Newbie Question about Gut Hooked Fish

Hey There,

So this is my 2nd year of freshwater fishing and my catch rate has jumped big time since last year.

In general, I've been very happy with my season. All sorts of personal bests and I've accomplished many of my goals.

That being said, over the last month or so I've had trouble with Gut Hooking several fish. Some cases I was able to remove the hook and the fish seemed no worse off but I've also had to cut some hooks loose. After doing some reading I now understand there are better options to try.

So my question is, what am I doing wrong? My "gut" feeling is that I'm waiting to long to set the hook. The problem is that last year I feel that I wasn't waiting long enough.

Anyone have any suggestions on what I could/should be doing to avoid gut hooking?

thanks,

Perhaps a more sensitive rod would better help you detect the initial strike, tungsten weights (if your drop shotting, flipping etc) help increase sensitivity, be a line watcher...especially when your bait is on the fall, alot of times a bass can be so subtle that your completely unaware that he has taken the bait, this happens most when the bait is falling.

Hope this helps, Im sure somemore guys will chime in with other ideas, the guys on here are really great and very informative.

Thanks for the info Sinista, I appreciate the quick reply.

The rod I used most is Med/Heavy and the problem seems to occur most with plastic worms.

Maybe I can tell my wife I need to get a new rod for the welfare of the fish?

i noticed that the hook size is a big factor of where the fish gets the pinch

for plastics i use big black hooks and they get hooked in the right spot 95% of de time since i switched to biggerhooks i have almost no internal hooks that end dangerous

Good point Skoda...that Med Heavy sounds a tad much. Id try a Med or Med Lite fast or x fast tip

Thanks guys.

For Hooks I've been using 3/0 and 4/0.

What do you guys typically use?

I keep a small pair of scissors with me when i fish.I use these for different things.Cutting my line when i tie on a lure,sometimes i trim the lure skirts,etc.I am no doctor,but i also use the scissors to cut the fatty tissue around the hook.I think this is much better than leaving the hook in.I make sure the scissors are not rusty,so i clean them off after every fishing trip.I think this will heal much quicker for the fish and it doesn't effect their ability to eat.It also doesn't take as long as
trying to remove the hook.

I've been using 5/0 on all my worms lately ... 4", 5" and 10" haven't had a gut hook in awhile. Definitely keep an eye on the line and when it twitches, give it a feel and set the hook quick, that will help to get a lip hook.

If the gut thing keeps happening, there was an old post on one of these threads that outlined ways to unhook the fish and giving it a sporting chance. I've done the 'through the gill' method a bunch this year, and its been good...instead of sticking your pliers down the throat, go through the gill plate, and it gives you a little better angle at it.

Also go barbless if your having the issue a lot. It makes getting the hook hook so much easier when it is deep in or a tough to reach place.

Circle hooks may be an option as well, though to be honest I have never used them for Largemouth. I have used them for cats and striped bass where they tend to swallow baits, allowing me to put a steady pressure to bring it out of the gut, feel it flip into the mouth then set the hook. It is a different feeling and not just a ::BANG:: set like normal hooks but may be an option.

Has anyone ever tried tying the worms slightly behind the hook? Kinda like a modified hair rig we use for carp. The concept being the bass would suck the worm in deep, leaving the hook in the mouth area, would suck for deep weeds but for the edges and clear water it might be an option..I will have to play around with it on a local pond sometime soon

Another thing is make sure you use a style of hook that will rust. Today many people use stainless and all sorts of modern materials that do not rust making it a bad choice to leave the hook. Obviously you don't want to leave a hook in at all if you can help it..but if it is a rusting material then at the very least it may rust out quickly and not be a permanent thing.

i like the idea worms slightly behind the hook - will give that a try on the weekend

Yea, if your're fishing worms really slow or dead sticking maybe a circle hook would work best. That way you don't have to keep tugging or moving the line to see if a fish is on, and if you miss a bite which seems to be happening, the circle hook as mentioned above is supposed to come out of the throat. I gutted hooked my first fish since I can remember on a worm last week when I let it drop to the bottom, attended to something on my kayak, and essentially dead sticked it. Then when I checked the line a small LM was on, and the jig was partially down its throat with the hook coming out the side as a result of the hook set. So def. pay attention at all times, as I was reminded of myself, or try a circle hook if you fish this way a lot.