Deep Hooked Bass Must Read

[OnthePotomac]

With regard to the comments on this subject on the forum, I strongly recommend reading this article by Dr. Manns. There is a lot of bad information on what to do with a deep hooked bass. Personally, I debarb my hooks and use a hook remover. Very easy and I do not lose bass by debarbing.

Hooks In or Out?

by Ralph Manns

Getting the word out on hook removal. Those of us who try to share the findings of scientific study with non-scientists are often frustrated. It seems very difficult to get the word out. We write about some important discovery, but find anglers, particularly the influential professional bass anglers, either don't read the new information or dismiss the new scientific insights because they conflict with beliefs the anglers already hold.

Professional and TV anglers aren't the only ones to be slow in learning and applying the latest "word" from scientists. Biologists, particularly state fisheries workers are too busy with their own assigned tasks to read all of the literature produced by other scientists. They continue to advise anglers to handle fish using outmoded procedures.

The recommendation that anglers cut the leader close to the hook when bass are "deep-hooked" is a good example. It is hard to find a publication on catch-and-release (C&R) techniques that doesn't pass on this poor advice. Yet, recent research on release techniques strongly suggests there is a better way.

Some years ago, Doug Hannon noted that most magazine articles and state publications recommend leaving hooks in bass and other fish to "rust" out. He claimed that hooks don't rust fast enough, even in salt water; and suggested that the shank of a hook pointing up the throat of a bass acts like a lever or trap door that prevents swallowing. Bass can die of starvation while waiting for normal body processes to eject the hook. Food coming down a bass' throat will bypass a hook-shank, IF the shank lies tightly against the side of the throat where the barb is lodged. However, if the shank protrudes into the throat, food coming down can push the shank across the esophagus, blocking it. Deep-hooked bass may even feel pain as the food rotates the barb and regurgitate the food. Recently, Hannon's observations have been scientifically verified. John Foster, Recreational Fisheries Coordinator for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, studied striped bass at Chesapeake Bay. His researchers held throat-hooked stripers between 16- and 28-inches long for observation in half-strength seawater so that hooks had ample opportunity to rust away. Size 1/0 and 2/0 stainless steel, bronzed, nickel, tin and tin-cadmium hooks were hooked in the top of each fish's esophagus, with an 18-inch length of line connected to the hook.

After four months, 78 percent of the hooks were still imbedded. Cadmium coated hooks poisoned 20 percent of the fish, and production of these hooks has been stopped. Bronzed hooks were less likely (70%) to be retained than tin-cadmium (80%), nickel (83%), or stainless steel (100%) hooks.

In a second test, the line was clipped at the eye of the hook, as advised by most existing C&R guides. One-hundred percent of the stainless hooks were again retained, while 56 percent of tin, 76 percent of bronze, 84 percent of tin-cadmium, and 88 percent of nickel hooks remained. Fish mortality was greater when all line was trimmed. Foster theorized that the lengths of line hanging from a fish's mouth kept the hook-shank flat against the side of the esophagus and allowed food to pass. Without the line, food could move the hook and close the throat.

Hooks rusted slowly in stages, and the bend and barb became smaller very gradually. Stripers formed scar tissue around imbedded hook points, a typical reaction of body tissue to foreign matter. Foster noted, however, that once the tough scar tissue formed, hooks became more, not less, difficult to remove. Months after fish were hooked, infections sometimes developed around points, causing some deaths.

Based on his research, Foster recommended anglers carefully remove even deeply imbedded hooks. If the hook can not be removed, then it seems better to leave about 18 inches of line attached. Perhaps, someday, these findings will reach C&R anglers, the biologists who are researching C&R and publish C&R guidelines, and TV anglers who teach by their example.

Another good idea is to carry strong wire-cutting pliers. Cur off protruding barbs in the throat and the hook shank falls free easily.

Texas researchers recently compared the mortality of largemouth bass hooked with live bait and artificial lures. Their main finding: "there is no biological justification to regulate use of live bait to catch bass" has been widely publicized. Other findings may help anglers make appropriate adjustments in technique.

In two separate tests, largemouth bass in a private water were landed by TPWD anglers using Carolina-rigged scented plastic worms, crankbaits with multiple treble hooks, and live carp fished with either a Carolina rig or a float. To simulate normal fishing conditions, anglers with different levels of expertise were used.

While fishing with floats, anglers were instructed to delay hooksets until floats went completely under, simulating the way typical amateur anglers fish with unattended rods. Under all other conditions, anglers were to strike immediately upon feeling a hit. Captured bass were immediately examined to identify hook-related injuries. When bass were hooked deep in the throat, the line was cut and hook left in place. (TPWD did not identify whether the cut was made in the traditional way near the hook, or with line remaining outside the fish's mouth.) Bass were then kept in a large holding net over a 72-hour observation period to determine short-term mortality rates. Sixty bass were taken using each method. Tests were made in August, when water was warm and stress and mortality are normally high.

The average mortality under these worst-case conditions was 22 percent. Carolina rigs with scented worms caused the highest mortality, followed by live carp used under floats, crankbaits, and Carolina-rigged carp minnows.

TPWD biologists concluded that the timing of the hookset appeared more critical than the type of bait used in the determination of short-term death rates. The data show bass hooked in the throat had poor survival odds. Evidently, largemouth bass took both lures and live bait fully into their mouths almost immediately. The bass pros' advice to strike without delay is important to reduce fish mortality. Angling techniques that delay hooksets should be avoided.

Carolina-rig and worm combos likely killed more fish because the loose-floating leader prevented immediate detection of some strikes and flavored worms are easily swallowed or held in the back of a bass' mouth. Eighteen percent of bass taken on rigs with worms were throat-hooked.

In contrast, Carolina rigs with live bait and live baits under floats caused less mortality, likely because live preyfish are often held in a bass' mouth for a few seconds, killed, and turned to be swallowed headfirst. This gives anglers a few seconds more to detect hits before baits are ingested. The decision to delay hits when live baits were used with floats and to strike immediately with Carolina-rigged baits likely caused the different mortality rates of these two techniques. Nevertheless, 10 percent of bass hooked on Carolina-rigged live baits were hooked in the esophagus.

It is no surprise that crankbaits are less likely to be swallowed, as their artificial nature is immediately detectable to fish. When fisheries are managed primarily for C&R or trophy bass production, it may be appropriate to ban use of multiple rods to reduce delayed hooksets, or to limit lures to items unlikely to be swallowed. In any case, C&R sportsmen will want to avoid techniques that delay hooksets, like fishing with unattended rods.

The TPWD study showed that bass hooked in the tongue and esophagus had about a 50 percent chance of dying, while bass hooked in the lips mouth, jaw, roof of mouth had 25 percent or less mortality. Interestingly, only 12.5 percent of gill hooked fish died. This finding suggests anglers who kill and eat or mount gill-damaged bass because "they are unlikely to live" are in error.

TPWD also compared the survival of bass when they were bleeding and when leaders were cut and hooks left in the fish. Removing hooks improved bass survival when bass were not bleeding. But there was little difference in mortality when bass were bleeding or hooks were left in the fish.

Anglers practicing C&R rather than to eat bass might note these findings. Fish caught with only superficial wounds are likely to survive release. Small, deeply-hooked and bleeding bass likely should be eaten, rather than released to die later. But lunker bass are so valuable that they should be immediately released, even if they are bleeding or deeply-hooked. Remove the hook if posible. Leave an 18-inch leader if you can not remove the hook.

Ralph Manns

Author Information.

Ralph Manns is a distinguished outdoor writer whose materials appear in popular publications such as In-Fisherman and other outdoor magazines.

Ralph is a strong proponent of conservation and proper care of the great bass fisheries and water resources that we must manage and protect as anglers. His articles always encourage proper handling of bass by anglers, in livewells, and during weigh-ins.

[SoFlaBassAddict]

Your link = no good

Just google search it when it pops up, it's the top link.

[Glenn]

That article is several years old now.  I agree that hooks should be removed, but I would add "always".  With the technique outlined in the link below, there really is no reason at all that one would need to cut the line and leave the hook in.  It works 100% of the time.  Now that I know how to do it, I've NEVER left a hook in a bass ever since.  Period.

Here's the technique.  Learn it.  Practice it.  Preach it.

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1128002349/16#16

[OnthePotomac]

Glenn, I agree with you 100%.  As I stated above, since I started debarbing hooks and using a hook remover, the days of trying to remove a hook otherwise ended.  By a hook remover, I am referring the device Bill Dance is always using, although several companies make the same thing.  I have to repeat for the disbelievers in fishing with the barb removed. I have lost zero bass because I do. 

[Avalonjohn44]

http://www.bigindianabass.com/big_indiana_bass/2010/08/cool-hook-removal-study.html

[OnthePotomac]

Great articles.  Thanks much.  Debarbing sure makes it easier to remove the deep hooks.

[Fishing Rhino]

Glenn, I agree with you 100%. As I stated above, since I started debarbing hooks and using a hook remover, the days of trying to remove a hook otherwise ended. By a hook remover, I am referring the device Bill Dance is always using, although several companies make the same thing. I have to repeat for the disbelievers in fishing with the barb removed. I have lost zero bass because I do.

Zero?  Are you telling us you lose zero bass every time you hook one?  If you do "lose a fish" how can you be sure it is not due to fishing a barbless hook?

I'm not trying to be a wise guy, but we all lose bass for various reasons.  Heck, I lose bass with barbed hooks.  I don't think I'd lose any less without barbs.

And, even with barbed hooks, the method Glenn refers to does work 100% of the time.  I had to do it three times yesterday.

[NebraskaBasser]

And, a question for those of you that DO "debarb" your hooks... how?  What method do you use?  Do you just "mash" down the barb?  If not, then what method do you use?

Thanks!

[rubba bubba]

2 techniques:

- mash it with a pair of pliers

- file it off with a dremel

[Wayne P.]

The barb of a quality hook will snap off when pinched with pliers against the hook shank. The small "bulge" left when the barb is created is enough to keep a fish buttoned up because there is no cut made with a barb. Another factor of barbless is the hook can penetrate better and result is less lost fish,

The best hooks for removing from deep hooked fish are the short shank models. Those hooks can be turned around easily for easy extraction. I use the Octopus and Mosquito hooks for most of my presentations and removal is very easy no matter where the hook is located. I use curved jaw forcepts to manuever the hook for removal.

The best method of removing a long shank worm hook is to cut the hook shank off as close to the bend as possible leaving enough to grip with pliers, forcepth, etc so it can be turned around for easy removal.

As for crankbaits, the Triple Grip styles are the worst for removal and also the worst for hooking fish. Do yourself and the fish a favor and use round bends.

[NebraskaBasser]

Thanks (Wayne and guys)!   

[NBR]

1. I always debarb the hook and have for 30+ years.

2. On Crigs I use circle hooks. Also debarbed.

3. When I deep hook a fish if necessary I go in through the gills. See In-Fisherman.

4. Several years ago I bought a gadget called a

"Debarbit" which cut off the barb inside the fish and the magnets on the gadget brought out the hook pieces.

5. Since I began to use 2 and 3 I have never needed to use the "Debarbit".

I have not kept enough data to be sure that I don't lose more fish with a debarbed hook but I don't lose many and my gut feel is that debarbing has little effect if any.

[OnthePotomac]

I should have qualified my comment on losing zero bass from debarbing, in that I meant my loss rate is unchanged from what normally occurred when fishing with barbed hooks.  In fact, it has gone down a little, which I attribute to my increased effort to keep the hook imbedded by constant pressure on until I land the fish, since I know there is no barb.

[WRB]

Soft plastics and live bait that tend to be swallowed quickly; try a high tech circle hook and learn to hook set by reel setting. Gamakatsu and Owner both make circle hooks for bass fishing with soft plastics. The bass are hooked 100% of the time in the corner of the month.

WRB