Not sure if this has ever been asked but I was wondering if there is a type of fish hook one could use to better there chances of fish not swallowing the hook? As my Blue's and Reds get bigger this seems to becoming a problem every now and again. Can anyone recommend a certain type of hook that will work best and or a certain type of fish hook extractor that works well?

thanks,

One thing I'm doing to better their chances is mashing down the barbs on the hooks. For removal when they swallow it, I use a pair of micro needle nose pliers from Craftsman.

The real secret is the barbless hook.

-RFL

I use barbless circle hooks for any catch and release bluegill fishing in my pond. You might have to go to bass pro or cabelas to find them, ive had trouble locating circle hooks at walmart.

Our good Pond Boss friend Sunil is the real expert when it comes to removing hooks without hurting the fish. He uses these Berkeley Hook Degorgers:



I've tried them a number of times in the last 50 years with limited success, yet Sunil can remove a deeply swallowed hook (serious gut-hook) in well less than a second, without injuring the fish. He's given me lessons a number of times, but I apparently just don't have the dexterity he has.

Maybe the next time we're fishing together I can make a short video of his technique.

Ken

If you're fishing with youngsters not quick on the hookset and fishing with live bait you're looking at a high mortality rate for BGs. I too recommend circle hooks for kids BG fishing. You can buy circle hooks of any size [14 on down] from Cabelas, and maybe BPS too. I remember it wasn't easy finding them on the online catalog, so I'd just call and make the customer service rep look them up for you. Crimping down the barb on them makes them even easier on the BG, which can be easily performed with file, needle nose pliers, hemostats, etc.

Hey thanks everyone. I was wondering what that red dehooker was called. Thanks. I need one of those things.

I'm partial to a small set of slightly curved hemostats. But then again I rarely deal with deep hooked fish.

Jigs are a great option as well. With such small mouths, you find the right jig size and you'll rarely have a gut hooked BG.

I too like the circle hooks. A pair of needlenose or hemostats & a slight twist of the wrist & they fall of the hook back into the water.

I wasn't sure where the best place was to post this. I've been at home today doing painting, carpet cleaning, etc., -- all of which includes waiting. I used the waiting time to try several experiments.

I took a small (#6, 1/16 oz) jighead down to the pond with some of my redworms, using my ultralight rod/reel with 4# test line. I'd cast it out and let it settle. I let it really start running quite some distance before setting the hook -- kind of what the little kids do. I got 12 bluegill and all were lip hooked. Then something ferocious grabbed it. I think it was probably one of the HSB. It stole the jig and worm from the end of the line before the reel could even think about releasing some line with the light-set drag.

But, as Scott (ESSHUP) suggested, jigheads don't seem to get gut hooked!

Now what to do with 12 small bluegill? None were huge -- they ranged from about 4 to 7 inches.

It was lunchtime. I scaled, gutted, and beheaded them. They provided a pint-and-a-half of pressure cooked euphoria. The half-pint is already gone. I expect the pint will be gone by noon tomorrow.

No water. A tablespoon of vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of pickling salt in a pint jar, and 90 minutes in the pressure cooker. Ooooh, that's some good eatn'!

TJ....do you lose a lot of fish without the barb or do
they stay on the line pretty good even without the barb?

Also anyone suggest a top quality light spin-cast reel?
It seems to me most of the light spincast reels are junk.
And being a southern boy I just can't get used to a spinning reel.

Ken, it wasn't me that suggested the jigs.

Zep, I don't think you'll find a spin cast that is the quality of even a middle of the road spinning or bait casting reel.

Mo practice!

I learned to baitcast after fishing with spinning reels for 25 years. And, the baitcasters that I learned on didn't have a level wind option - I had to use my thumb to make the line lay level on the reel. If I can learn how to do that, I'll bet you can learn how to use a spinning reel.

I've got 3 of the same ultra-light rod/reel combo at Academy made by Pflueger. The combo costs about $40 if I remember correctly. The rods are a little "whippy" but that makes fighting bluegills fun. IMO the reels are excellent.

I can get a model number this weekend if you are interested.

esshup,
I also would rather a bait caster but is there such a thing as ultra-light bait casters for 4# line?

I've never seen mini-baitcasters like the mini-spinning reels. I've read that baitcasters will cast further than spinning reels because the spool is revolving, creating less drag on the line as it comes off the reel.

esshup I love and have used baitcaster reels since I was about 8 years old. I'll never forget the joy on Christmas morning when I got my first Abu Garcia 5000C! But now I am looking for something light for the panfish. I have tried spinning reels several times and decided they are just not for me. They offer so many what look like quality spinning reels I suppose I could try again.


Sounds interesting dj. Yeah I'd like to see the model number. I found this one last night on Bass Pro Shops. It's quite pricey but gets unGodly reviews as the best thing since sliced bread. Check out the reviews at the bottom of the page.

Zebco Omega Pro @ BassProShops

ps: looks like they are on e-bay cheaper/no shipping/no tax

Keeping pressure on the fish and circle barbless should work. If you have kids and are leaving rods unattended or they are missing strikes then a barb on the circle can help and still will result in easy release. Nothing ruins a trips with youngsters than trying to disgorge a deeply hooked fish bleeding from it's gills....usually results in tears some psychological impact. Yet, it's hard to justify clipping all those hooks and rigging up over and over again though...so my bet is to fish circles for kids/panfish.

Originally asked by Zep: TJ....do you lose a lot of fish without the barb or do
they stay on the line pretty good even without the barb? [/quote]



I use barbless hooks on bluegill (and bass when fising with plastic worms) and don't experience a lot of lost fish. The key is to keep pressure on the fish at all times, no slack lines

I use a long shank barbless so that way if the hook is deep i can get to it with out gagging the fish with the needle nose. Also the finer diameter will not stay with the fish as long if you do decide not to remove the hook.

Wonder who it was then?



I concur. I do a lot of youth fishing clinics and bring a box of small jigs to replace the normal bait hooks I usually find on the end of the kids' lines. Rarely do we come across the traumatic experience that TJ speaks of due to gut hooked fish. And it gives a kid something to hold onto for a photo too. Also, if fishing for "any fish" with kids, you don't need ice to fish wax worms. Bluegill love them year 'round.

so do you use a bobber with a small jig and worm i guess? or just the jig

Depends.

Usually use a bobber, since most of the kids I have worked with are very awkward with a fishing rod, not having ever used one. And no bobber can mean snags for a kid who doesn't know how fast to retrieve. I go with a slip bobber when I can, but larger groups of kids makes that difficult sometimes.

Zep,
My bad... I did not realize a "spin-cast" reel wasn't the same as a "spinning" reel. In my area, we call spin-cast reels "closed face spinning reels."

Mine are spinning reels similar to this one:

http://www.basspro.com/Pfluegerreg;-Trionreg;-GX-7-Spinning-Reel/product/58697/40031?cmCat=CROSSSELL_THUMBNAIL

I have a few cheap spin-cast reels but do not use them much because sometimes the line will get wound up under the line spool and I have to take it apart to get the line loose.

Thanks guys....I will try barbless hooks.

djstauder gotcha.

i went ahead and bought the Zebco Omega spincast on e-bay yesterday.

i'll let ya know how it works.

Zep, try one of these for LMB and see how you like them. It'll take some getting used to!!

That is about the smallest one that I have, my largest one is a Penn International 2-speed. I can cast a 3# Mackerel with it, but it's not something that I'd like to do all day long.