by dahlberg » Sat May 05, 2007 2:44 pm
HI J,
Thats a good question. Some number of studies have been done and most indicate you're doing the right thing. The fishes survival depends a great deal upon exactly where they were hooked, but if you're using regular bronzed hooks there's a fair chance the fish will eventually get rid of it.
My suggestion is to use hooks with as small a barb as you can and often, using a tool like a tinker toy stick, you can harmlessly extract a hook that's not too far down, as is usually the case with soft plastics.
Live bait is another matter, but throat hooking problems associated with it can be remedied by using circle hooks.
Thanks for the post, and for having a genuine concern for the fish you release!
best,
L
Larry Dahlberg
The Hunt For Big Fish