Pond Boss Forums FISH & FISHING Show off your catch Fish Species Question

I just moved into a new house that has about a 1/3 of an acre pond. It was a foreclosed house whose pond hasn't been touched for nearly a year. I noticed several types of fish in there and today fished for a little bit and caught 3 fish. Still wondering what else is in there there but start here first. The easy one is the yellow perch, but the other 2 fish I beleive are both bluegill but I notice some differences between the 2 and I just wanted to post the pictures for a more expert eye in order to get opinions with all the very similar looking sunfish out there. Finally, when a fish swallows a barbed hook anyway to get it out without severly hurting the fish? I used pliers but basically had to rib part of the inner part of the fish out and it ended up dying which I wasn't thrilled about.

perch pic:
http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/a562/tokarzjf/20111231_235540_zps41f34c0c.jpg

bluegil 1:
http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/a562/tokarzjf/20120101_000413_zpsc61b731b.jpg

bluegil 2:
http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/a562/tokarzjf/20120101_000413_zpsc61b731b.jpg

Thanks,
John

First pic is a YP

Second pic is a healthy looking female BG

Third pic is the same as the second pic........


If a hook is that deep, sometimes cutting the line is best. Some guys are real good at using the red plastic hook removers, I could never master he technique though. Try using techniques that limit the risk of a fish swallowing a hook deeply.

Thanks for the reply;

"Try using techniques that limit the risk of a fish swallowing a hook deeply."

Could you elaborate here? I was just using a barbed hook with an earthworm attached and kinda slowly realing it in past the schoools of bluegil to grab a few quickly.

Bigger hooks can help, hook style, using artificial baits as opposed to natural and going barbless as well.

If the fish does not appear injured or bleeding in any way I try to cut the line otherwise they end up in the frying pan.

All great advice. I also try to set the hook the second I feel resistance. I don't want that bait swallowed.

Larger fish are much easier, since you can go in through the gills, and reverse the direction of the hook and pull it out. Not easy to do on a wiggling BG sized fish.

Most new hooks don't rust out as well as the older hooks, so some fish will just be lost if their hooked to deeply.

Are offset hooks preferred for bass fishing on the hook notes? I have read some conflicting articles