Fly the Team Iceshanty Flag! Iceshanty Proshop
Ok, I've been searching for a good answer and unfortuantely I haven''t. Last night I caught a small walleye who swallowed my treble hook. I always feel bad when this happens cuz Idk what's gonna happen to the fish. He was a small one and the reason the hook was so deep was because he was so small he didn't set up my tipup or run with it. Weird huh? Anyway I cut the line as close as I could and let him go. Now does anyone have any evidence that a fish will live with a hook in it's stomach? Idk if I believe that the fish will be fine. Does the hook really breakdown in the stomach and if so how long does it take. My hooks are eagle claw ones that have a red coating that seem to come off fairly easy.
I think if the hooks actually get to the stomach then I suppose it's possible it can be broken down. The fact that it breaks down completely is a myth. First of all, the hooks have to get that far, most the time they are lodged in the fishes gullet/throat and cant be seen. Thus, the fish dies because it cant eat, etc. etc. It will become food for something else.
I know a lot of people swear by circle hooks, but if the hook is swallowed to the gullet it doesn't really matter if it's a circle or treble, it will get stuck there. I've never had a fish not trip a flag, might want to re-lube your traps! I would prefer downsizing to a small, light treble, say a #8 or 10.
You don't quite understand the mechanics of a circle hook (not trying to be rude).Circle hooks are designed to be swallowed by the fish. After the hook and bait is swallowed the fish will swim away, when the fish swims away the hook comes out of the fishes stomach and catches in the corner of the fishes mouth. These hooks were designed by longline commercial fishermen that fish the ocean. They were designed to keep the caught fish alive for an extended period of time so their catch would be fresh when they pulled their lines in. They also keep the fish that are too small to keep alive so they can be put back and not wasted.As I mentioned above, the hooks work when the fish is swimming away from you. There is no need to jerk the hook to set it, it just needs steady tension to work... like putting the brakes on in your truck or car for a smooth stop. This is the thing that makes most people give up on circle hooks, they can't remember to not jerk the line... when you jerk the line it pulls the bait and hook out of the fishes stomach and mouth.If you're using the hook on a tip up and the fish is running just apply steady pressure on the spool to stop the fish and then pull it in. If you're using these hooks on a rod and reel just start reeling with no jerk. Once you get the hang of them you'll be amazed at how well they work and your catch ratio will go way up.This is some of my collection of circle hooks:(Image removed from quote.)From 1/0 - 12/0, you would be surprised at how small of a fish can hook itself on a 3/0 circle. The 3/0 is what I'd use to target Pike (depending on the size of the bait) and the little 1/0 would be for Perch, Crappie, and small Walleye with minnows.
One thing to keep in mind with "circle" hooks is the hook type, not brand necessarily, itself. I started out using Octopus circles with high expectations and had so-so results. I then switched over to Kahle circles with medium expectations and ended up having great results. The hook angles and straight eyes of the Kahles simply created fewer, if not eliminated situations, where the hooks were setting in the gullet instead of the corner of the mouth. My flag to hook-up ratio has remained as high...I don't miss many flags. I typically use lighter than normal choloro for the fish that I chase. Just my perspective.
Circles are an option that I have used with mixed success. Design is important. those circles with an offset design can still hook up well inside the mouth at times.My solution was borrowed from the bass fraternity. On a fish with a smaller mouth and very tiny hooks it is usually a two man process unless you a bit practiced. I slip a forceps through the gill and lock onto the shaft of the hook You may need to pull on the line a bit to expose very deeply hooked hooks. Once locked on, turn the forceps to tip the hook upside down and pop it right out. Try this a couple of time and you will be amazed.Additionally, with modern hook manufacture, most hooks either don't or resist rusting. Even in those stomach juices.Check this video for the technique used on bass. Again, I always leave the line attached, it is useful for getting those very tiny, deeply swallowed hooks to come out at least enough to grab the shank. Plus I generally don't have to retie.............http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RGTL9RBG2sOr this In-Fish article: http://archives.in-fisherman.com/content/through-gill-hook-removal/mike