Posted By: Rdubs
Tips for reducing gut-hooking fish? - 05/07/18 01:12 AM
Hi all,
Sorry for the noob question but a bit of a noob. I'm slowly improving my fishing skills and, thanks to the members of this forum, have started having some good luck with my kids catching bluegills/sunfish. At this early stage and with these small fish we want to throw everything back. We've had good luck using artificial minnows (Gulp Alive brand) with a smaller hook - I think about size #6. We already crimp all the barbs on the hooks. However, occasionally the fish really inhales the bait and the hook gets inserted way past the lip or somewhere that I can twist the hook out just by rotating it. One the hook was so far down the throat I only saw the tail of the bait and another time it was visible but there was no way to twist it out. I've seen a video showing sometimes you can remove a deep hook by going in through the gills, but I wasn't really able to try, never having done it, on such a small fish. Both of these times I'm pretty sure the fish died - the one where the hook was visible, the fish wiggled the hook out himself in exchange for massive internal bleeding, and the second time when I saw the internal bleeding starting to happen I just cut the line as far down as I could and threw him back.
Anyway I'm wondering since I am pretty much inept at removing a hook once caught like that, if there are any ways to reduce the ability for a fish to hook himself deep like that. Maybe using a bigger hook would make it harder to swallow and keep the hook point on the lip? I know that would reduce the bite frequency, but that's okay. Or maybe a smaller hook would do less damage if it were inhaled and the fish wiggled itself free. Or maybe a different kind of hook (we're using long-shank regular J hooks).
I know this is a bit of a weak question but my kids were getting pretty sad when they saw the couple fish get hurt, it kind of put a damper on things.
Appreciate any thoughts.
Thanks.
Sorry for the noob question but a bit of a noob. I'm slowly improving my fishing skills and, thanks to the members of this forum, have started having some good luck with my kids catching bluegills/sunfish. At this early stage and with these small fish we want to throw everything back. We've had good luck using artificial minnows (Gulp Alive brand) with a smaller hook - I think about size #6. We already crimp all the barbs on the hooks. However, occasionally the fish really inhales the bait and the hook gets inserted way past the lip or somewhere that I can twist the hook out just by rotating it. One the hook was so far down the throat I only saw the tail of the bait and another time it was visible but there was no way to twist it out. I've seen a video showing sometimes you can remove a deep hook by going in through the gills, but I wasn't really able to try, never having done it, on such a small fish. Both of these times I'm pretty sure the fish died - the one where the hook was visible, the fish wiggled the hook out himself in exchange for massive internal bleeding, and the second time when I saw the internal bleeding starting to happen I just cut the line as far down as I could and threw him back.
Anyway I'm wondering since I am pretty much inept at removing a hook once caught like that, if there are any ways to reduce the ability for a fish to hook himself deep like that. Maybe using a bigger hook would make it harder to swallow and keep the hook point on the lip? I know that would reduce the bite frequency, but that's okay. Or maybe a smaller hook would do less damage if it were inhaled and the fish wiggled itself free. Or maybe a different kind of hook (we're using long-shank regular J hooks).
I know this is a bit of a weak question but my kids were getting pretty sad when they saw the couple fish get hurt, it kind of put a damper on things.
Appreciate any thoughts.
Thanks.