Gut-hooked Sunnies?

[Aquaman01]

Hi,
I'm ignorant as to a method of successfully catching sunnies that doesn't get them bleeding from thier gills, even if I cut the line. My two primary methods have been a piece of crawler on the bottom on either an octopus, circle, or weedless-wire hook, or an octopus or circle under a bobber. I've tried setting hook sooner and pinching down my barbs, but I keep making bleeders.
If I'm by myself, I am willing to use tubejigs and live with fewer fish, but when I have the kids out with me, I like them to have hook-ups. These voracious little fish seem to want to suck everything in their mouths and out their anal vents in one big take. Crappies don't give me this problem, just sunnies.

Ideas?

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Aquaman
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Peace and Fishes

[Scott Steil]

The way you are fishing is causing this. This time of year,a small leech or piece of crawler will usually get inhaled by hungry post spawn gills. Try switching to a longer hook like a flu flu, tip that with a tiny piece of crawler or a wax worm. They won't inhale it very bad and you can usually get it out without hurting them. It is worth a try.

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Mille Lacs Guide Service
www.millelacsguideservice.com

[united jigsticker]

Again, Scotts words are gold.

A 1/32 oz flu-flu is small enough for a hungary gill, but large enough for them not to inhale.

Be sure to keep the tip of the hook covered with worm. The bigger Gills can be more fussy in this respect.

UJ

[Scott Steil]

I still think a jig of some sort is the way to go. Rarely will a flu flu kill a gill. If you are using a plain hook, 2,4,6 or 8 and you are tipping it with live bait, they will swallow it. An Aberdeen maybe easier to get to and get out but that is not the problem. The problem is the fact that they tend to swallow a plain hook and the damage is done once they do. It is a big problem this time of year. Try something with a weighted head and you will find you decrease you hooking mortality significantly.

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Mille Lacs Guide Service
www.millelacsguideservice.com

[CrappieJohn]

I agree wholeheartedly with you, Scott. The jig almost eliminates the swallowed hook, but there are those who will just not use them and ,while any baited plain hook is most generally swallowed, the longer shanked aberdeen seems to help a bit in preventing that activity. And they do make extraction much easier. But all in all, the jig for pannies of any kind is the safest, surest bet.

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Sure life happens- why wait....The Crapster....good fishing guys!

[Walleye_GFA]

All the above... we use small crappie jigs with plastic, the boys reel fast slow or inbetween and plenty of gills hooked in the lip...

Wally

Its also important to set hook pretty quick...

[CrappieJohn]

If you are setting your children up with just bait, try going to an aberdeen hook in a small size. The much longer shank will not allow them to get enough turn on the hook to get down deep before you can set it. Try usin a#4 or#2 and only put the bait, a small piece, on just the bend of the hook and not thread the whole worm on it.

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Sure life happens- why wait....The Crapster....good fishing guys!

[Lunker]

One little tip that might help. You said you are fishing the bait on the bottom. That means when you feel the fish, it has already picked it up and started to move off. A bobber or fishing just off the bottom(latter only from boat) will allow you to detect bites and set the hook before the bait is swallowed.