Oaf Angler Is, Eeeek, A Baitfisher Of Smallies..

[Wayne SW/MO]

Have you seen or talked to anybody fishing the Ozarks useing circle hooks? I also wonder how a bait, artificial mainly, reacts on a circle hook. Anybody? Chomper plastics to be exact.

The problem with circle hooks is that the gap has to be relatively open to work. If it isn't, the hook can't turn properly and hook the corner of the jaw. I've thought long and hard about how to use them with tubes, but while I have some ideas I've never tried them.

[Al Agnew]

I don't know for sure what I'm doing right, but I've never yet deep-hooked a fish on a tube. I know others have that problem, though.

[eric1978]

I don't know for sure what I'm doing right, but I've never yet deep-hooked a fish on a tube. I know others have that problem, though.

Ditto. In fact, the only time I remember gut-hooking a fish on an artificial bait in the last many years, was once when I left my Senko in the water while picking out a spool nightmare. I got the line straightened out, started reeling in all the slack, and lo and behold there's a 10 inch smallie at the end of it happily digesting his salty snack. I cut the line and let him go, but I don't expect he survived. Innocent mistake. You really have to not be paying much attention to gut-hook a fish on plastics...at least that's how it seems to me. Once I feel the tap-tap, I'll be setting the hook really soon.

[ozark trout fisher]

Ditto. In fact, the only time I remember gut-hooking a fish on an artificial bait in the last many years, was once when I left my Senko in the water while picking out a spool nightmare. I got the line straightened out, started reeling in all the slack, and lo and behold there's a 10 inch smallie at the end of it happily digesting his salty snack. I cut the line and let him go, but I don't expect he survived. Innocent mistake. You really have to not be paying much attention to gut-hook a fish on plastics...at least that's how it seems to me. Once I feel the tap-tap, I'll be setting the hook really soon.

I've never really had much trouble with gut hooking fish on soft plastics or other artificials really, but the trouble comes when you have multiple treble hooks. I have had a lot of trouble hooking fish really badly with these kinds of lures. I don't usually hook fish deeply with artificials, but when you have 3 or 4 hook barbs in a fish, it's going to take a bit to unhook it, which seems like it may raise the fish mortality rate. And sometimes the fish will get one treble hook in the mouth, and another in the eye, gill, or some other sensitive area. I can't decide if that's just normal collateral damage and just part of the deal, or if it's something I should do something about (like quit using lures with more than one treble hook). But as of now, I still do use those kind of lures, so I can't really say it's wrong without being a hypocrite - but it is something to think about. I'll admit that I have released smallmouth that probably didn't make it on several occasions, and it's a pretty sad feeling when it happens.

[eric1978]

I wouldn't imagine it's a big deal unless you impale their eye or gill, as you mentioned. The rest of their head and body is pretty tough. I can't get away from multiple trebles. I'm not taking Sammies, Pointers or Warts out of my box, period. Besides, you can hook a fish through the eye with an EWG, too.

Pinching down the barbs helps dramatically. (I'm guilty of not doing this most of the time).

[flytyer57]

Now go back and read the second post in this thread.

Live it. Learn by it.

[Al Agnew]

Yeah, biggest trouble I have with tubes is using an EWG hook as I do, I'll occasionally hook one through the eye, and I hook some through the meat of the cheek, which is a fairly significant wound, seems to me. With the two treble hook lures I tend to hook a few in the thin membranes of the inner gill cover, and the occasional one in the area of where the gill covers go into the body, or through the skin on the body. As I think about it, I probably average one or two a year hooked through the eye on two treble hook lures...guess I've been lucky there. What I hate the most is the occasional big fish that inhales a crankbait and ends up with one of the hooks all the way back in the gills. With a lot of care you can get the hook out without tearing the gills, although the fish will often bleed a lot. A fish bleeding from the gills isn't necessarily doomed, though. If you can get the hooks out fairly quickly without actually tearing the gills much, as soon as you get the fish back in the water the bleeding will stop. Fish blood coagulates extremely quickly IN WATER, extremely slowly out of the water, and I've seen bass survive after what seemed like a lot of bleeding. I've gill-hooked a couple from my pond that had distinctive scars or fin deformities so that I'd recognize them. They were bleeding profusely, but swam off when I released them, and weeks or months later I caught them again.

[stlfisher]

I have gut hooked a few fish with soft plastics, but on each and every occasion I was not paying attention...such as in

Eric's example...so it is on me. If you are routinely gut hooking fish on artificials you are waiting to long to set the hook plain and simple. So pay attention.

Here is a tip I was told about and I have put to use. If you do come across a gut hooked fish you can go in under the gill plate (be careful not to touch the gills), push back slighty on the hook, and then twist the shank up by the eye. Often times it will pop the hook right out of the throat (the throat is not as fleshy as one might think). It has worked about 50% of the time I have tried it. The angle you get from going under the gill plate seems to be the key.

I too have hooked fish in the eye with trebles and even small ones on jigs (I think they were trying to kill it before eating it). I always feel awful when that happens and it is difficult and unpleasant to remove the hook from an eyeball.

[N Wolf]

To those that say fishing with live bait for smallies is no fun: I would love for you to meet my mom. She is in her sixtys now and has fished with crawdads all her life, she still squeals like a little girl every time she hooks a good one. She probably loves the fish and fishing more than most people on this site. By the way, she releases all fish. Next point. The reason more fish swallow the hook with live bait is becouse people tend to let the fish take it and swim off a bit before they set the hook to increase the chances of a hookup. It works but also increases the chance of a gut hook. As far as circle hooks for smallies, waste of time. Most saltwater fish eat on the move. They will take the bait in passing and pull the hook to the corner of the mouth as they swim off. If youve ever seen a smallie eat a craw off the bottom you know that they suck it in then swallow it without swiming off, that putts whatever kind of hook in the gut. One more thing that I know is going to stir things up but needs to be said. Deer and fish are alot alike. They have to live on what is available. If you fish on a river that has a lot of very small fish, you have seen this in action. If you were to kill 3/4 of the fish, the remaining ones would increase in size very quikly. Im not suggesting we do this, Im just saying that killing a set number of fish is needed. That is why we have limits. They are set to promote a mix of numbers and over all quallity of the fish in the watter. Keeping fish is a managment tool that is in fact a neccesity on most waters, so condeming someone for doing it is ignorant and counter productive to your own cause.

In closing, Iwould realy apreciat if people would refrain from insulting my mother any further, thank you.

[Chief Grey Bear]

What I hate the most is the occasional big fish that inhales a crankbait and ends up with one of the hooks all the way back in the gills. With a lot of care you can get the hook out without tearing the gills, although the fish will often bleed a lot. A fish bleeding from the gills isn't necessarily doomed, though. If you can get the hooks out fairly quickly without actually tearing the gills much, as soon as you get the fish back in the water the bleeding will stop. Fish blood coagulates extremely quickly IN WATER, extremely slowly out of the water, and I've seen bass survive after what seemed like a lot of bleeding. I've gill-hooked a couple from my pond that had distinctive scars or fin deformities so that I'd recognize them. They were bleeding profusely, but swam off when I released them, and weeks or months later I caught them again.

I was goning to bring this up a few weeks ago as a question. I am glad you mentioned it here. I was not sure but was pretty confident that they would survive. I have had this happen on occasion too. This is where a good pair of hemo's or needle nose pliers comes in and everyone should be carrying them with them. If it does happen, I come in from behind the gill plate and carefully work the hook back over the gills.

Here is a tip I was told about and I have put to use. If you do come across a gut hooked fish you can go in under the gill plate (be careful not to touch the gills), push back slighty on the hook, and then twist the shank up by the eye. Often times it will pop the hook right out of the throat (the throat is not as fleshy as one might think). It has worked about 50% of the time I have tried it. The angle you get from going under the gill plate seems to be the key.

I too have hooked fish in the eye with trebles and even small ones on jigs (I think they were trying to kill it before eating it). I always feel awful when that happens and it is difficult and unpleasant to remove the hook from an eyeball.

One thing that I do when fishing soft plastics is to bury the point in the body. You can put a little extra bend in the hook to help with this. But I do this more for making it as snag proof as I can and not to aid gut hooking. And it may not help. I don't really know.

As for hooking fish in the eye, I am not imune from that. Thank goodness most times it is between the eyeball and eye socket. But, I can say that in all my years fishing, I can count on one hand the number of one-eyed fish or ones that were clearly blind in one eye.