Catch and Release tips needed

[Gamedog]

 

[thewoodall]

Try using circle hooks, or do a search on gut hook removal, I posted earlier this season with a link on how to remove gut hooks without killing the fish. Good luck and do a quick search there are tons of article on the subject

[IceTroll]

If you can put some tension on the line and see any part of the hook, you can remove it and release the fish. Its tricky but you simply go in behind the very last gill (never between the gills) with a pair of needle nose pliers and manipulate the hook free. Works much better if you have an extra set of hands to hold the fish and the line taught while you perform the surgery. It takes patience and some practice but its not too hard. With treble hooks, free one barb at a time until the hook pops free. Dont worry too much about a little blood. As long as the gills are not bleeding, the fish will more than likely survive. Besides, Pike and Walleye are pretty tough. Trout are sissies and die if you look at them funny. If the fish is hooked too deep to see, yank the hook out till you can see it, pull it loose with pliers and ice that fish. Its a keeper.

[miket.]

I do alot of Tip-Up fishing. Most fish are caught overnite and are hooked down to the pooper. Well not quite, but usually to deep to see the hooks.
Are these fish candidates for a safe release if the line or leader is cut as short as possible?

if i can"t get the hook out with forceps , then i cut it as close as i can and release them. the enzimes in there belly rots the hooks out.

[akdg]

Try this Gamedog-  Use a quickstrike rig, set your bait to the depth you want, peel off another 10-15 feet of line and put a rubberband on the line, then wind up the line to the rubberband and wrap the rubberband around the spool once or twice so that it will stop the line from going out when it gets to that spot, then wind up the rest of the 10-15 feet of line and set your tipup like normal.  When a fish takes the bait it will go 10-15 feet and hit the rubberband which will set the hooks,  if it is a big fish it will break the rubberband eventually and take out the rest of the line, but it will have the hooks set in the mouth almost all the time.  I've been doing it this way for a few years now and it makes releasing fish much easier. 

[Seedtree]

I use trebles and keep them very sharp, seem to not hook fish so deep.  Hemostats are also good, better than the Leatherman. 

Is that you in your avatar?  I get a kick out of that.

[RickWakeman]

Try this Gamedog-  Use a quickstrike rig, set your bait to the depth you want, peel off another 10-15 feet of line and put a rubberband on the line, then wind up the line to the rubberband and wrap the rubberband around the spool once or twice so that it will stop the line from going out when it gets to that spot, then wind up the rest of the 10-15 feet of line and set your tipup like normal.  When a fish takes the bait it will go 10-15 feet and hit the rubberband which will set the hooks,  if it is a big fish it will break the rubberband eventually and take out the rest of the line, but it will have the hooks set in the mouth almost all the time.  I've been doing it this way for a few years now and it makes releasing fish much easier. 

This sounds like a great idea but I don't quite understand how to put the rubberband on the line. Do you have a picture of this setup?

[akdg]

This sounds like a great idea but I don't quite understand how to put the rubberband on the line. Do you have a picture of this setup?

http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=42248.msg450182#msg450182