Any way to avoid gut hooks?

[BoroBass]

Last couple times out I seem to be hooking a lot of fish in the gut (I'd say 4-6 over two trips). It's started happening a lot more since I switched to Senko-style plastics. Am I setting the hook too late or something? I've tried to be more patient since I was yanking it out of their mouths before, but I'd almost rather not catch a fish than gut hook one. I am planning to buy some of those offset wire cutters someone posted (LBH maybe?) but until then, any tips to avoid them in the first place?

[Jig Man]

I have that problem with tubes. I don't know of any way to avoid them when the fish are agressive. However, it is pretty simple to go through the gills with a pair of hemostats or needle nose pliers and turn the hook around. Then it is a simple matter of reaching inside the mouth getting hold of the hook and taking it out.

Somewhere on here there was a GMAN post with pics.

[Cajun1977]

quit fishing ;D                  seriously  sometimes its gonna happen  and nothing you can do  about it,  but since ive started using mostly 4/0  hooks ive had the problem lessen abit

[Bassn Blvd]

It sounds like you are letting the fish run too much.  Try doing a 3 second count after the bass picks up the worm and then set the hook.  If your not sure the bass has the worm or is just pecking at it, then take up the slack and try to learn to feel the weight of the fish on the end of the line without pulling the worm away from the fish before he consumes it.  This is where a sensitive rod and line come into play.   The best way for me to worm fish and avoid gut hooks is to rely more on feel rather than watching your line.  

[Guest avid]

circle hooks.

they really work, and you never gut hook a fish.

get good ones like owner mutu light circles.  for a senko a 1/0 is a good size.  Great for wacky rigging.

even if a fish swallows a bait with a circle hook 90% of the time it will pull out the stomach and hook the fish in the lower jaw.  

You don't set the hook.  After you detect the strike just start reeling.  When you feel the rod load up just sorta lean back a little while reeling.  It's about that time that the fish will realize he's hooked.

Alot of people just can't accept the fact that circle hooks are great fish catchers.  They think that because it is easy on the bass that it must have a poor hook up percentage.  but what they don't realize is that circle hooks were designed by long liners.  the fish hook themselves.

Try a pack.  You'll never gut hook a fish again.

[Red]

can the circle hooks be used for other applications besides wacky rigging?

Cliff

[Bassn Blvd]

I use them alot for saltwater species, mostly live bait.  I've only used them with Senkos for freshwater.  Just remember that all you have to do is just reel when you get the hit.  no need to "set" up.

[BoroBass]

can the circle hooks be used for other applications besides wacky rigging?

Cliff

Yeah, can they? I can't use the Wacky Rig most places in that pond because there's so many weeds.

[Jig Man]

Here's that link.  http://www.in-fisherman.com/magazine/articles/if2806_HookRemoval/index.html

[Guest the_muddy_man]

Any way to avoid gut hooks?  

Yea> Don't swallow the hooks

[Red]

can the circle hooks be used for other applications besides wacky rigging?

Cliff

Yeah, can they? I can't use the Wacky Rig most places in that pond because there's so many weeds.

so you can use them for ..say a t-rig with a bullet weight?

[Guest avid]

Heres a link to the circle hooks at bps

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchResults?searchOption=products&hvarSearchString=circle+hook&storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&CMID=TOP_SEARCH_GO&x=6&y=13

You can see how they are not ideal for T-rigging.  

Here's what I do is weedy conditions.

I put the nose of the worm onto the point and thread the worm all the way up past the eye of the hook and up the line so the hook is dangling below the worm.

then I pull the line so the eye of hook just penetrates the worm and then turn the hook around and bury it into the worm.

It works, but it's not ideal.

[bad_angler]

Circle hooks are the ticket.

[RoLo]

When bass are really turned on, you will see the occasional gullet-hooked bass,

unfortunately they're usually trophy-class fish with a BIG maw.

On the other hand, if you're getting a lot of gullet-hooked bass, then almost certainly your hook-set is tardy.

Roger

[linesider7]

Are you fishing in conditions where you can't watch your line or keep the line taught?  I'm not understanding why you're allowing the fish so long with the bait...

Avid, I've still managed to gut hook bass w/ circle hooks.  I use them exclusively when livebaiting saltwater.  I don't normally livebait bass, but have used shiners a handful of times in my life, and used them then.  

Another thing to think about is mashing your barbs down.

[Garnet]

Even with tubes or any bait when you start gut hooking repeatly it's likely a tight school of aggressive fish. Try a jerk shad or jerk bait, spinnerbait something moving to avoid the time delay.

Drop Shot avoids the gut hook.

Garnet

[Guest avid]

Avid, I've still managed to gut hook bass w/ circle hooks.

Like I said in my post you can still gut hook a bass with a circle hook.  Maybe 90% was exaggeration, but I don't think anyone doubts that circle hooks will gut hook a fish less than any other hook design.

It's fishing, and fishing means theres gonna be some blood sometimes.  I think as ethical sportsman we have an obligation to miniminze damaging the fish we enjoy catching so much, but it's gonna happen.

The important thing is that the young man, asked how to avoid it.

That shows that he is definitly a budding young sportsman who has a respect for his quarry.

That gets one of avid's famous