Need information please help!!

[RICHYD4U]

Definitely to late on the hook set if the bass are swallowing it...I would use fluro if you are not already, a light sensitive rod, and keep better touch with your bait. I have had fish swallow hooks on accident when I have left a bait out in the water while I was doing something else...like taking a leak, lol. It usually is just the result of late hook set...good luck!

-Rich

[elnutsmalljaws]

I had a couple of fish swallow it to the gills this weekend at Barkley. Instead of trying to pull it out I would push the hook out the gills then cut the line. This is much easier on the fish.

[fishinfreak]

When I hook a fish deep I usually don't even mess with the hook and cut the line and most of the time they survive. I know hooks are expensive but I usually have good success in doing that

[kc]

That's a good practice too. Two weekends ago on Barkley I caught one that had a 5/0 worm hook in its throat just before its stomach which had been there a bit and I was able to work it around and out and now that bass is hook free and un-injured. It has been a long time since I had one swallow that bad. It seems to me they get hooked in the gills more than deep in the throat.

Whenever I hook one in the gills and they are bleeding bad I usually put them in the well to see if they will make it. If not they won't go to waste (if you call feeding the turtles waste) but you would be surprised how often they quit bleeding and recover just fine. I can't remember the last time I had one die on me from bleeding gills...

kc

[TubeFlipper23]

Thanks for the insight everybody

[offdtop]

Guys keep a bottle of Mt. Dew or KY's own Sundrop in the boat... if you have a bleeder then rinse it out with water (swirl around) then pour some pop into their mouths on the effected area. It coagulates the blood and stops almost instantly, sprinkle a little "rejuvenade" or "please release me" and the fish will be fine 99% of the time.

If you put a fish in the well that is bleeding without stopping it or rinsing it off (the blood) you take a huge chance of killing other fish in the well because the blood coagulates on the other fishes gills.

Oh....lol, Diet Dew or Diet Sundrop are equally effective.

[TubeFlipper23]

Exactly how did you figure this out?

[jastew]

For years I let bass run a bit with plastics. This winter I did a lot of sauger fishing with jigs and if you don't hit them the instant you feel a "tink" they're usually gone. Took me a while to get out of the habit of lowering the rod tip and waiting to feel the fish.
Now I'm back to bass fishing but I still have that quick trigger and it's working fine. No need to let a bass move with the bait, just set the hook quick.

I've also found that switching to braided line and really watching my line close helps alot because a lot of time you won't even feel a bite.

[offdtop]

Exactly how did you figure this out?

Bass Professor! The video I watched he claimed the citrus in it caused the capillaries to restrict thus causing blood flow to quit. The first time I tried it it worked and I have been doing it for at least 10 years with stellar success..... "What did I have to lose?", and I know countless people who do it and all have had the same results. 20 years of tournament fishing makes a guy open to study how to keep his catch alive. I have done days, weeks worth of study on it over the years and have picked up little tricks....

[TubeFlipper23]

I finally got this down pat after i posted it and yall are all right still havent had to the use the citrus trick but luckily my fishin partner lives off mellow yellow haha