Swallowed Hooks

[ifslob28]

Just wondering, a lot of times when you catch a fish on a tip up they swallow the hook.  I have heard from a lot of people that instead of pulling the hook out you can cut the line and the hook will dissolve.  Is this true?  Is it better to just keep the fish that swallowed the hook because they will probably die?

[mrch33]

I have learned through fishing open water that it is much better to cut the line as close to the hook as possible and the fish has a much better chance than tearing its insides out.  the hook will usually rust out from the inside of the stomach and fall out.  I have done this with fish in livewells for tournaments and they have lived all day and been put back into the lake after the weigh in

[fishingidjit]

Cut the line close to the hook unless the hook is just on the lip,fish shouldn't even be taken out of the water. we always leave the fish at the hole (still in the water except for the head )and cut the line.

[scavengerj]

Just keep in mind that many newer, more expensive hooks are not the same old ones used years ago. They are designed to last. So eventhough you may cut the line, depending on where and how that fish is hooked, it's feeding may be impeded to the point that it may eventually die anyway.

[charlie9973]

#! If the fish is undersize or out of season IT MUST BE RELEASED!

#2 buy & use only plane steel hooks.

#3 a 50/50 chance is a better deal for the fish IMO release as gently & quickly as possible.

[fishn freak13]

I always cut the line when fishing for trout and the hook is swallowed, i use a single size 8 VMC hook which is a pretty high quality hook and in the summer i catch alot of trout so i took a buddy of mine out who wanted to catch a nice brown so we caught a bunch and he got one 7 lber that he wanted to keep, so when i cleaned the fish there was 5 of those VMC hooks in the fish all working there way down the digestive system and some were even partially dissolved from the stomach acid......so yes it is true the hook will dissolve and it wont hurt the fish any to cut the line.

[fishingidjit]

I too have found partially dissolved hooks in lakers stomachs

[finlessbrown]

i always cut my line, this is a good reason not to use steel leaders

[Troutmagnet]

i always cut my line, this is a good reason not to use steel leaders

When fishing for the large pretator fish what do you use for your leader and what frequency do you get cutoff lines when landing them???

[finlessbrown]

i have always used 20lb flouro and only cut off a couple a year. just last week i switched to 50lb after loosing a 20lb + fish at the hole

[Troutmagnet]

i have always used 20lb flouro and only cut off a couple a year. just last week i switched to 50lb after loosing a 20lb + fish at the hole

Thanks for the response. I've used 10 and 12 pound but get many break offs. Thought using anything heavier would be too stiff for the bait fish... maybe I need to upsize my bait. How large are the bait you typically use???

[finlessbrown]

i use med. and large when at my shanty on st. catherine and use the biggest shiners i can get for champlain, also perch when i jig a few up. i fished yesterday with the 50 and i had a few mediums on and the line was always off the side of the hole when i checked them, so it must not be too stiff

[huletts1]

If they swallowed it don't even pull on it, just cut it as short as you can

[Troutmagnet]

i use med. and large when at my shanty on st. catherine and use the biggest shiners i can get for champlain, also perch when i jig a few up. i fished yesterday with the 50 and i had a few mediums on and the line was always off the side of the hole when i checked them, so it must not be too stiff

Thanks for your help. I'll try some heavy fluor. next time for my leader.