started sweimming out,set the hook and this fish dived into a brushpile under the dock...after much puilling back and forth,she came free and i netted her...another 6lb fish and hook was right under the dorsal fin.....
only thing i can figure out on both fish is that the line was draped over both fishes back when I set the hook and jig was upside down plus i set the hook hard enough for the weedless bristles to bend down and allow the hook to penetrate the fishes back....
first instance was a club tourny and we didn't have any rules against weighing in a snag hooked fish...second instance,i was fishing an Alabama Solo trail tourny and when i came in,I described the way i caught the fish to the tournament director and he told me no problem on weighing the fish in...I won the tourny and was able to pass the polygraph test....

I knew that was coming. You guys need to move on

Looks like a swim jig by its skirt colors... Dan

Sorry.

John Soukup was recently seen fishing there

I think that's a wive's tale on how fast the hook rusts out... agree it better than pulling their stomach out of their mouth.

Depends on the hook. Some of the new hooks made by Hayabusa, Owner & Gammy have a teflon-like coating that may keep the hook from rusting for a while. Some of the old Eagle Claw or Mustads may rust out in a couple months.

I agree on cutting the line if you deep hook one. A better thing to do is to learn the "Go thru the gills and rotate the hook" to remove it if it is a decent sized fish you want to release.

Thanks for sharing Ken A... Dan

It's actually easier to do if you have the bent needle nose

Football jig I think? I don’t throw them much but it’s still on the deck? I guess swim jigs would be more prone!

I do wonder about the rust out theory? I’ve caught a couple of bass that had hooks barely hanging on to there anus that were not rusty and actually looked recent???

And this is the time of the year it’s the worst. You miss a few in a row so you let em eat it & then you gut hook. I do everything I can but end up cutting off hook more than I like. Luckily it’s usually smaller fish where you can’t retrieve.