tips for unhooking small fish ?

[Andy_1984]

id be greatful if any of you can give me tips to unhook smaller fish like under 10oz without damaging them or killing them. im still learning alot and getting better each time but im finding it hard to unhook these small fish that have took the hook prety far down without killing it. i use size 4" curved forcepts hooks are 20's or 10's

 

thanks

 

[ 02. September 2005, 02:12 PM: Message edited by: Andy_1984 ]

[the nudster]

use a disgorger for smaller hooks mate ... also barbless hooks i feel are much better when fishing for smaller fish ... combine the two and youll find unhooking fish much easier

 

matt

[zenith10]

yea if you use barbless hooks youl have no trouble

[bingo]

Even better use a micro disgorger

 

Micro

 

(the top one)

 

Even with barbless hooks I've found that sometimes it's almost impossible to remove. Firstly, find out what side of the fish the hook is hooked in. Keep the line tight (not too tight though) and thread the disgorger down the line until it reaches the hook. Then push down to release the hook.

[ayjay]

As already said, use a disgorger instead of the forceps, barbless hooks will also make things easier.

 

The other thing you could do is to look at your terminal arrangement, you may need to alter your shotting to try and see the bites earlier and avoid the deep hooking.

 

The first thing to try would be to move the bottom shot nearer to the hook, maybe also check the depth carefully and don't have too much line laid on the bottom.

[Andrew Burgess]

Yes! A micro disgorger and barbless hooks

[Andy_1984]

thanks guys, i have a disgorger here but i forgot to try it on smaller fish but ill definetly use it the next time, i think the problem is that i cant see the hook, i can feel the hook unhooking but i think the problem is that im hooking it again because i cant see very well.

 

ive been thinking about these barbles hooks and ive heard people say how they lose fish because of them but then hear people say that its not the barbles hook thats losing them, cany anyone clarify cause barbles hooks would sure as hell make my unhooking alot easier

[snotty]

The loss of a few fish netted due to using barbless hooks is infinitely better than the loss of a few fish lives due to deep hooking.

Small perch are particularly susceptible, they have their vital organs pretty much in their throat and it doesn't take much to pierce them.

 

Ayjays comments re; shotting should go a long way to stop deep hooking occurring.

 

Many of the anglers against the use of barbless believe that a barbless hook can penetrate deeper and move around more than a barbed hook, that might well be so with a specimen fish and a lengthy fight but smaller fish IMO stand a better chance with barbless.

[Guest rabbit]

Andy

When using your disgorger, wrap the line around the tip of the disgorger a couple of times, this ensures you locate the hook. and while keeping the line tight, slide the disgorger down the line and engage the top of the hook, and then push sharply, but carefully, the hook will be retrieved in the mouth of the disgorger. In my opinion barbless or micro barbed hooks are easier to extract

[Andy_1984]

i seen andy macfarlane use the disgorger once he wraped it around the line like you mentioned rabbit, i asume once the hook has been unhooked from the flesh the it will retract more into the disgorger preventing it from getting hooked to the fish again ?