Went to the Windsor Gravel Pits with Phil & Ryan on Saturday AM. We combined to catch about 3 dozen fish. Most were small, although Ryan did catch one of about 3 1/2 lbs. As usual, they were biting everything.


I experimented with a hook removal method I had just read about in In-Fisherman. It's too early to say that it's 100% effective, but I did go 5 for 5 on Saturday on bass hooked in the gullet, including a couple of real dinks. In the past, I would have left the hook in those fish, but I've read that with modern hooks with Teflon coatings, etc., they take a long time to rust out & interfere with feeding, meaning that probably a significant number of those fish that I thought I released alive later died. All you really need is a pair of needlenose pliers or hemostats. Here's the article:
http://www.in-fisherman.com/magazine/articles/if2806_HookRemoval/
If any of you are more experienced with this hook removal method, or know of a better one, please post. I was impressed - of the 5 times I tried it, the hook came out easily each time, with no bleeding. I can't say any of them just "popped free," but with a little jiggling, they did come free, & the fish appeared to be in great shape.

Thats a good link. I've used a pair of fishermans pliers to turn the hook and pull it out but never thought about sticking my fingers through the gills and turning the hook. Looking forward to trying it.

Might as well add my report. Got back into town yesterday and was to burnt for fishing but went to spring today (Sunday). Got a late start but started throwing a frog on the mats. Had several blow ups and finally landed a nice one, 5lb 8 oz. Caught 2 on spinnerbait one dink and the other about 2 pounds and one flipping also a dink.

I can't wait to try this technique! Lord knows, I've left a few of my heavy-duty Owner 'J-hooks' deeply set into some poor fishes' gullets. I was always a bit skeptical about how quickly those would 'rust out,' according to the hook removal instructions I've read in the past, even if I were able to cut the shank of the hook way down with my wire-cutters.

Those graphics really helped show how to do this technique! I hope I can save a few more of the fish that get hooked like that in the future (however many I might have brought to their untimely deaths in the past, of which I'll never know, I suppose).


Thanks for the great link, Andy!

- jeff

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Every day Congress convenes, we lose a little more of our LIBERTY!!!

(-- Mark Levin, radio-show host/KSFO 3-6pm)