Dam Area Small Jaw Bite

[Bill Babler]

Any of those Creek Chub or even Sculpins  are terrible fish killers, especially if you are dragging them on a Carolina Rig.  I know down on Taney Phil just cringes if  someone is fishing Sculpins for Big Browns.   You catch it you pretty much kill it.

If your fishing a crawler on a drop shot or for that matter even a shiner you pretty much feel them immediately and a quick up set and ya got-em in the upper lip.  I have zero problem with folks gut hooking crawler fish.  If I use a crayfish or shiner on a C-Rig it is bad everytime.  I stopped fishing like that 15 yrs. ago.

Were not nitpicking or picking on anyone here, it is just pretty hard on the fish.

Good Luck

[abkeenan]

11 minutes ago, Bill Babler said:

Any of those Creek Chub or even Sculpins  are terrible fish killers, especially if you are dragging them on a Carolina Rig.  I know down on Taney Phil just cringes if  someone is fishing Sculpins for Big Browns.   You catch it you pretty much kill it.

If your fishing a crawler on a drop shot or for that matter even a shiner you pretty much feel them immediately and a quick up set and ya got-em in the upper lip.  I have zero problem with folks gut hooking crawler fish.  If I use a crayfish or shiner on a C-Rig it is bad everytime.  I stopped fishing like that 15 yrs. ago.

Were not nitpicking or picking on anyone here, it is just pretty hard on the fish.

Good Luck

Not always, but typically if you are fishing live bait you aren't too concerned with fish care or the letters C&R. More concerned with the letter F's. Fryer. Freezer.

[Champ188]

 Two words that should never be in the same conversation are smallmouth and freezer.   Way too many other options out there for table fare.

[Fish24/7]

BIG FAN of slicks!!

stoneroller aka 

rock roller, slicks, creek minners

https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/central-stoneroller

 

 

[Fish24/7]

it's 2017 ,get some circle hooks and forget about gut hooking fish 

I made the switch years ago, circle hooks are AWESOME!

the one thing about this TR forum that makes me laugh is darn near every time somebody mentions live bait the same few start talking about gut hooking killing fish. We know ... we know... you don't like live bait

[Fish24/7]

On 1/20/2017 at 8:51 AM, abkeenan said:

Not always, but typically if you are fishing live bait you aren't too concerned with fish care or the letters C&R. More concerned with the letter F's. Fryer. Freezer.

 disagree with Bill and abkeenan, sorry bubs, how did guys you come to this conclusion? not always, but typically? terrible fish killers??.. I try to educate people who have yet to switch over to circle hooks. I live bait fish and support c&r  consistently. Bill, abkeenan, and others reading this if you're not using circle hooks for live bait and/or even some artificial baits ,you should be. Those treble hooks we're using can put an eye out, or tear a gill, or get stuck in our bodies..does this mean we also "aren't too concerned with fish care? " I've been brown trout fishing with several guides on taney, norfork,and the white. They ALL said the exact same thing with live bait "let the fish run with the bait so they get it good ,lol" g, no wonder they swallow it.

"for hardbaits, if needed most don't, gently rotate the hook hanger so the circle hook hangs forward, or simply add an extra split ring "  and say goodbye to fish throwing the trebles

 

http://www.bassdozer.com/articles/circle_hooks.shtml

 

 

[Fish24/7]

On 1/20/2017 at 8:51 AM, abkeenan said:

Were not nitpicking or picking on anyone here, it is just pretty hard on the fish.

me too,i'm not nitpicking or picking on anyone here , i'm just saying treble hooks are pretty hard on fish too

[dtrs5kprs]

1 hour ago, Fish24/7 said:

it's 2017 ,get some circle hooks and forget about gut hooking fish 

I made the switch years ago, circle hooks are AWESOME!

the one thing about this TR forum that makes me laugh is darn near every time somebody mentions live bait the same few start talking about gut hooking killing fish. We know ... we know... you don't like live bait

If folks would go the circle route, and release, it would be less of an issue. Circles are great. Good for drop shot, senior too.

Not going to wait for it to happen though. Lot of folks just won't make the effort, or don't understand the difference.

[Fish24/7]

39 minutes ago, dtrs5kprs said:

If folks would go the circle route, and release, it would be less of an issue. Circles are great. Good for drop shot, senior too.

Not going to wait for it to happen though. Lot of folks just won't make the effort, or don't understand the difference.

parts of the midwest are behind in the fishing world imo, look how many years the whopper plopper was available before it finally got attention around "here".  Wait until the word gets out they make fish finders that help you identify fish species. Those have been around for while now, but you never see one mounted on boats around these lakes. I love my NAVMAN 4600. In the last few years they have discontinued and now that tech. sells under another brand name. Can tell you with 80+% accuracy what kind of game fish is under my boat. Agreed, circle hooks will probably never catch on  in the mid west, but in some states they have become the norm.

Fish recognition

The echo strengths shown on the A-scope can

be useful in recognising the type of fish. Different

species of fish have different sizes and shapes

of swim bladders. The air in the swim bladder

reflects the ultrasonic pulse, so the strength of

the echo varies between fish species according

to the size and shape of the swim bladder

Fish recognition

The echo strengths shown on the A-scope can

be useful in recognising the type of fish. Different

species of fish have different sizes and shapes

of swim bladders. The air in the swim bladder

reflects the ultrasonic pulse, so the strength of

the echo varies between fish species according

to the size and shape of the swim bladder. 

when fishing among a school of fish and catching them

note the fish species and the strength of the echo  return on the A scope screen.

when you see that same echo on the screen again, it's most likely the same fish species.

(this was copied from my owners manual)

 

 

 

[Bill Babler]

Probably been using circle hooks longer than you have.  Have had them on drop shot for years.  1st. started in the early 2000's with the Halibut guides in Alaska.  I don't think I mentioned anything about C&R. Using live bait. I use circle hooks for walleye on Bull Shoals on the majority of my bottom bouncing rigs to prevent accidental swallowing by the bass, when I'm fishing a crawler harness.  Still have some get it all the way down, but if your pulling on those walleye on the initial bite your not going to hook many.  My client fish live bait 90% of the time in the Summer.  As a matter of fact we fished it today.  You may be thinging about someone else.

My point was dragging live bait on a Carolina rig or a bottom bouncer you are going to gut hook a percentage of fish.  Don't care if your using a circle hook or not.  However it does help a mighty.