While its true that fishing with live bait there is considerably more risk of bass actually swallowing your bait however with today’s salt and scent impregnated soft plastics odds are from time to time you will gut hook a bass, especially if you find yourself asleep at the reel. What’s a catch and release angler to do to better the odds of the bass surviving?
I have to admit that from time to time I have found myself distracted thinking about something else, yes, Asleep at the Reel, and ended up waiting to long to set the hook and gut hooking bass but I’m always prepared and very rarely have killed any bass. While I do destroy some hooks with my process the bass usually survives unharmed.
What I do is whenever I go fishing I always carry a pair of side cutters and strong needle nose pliers with me, which are both readily available at any hardware store. In the event that I do deep hook a bass I just reach down to the hook, either through the mouth or up through the gills, being very careful not to damage the gills, with the side cutters and cut the hook below the barb and then just slide out the hook. I then put them on detention in the live well, aka, “The Box” for several hours, add some “Please Release Me”, turn on the aerator and continue to fish.
After several hours of fishing I’ll check on him and almost always they are screaming and kicking to get out so I reach in, grab em and toss him back in the lake. The only drawback I can think of is when I release him, which can be quite a distance from where I originally caught him is he might be thinking “Where in the heck am I”
I do try and practice catch and release with largemouth bass but of course there are going to be times that no matter how hard you try and how careful you are, some will not make it but don’t worry, I prefer the taste of crappie or striped bass, even though because bass can be good eating.
So get out and enjoy everything the great outdoors has to offer.
Thanks for visiting my site. Be sure to tell all of your fishing buddies and come back soon
Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines To Ya!
