gut hooked small fish

[Jonas Staggs]

I have been doing quite a bit of micro fishing, using a 1/64 oz jig head, have been pretty successful, but my last session out, the bluegill were hitting my lure very hard, I gut hooked one, tried my best to save him, but couldnt, I also gut hooked a small catfish a few weeks ago as well. How the hell do you unhook these tiny gut hooked fish? Im aware of going through the gills on a large bass, but for smaller fish what do you do? I have already purchased larger jigs and some long thin locking forcep pliers, but what else can I do? and how would I unhook a tiny gutted bluegill?

[MN Fisher]

You do the best you can, with the best tools you can get...and remember that sometimes it's not to be. Gut-hooked fish dying is a fact of life...if you've done all you can, just try to leave it behind you.

[txchaser]

Pinch down the barbs, might have a better shot getting it out with the forceps.

[Hammer 4]

14 minutes ago, txchaser said:

Pinch down the barbs, might have a better shot getting it out with the forceps.

 

 

This ^^^^^^. Forceps really can make it easier getting hooks out of fish vs needle nose pliers.

[Bluebasser86]

Forceps will help a lot, curved ones probably are best since you don't have room to really turn them inside the fish's mouth. Pinch the barbs down too like was mentioned.

[JustJames]

Agree with both barbless and forceps. I found that with bluegill rod barbs is not necessity.

I bought this after having issue deep hooking crappie with #6 hook (come with 1/32oz jig)

[Jonas Staggs]

thanks for all the input guys, was thinking of purchasing barbless but couldnt find any, will give crimping them a shot, my forceps are the straight ones, hoping thats good enough, didnt see any curved ones. Wondering if there is that much of a difference between them, and if it would be worth it to buy another pair.

[Oregon Native]

Squeeze down the barb yourself...easy pezy.  Good set of pliers.....done

[lo n slo]

that’s what God made Ospreys for

[@reelChris]

If I've done all I can to get the hook out and the fish still ends up floating upside down, my personal policy is that it is now bait.  At least it prevents the fish from being wasted.

[MN Fisher]

6 minutes ago, @reelChris said:

If I've done all I can to get the hook out and the fish still ends up floating upside down, my personal policy is that it is now bait.  At least it prevents the fish from being wasted.

I'd do that too...except it's illegal to use panfish for bait in MN.

[schplurg]

Catch a few more and eat em

[jbrew73]

Filet knife works great.

[Jonas Staggs]

unfortunately, my micro fishing is done in a heavily polluted creek, I would not eat the fish, keeping the fish for bait crossed my mind, but once I toss them back in, they get swept away.