Wow. thats definitely sucks! I loved smallmouth. I will never kill them at all. meat or whatever. I always released them back. they are too beautiful to be killed.
Yeah, I surely understand that. I usually have plier that can cut metal. So, I can cut off the hook part so I can keep lure meanwhile let bass go without any harm. Because hook will dissolve itself. Most of that event was happened on treble hooks. Almost barely never happened when it was single hook. Everyone fished their own styles. They have their own skills to feel the fish bites. I tend to felt fish bites at right moment when they get their first bite. But anyway, that's make sense to me, bring home with dead fish that has no chance to live again.
I de-barb my worm hook at res. Sometimes it is inevitable to deep hook a fish,especially in the weeds, there is no feeling of the bite at all. For bank fishing, when I see a bass is bleeding, I usually put him on the string first and observe. If it keep its back straight after an hour, I will release it. If it lays side way barely move, I will take it home.
I de-barb my worm hook at res. Sometimes it is inevitable to deep hook a fish,especially in the weeds, there is no feeling of the bite at all. For bank fishing, when I see a bass is bleeding, I usually put him on the string first and observe. If it keep its back straight after an hour, I will release it. If it lays side way barely move, I will take it home.
Try one of these: http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Squeeze-Out-Hook-Remover/product/10213376/
I was skeptical at first...then I tried it. I have not lost a bass since, this thing should be in everyone's tacklebox/boat, it seriously works that well!
I de-barb my worm hook at res. Sometimes it is inevitable to deep hook a fish,especially in the weeds, there is no feeling of the bite at all. For bank fishing, when I see a bass is bleeding, I usually put him on the string first and observe. If it keep its back straight after an hour, I will release it. If it lays side way barely move, I will take it home.
Yeah, I surely understand that. I usually have plier that can cut metal. So, I can cut off the hook part so I can keep lure meanwhile let bass go without any harm. Because hook will dissolve itself. Most of that event was happened on treble hooks. Almost barely never happened when it was single hook. Everyone fished their own styles. They have their own skills to feel the fish bites. I tend to felt fish bites at right moment when they get their first bite. But anyway, that's make sense to me, bring home with dead fish that has no chance to live again.
This is what I do: I have a long nose plier. I cut my line about six inch above the hook. I remove the plastic. I grab fish's mouth with the line in my hand. Give some tension to the line so I can see where the hook is located. I use the long nose plier pinch the hook point portion and pull the hook straight out. I don't like leave the hook in its throat. The carbon steel hook take forever to rust. I accidentally caught my worm with carbon steel hook on it. It has been in the lake for at least 6 month. The hook was like brand new. Leave a small hole on its esophagus is not a big deal.