Ned and other finesse baits causing deep hooking?

[*T*]

I think it's more how a particular person fishes the bait and their particular experience and knowledge of the bait.

Yes, much of the deep hook issue has to do with lack of recognition of a fish eating your bait. Soft plastic, tasty, salty baits will get totally devoured if you let them eat and eat and eat. Identifying a bite as soon as possible, knowing what it feels like when a fish is holding your jig, worm, creature bait, then hooking them quickly, in the mouth, is the goal.

I've seen it many times where those unfamiliar with what a fish on the bait feels like, (not a strong bite), wait so long that the fish is deeply hooked. Yes it's going to happen, but when fishing with soft plastics, just like fishing with bait, quick recogniton will minimize occurrences.

[Old plug]

Simple truth is the ned is is smaller and is inhaled easier. I do not know how anyone cannot recoognize a strike. Rods today. are mostly senitive and braid is like a telegraph wire. I think most of it just has to do with people giving the bass time to get it all in there mouth so they will be sure to land it. There is a time for that and there is a time not to. I had the experience this morning of catching a bunch of small bass mostly 11 and 12 inches long on a 1/4 oz hair jig tipped with a Brush hog for a trailer. I let them take more time with it because the bait was larger. Never deep hooked a one.

CORRECTION I mixed it up. Tge jig was 1/4 oz and not 5/16. I had another outfit in the boat with a 5/16oz jig head with a Zoom 5"" Dead Ringer attached and messed them up. 5/16 would have been beyond the bounds of at setup.

[Champ188]

There is a time for that and there is a time not to.

Old Plug is on the mark here. If you feel a mushy tension when fishing a Ned rig, set the hook. If you wait too long to decide if it's a fish, you run a big risk of deep-hooking it. Setting the hook doesn't cost a thing other than possibly losing a lure in a tree. Better to lose a $1 lure than kill a fish.

[dtrs5kprs]

Old Plug is on the mark here. If you feel a mushy tension when fishing a Ned rig, set the hook. If you wait too long to decide if it's a fish, you run a big risk of deep-hooking it. Setting the hook doesn't cost a thing other than possibly losing a lure in a tree. Better to lose a $1 lure than kill a fish.

Yep. Anything different is a swing, unless maybe you know you are right in a brush pile or cedar. Fish in that kind of cover are usually more aggressive with it anyway.

[Chief Grey Bear]

you're right it's not magic, but it happens.

saw a 30lb striper spit out a red fin in the well that it had completely swallowed so anything is possible

I guess those I have caught on popular float streams are not as talented.

And neither were the ones I have caught with a jig or a worm hook in their jaw.

[dtrs5kprs]

Yet somehow not only alive, but still eating.

Think about all the fish you've caught that were aggressively feeding, yet had obviously survived an encounter with a gar/turtle/heron, etc. We should be absolutely be as nice to them as we can be, but they are way tougher than we think.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Well unlike you and me, they run in instinct.

You ever see the video of the weasel and the rabbit?

I saw it a few years ago on a wildlife program. The young weasel, after catching the rabbit, not knowing to kill it yet, started gnawing on its hind quarters. The rabbit, in a state of shock, continued to eat grass as if nothing was happening. Craziest thing I ever saw.

Maybe that is what the bass are doing.

The MSA and its members think Smallmouth are very fragil. I wonder what their take on this nonchalant gut hooking is?

[5bites]

I have my doubts that it happens anymore now than it ever has. Less probably for reasons already discussed.

[5bites]

I do think fish often recover better than we give them credit for. In my experience anyway.

[Chief Grey Bear]

I do think fish often recover better than we give them credit for. In my experience anyway.

Fish are very tough. Walk through a trout park some afternoon-evening and count the carcasses on the bottom after a fun day of gut-hook and release.