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

[KCRIVERRAT]

Through my teens and early twenties I used night crawlers and crawdads exclusively while fishing for smallmouth. I didn't know any better and as I grew older, I too learned which artificials worked. The thing is... I don't see much of a difference with deep hooked fish either way. I know when to set a hook, but sometimes an agressive fish will just do what you don't want it to do. It sucks when it happens, but it happens. I hate cuttin' or biting a line off with a hook imbedded deep, but we've all done it. It's better than ripping their guts or gills out IMO. Maybe, according to some of you, they don't survive when released. I would rather see them swim away and think they'll survive than rip'em apart trying to save a hook or lure.

[flytyer57]

Start using circle hooks and you won't have to worry about gut hooking a fish. At least, that's what they say, not me.

[KCRIVERRAT]

Start using circle hooks and you won't have to worry about gut hooking a fish. At least, that's what they say, not me.

I watch a lot of fishing shows and it seems circle hooks are more popular for the saltwater guys. 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.

[RSBreth]

http://www.in-fisher...rent-smallmouth

From the article...

"Hook: Since I discovered it was possible to catch bronzebacks on circle hooks without inflicting deep-hooking injuries so common with traditional livebait hooks, I’ve used nothing else. With a simple line-tightening no-yank hook-set, over 90 percent of my bass are pinned neatly in the corner of the mouth.

Removing a circle hook from a bass takes a bit of practice, however. I use a small pair of pliers with a 90-degree bend in the tip, which makes it easier to grasp the hook shank and rotate with a circular motion. (Putting bait on a circle hook is also a bit of a trick.)

I’ve settled on Mustad Extra Fine Wire Demon Circle Hooks because they’re a true circle hook made of fine-diameter wire that does not damage delicate baits. I use sizes from #6 to #4 for hellgrammites, and riffle runners up to 1/0 and 2/0 for large chubs."

Not local knowledge, but good nonetheless...

[KCRIVERRAT]

Thanks RS...

[troutfiend1985]

Eric, with more people fishing, you are likley to have more people who care about an area. Why do you care about smallmouths? Because you love the sport of fishing for them I would assume. Otherwise why bother? Yes, there are "meathunters" but I was more or less refering to people who are law abiding citizens, given the fact that I spent a bit of my post bashing poachers. My problem, and it has been this way for a while, is when people on this forum use their personal opinions and beliefs to criticize others who are within the law. There is no need for that type of behavior. I can enjoy the stream just as much as a guy that is legally bait fishing. This isn't a country club we are talking about and there needs to be areas where anyone can fish. Not everyone can strip a streamers or put a good drift on a dry fly. Some people have never been taught how to fly fish or spin fish for that matter, but these people enjoy fishing none the less and the people are by no means less of an individual than either you or I. Long story short, if you have a problem with the law then do something to get it changed but don't ride your high horse and feel holier than though because you don't fish with bait.

[jdmidwest]

I don't have a problem with differing opinions either. But berating and belittling someone is not offering a differing opinion.

If you can't take a joke, don't read my posts.....

[jdmidwest]

Gotta say, he got you there JD. Nice detective work kirchmer.

Eric, that too was a quick little one line joke, I did not think anyone caught it till today.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Gotta say, he got you there JD. Nice detective work kirchmer.

There's a lot of gray area between what is legal and what is ethically correct or best for the fishery. Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. You can legally keep six smallmouth over 12 inches per day on most any creek in the state. One guy, over one summer, could bankrupt a creek of mature smallmouth...and do it legally. Does that make it okay?

The thorn that really pokes at me is that MDC is willing to stick their neck out to establish Blue Ribbon sections for trout streams...for non-native fish...that are stocked...and restocked. Yet they seem nothing short of ambivalent about protecting smallmouth, the most cherished native species of sportfish in the Ozarks. Don't get me wrong, I fully support Blue Ribbon sections...I wish there were more of them. But it drives me nuts to see MDC's priorities so far out of whack.

Chief's right that the only way to completely eliminate fish mortality is to stop fishing. But we know from other realms of society that preaching abstinence doesn't work...teenagers will continue to fornicate, and fishermen will continue to fish. So how about some protection? er, for the fish that is.

There is no gray area at all. We all understand the rules and regulations. You either choose to abide by them or you don't. And the old agrument of what someone can do to a creek over the summer is not a valid point. You cannot regulate "What If's".

I believe the MDC stuck their neck out when they implemented the SMA's. Did they not? And I wouldn't go so far to claim the Smallmouth is the most cherished native species of sportfish in the Ozarks. It just all depends in what group your are in. Some may say it is the catfish. Others may say it is the crappie. Still others may say it is the largemouth bass. The MDC's priorites are with the conservation and use all species. You must remember that in the whole scope of things, you are a huge majority. Yeah I know that is a oxymoron but it rings a lot of truth.

If you can't take a joke, don't read my posts.....

It was no joke and you know it. You started your same stupid dung you always do and you got your desired results. Happy?

[eric1978]

I've settled on Mustad Extra Fine Wire Demon Circle Hooks because they're a true circle hook made of fine-diameter wire that does not damage delicate baits. I use sizes from #6 to #4 for hellgrammites, and riffle runners up to 1/0 and 2/0 for large chubs."

I use #6 Gammy circle hooks to wacky-rig or nose-hook Senkos. They work well, but that's about all the use I can personally find for them.

Long story short, if you have a problem with the law then do something to get it changed but don't ride your high horse and feel holier than though because you don't fish with bait.

I look at this issue from a conservationist perspective only, and I'm not on any high horse or holier than thou...trust me, I'm full of flaws and I readily admit it. I don't think I'm "better" than anyone because I don't bait fish and I strictly C&R smallmouth. However, there's a pretty strong argument to be made that I'm easier on the resource than folks that fill stringers of smallies with live crawdads. Hard to deny that. My behavior has little to no impact on them, but theirs has impact on me...so I'll continue to point that out and make my opinion heard.

Eric, that too was a quick little one line joke, I did not think anyone caught it till today.

I didn't know you were an anti-baitite until today.