Gut hooked fish

[Nomad 1500]

Caught a big crappie on Saturday and he was deep hooked in the throat right next to the gill. We had only caught a couple at that point and didn't know if we would keep them, so I cut the line and put him in the live well. As it happens we caught enough that day to keep. When we got home and I went to get them out of the live well, the jig that had deep hooked was laying on the bottom of the live well. Apparently he had been able to cough it up. I've never seen this before. I usually try to disgorge a deep hook unless it's in or near a gill like this one, but I wonder if I'm doing best by the fish. What do you guys think?

 

[EricM]

It is amazing how they manage to dislodge hooks, etc. I also remove hooks unless a lot of damage will be done - then I leave them. Since I changed to circle hooks for the catfish it is very, very rare that I ever hook a fish except in the corner of the mouth. I've never tried them on crappie, etc.

 

[JDK]

circle hooks are the way to go I use them when i fish live bait for bass.. i think maybe once or twice have the fish been gut hooked.. 98% of time the fish is hooked in the side or top of the mouth..
but to answer your question if the hook is to deep to dig out Id cut the line and let him go.. i think you do more damage trying to get the hook out

 

[Nomad 1500]

I've used circle hooks live bait fishing in the Gulf. Never tried them in fresh water. What sizes do you use?

 

[sprestwood]

The trick where the hook is pulled throught the gill opening with a length of line seems to work very well.

I use live minows for crappie and use a size 4 ro 2 Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap, which is circular due to the short shank/wide gap. If it is foul hooked, all I need to do is stick a hemostat up through the gill and rotate the hook away from the spear point. Little stress is on the fish and it pops right out. The barb is also very low profile.

 

[JDK]

Nomad 1500 - 4/13/2009 8:46 PM I've used circle hooks live bait fishing in the Gulf. Never tried them in fresh water. What sizes do you use?

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i use size 4 for bass
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[Shankopotamus]

The Georgia regs states that when a fish is gut-hooked, you should cut the line as close as possible to the hook. Enzymes released by the fish will dissolve the hook in a relatively short period of time without harming the fish.

 

[honkytonker26]

I was fishing a tx last year and had a 2.5 lber on a tube with a weighted insert hook. For some strange reason he had hooked him self in the throat. I cut the line and put him in the livewell. About 2 hrs later it come time to cull him and when I pulled him out the hook and tube were gone. I didn't think much of it I just threw him back in the water. Well I put my smallest fish back into the cull side there was no tube or hook in the livewell. He must have swallowed it. We'll never know I guess.