Unfortunately, I gut-hooked 2 fish yesterday. I had been using 5" Senkos, T-rigged on a 3/0 Eagle Claw offset J hooks. I did the best I could to get the hooks out without injuring the fish, but I had to cut the lines to release them. They both swam away, so I'm hoping that they'll survive.

My questions:

Is a 3/0 hook too small for that bait? It seemed that if I had the hook buried inside the bait a little, that the hook wouldn't be exposed enough for a good set once a fish took the bait. I started pushing the bait through the hook before I cast, but that didn't seem to work either.

I was using a medium action 5'6" Graphite Ugly Stick with 10lb test. It had a very "elastic" feel to it; in other words, by the time I could whip the rod back far enough to set the hook, it was already past the point that the fish had entirely swallowed the bait.

Should I be using a rod with a heavier action? I had been using a 6' 6" medium heavy action, but that seemed to be too "stiff", for lack of a better word.

I'm going out today to buy some circle hooks. I hope that will prevent the gut-hooking. In the meantime, any insight and widsom on setting the hook that you may impart to me will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Bob ... I fish Senkos a lot. The gut hook is common if you don't have a rod sensitive enough to detect the light bite. When a fish bites a senko, he intends to eat it. I throw mine on a 7' 5" MH G Loomis senko rod. You have to feel the bite and lift up slightly often to detect if the senko feels "heavy". I use a 3/0 EWG Gamakatsu most of the time. Great bait. Good Luck, Greg

Thank you.

I guess I was under the impression that a lighter-action rod would be more sensitive. Is that wrong?

Incidentally, on the last fish, I guess I made yet another newb mistake by reeling in too far. I stood the pole up, and snapped the tip off.  :-[

I would say a big part of the problem is your rod.  That "Ugly Stick" is not near sensitive enough to detect the first strike, more than likely what you're feeling is after the fish has swallowed the bait and is swimming off with it.  Then, you're trying to set the hook with a rod that is more like a wet noodle.  My suggestion would be to use your MH rod.  Will be much better for hook sets.  If it still isn't sensitive enough to detect the first hit, you'll still have problems with gut hooking.  What kind of rod is it?

Jason

"Wet noodle" defines it well.

The medium heavy is a Shakespeare 6' 6"  SP1101. It's what I'll be using today (it's all I have).

The other one is...

TOAST.  

get yourself a good 6-6 to 7 mh rod.get some 10 or 20 lb braid or a good flouro like seguar invizx 8 -10 lb.you will now be feeling things you have never felt before.when you feel a tap reel down all the slack and set the hok.do not pull the rod past approx 80 degrees as this is how you bust tips.

If your fishing a really clear lake, I would stay away from the braid, JMO. I fish a local lake that is very very clear, and big. You'll be hardpressed to be able to catch a fish on braided line other than on a topwater bait. I would go with some flourocarbon If I were you, and like the others hve said, a MH action rod....

5" senko? Keep in mind, when you feel the strike "that fish ain't got hands..it's in it's mouth" swing it to the fence!!!! ;D

Some times the bass are simply aggressive, swallowing the bait completely as soon as the pick it up and a more sensitive rod would not help.

But then this is why I don't let any fish run with any thing, if at any time I feel a noticeable tap, tug, line tighten, heaviness, or see line movement.

Without hesitation I drop the rod, reel the slack, and set the hook  

Well, today I went to a different lake and I hooked my first....turtle. It was a gopher turtle, and just when I was getting ready to cut the line, it freed itself. I'm glad I push the barbs down on my hooks...

Then I gut-hooked a catfish. :

Lip-hooked a nice, fat largemouth! 8-)

Gut-hooked a catfish... :

Done for the day...

It's a cool spot though, I'll be going back...probably try to stay off the bottom next time. I'll tell you, they're literally inhaling Senkos and Berkley plastics...

Incidentally (and I know this is probably a dumb question), but can you handle a catfish the same way you handle a bass, a thumb in the mouth to remove a hook? Are catfish as easy in that regard as bass are?

Well, today I went to a different lake and I hooked my first....turtle. It was a gopher turtle, and just when I was getting ready to cut the line, it freed itself. I'm glad I push the barbs down on my hooks...

Then I gut-hooked a catfish.  :

Lip-hooked a nice, fat largemouth!  8-)

Gut-hooked a catfish...  :

Done for the day...

It's a cool spot though, I'll be going back...probably try to stay off the bottom next time. I'll tell you, they're literally inhaling Senkos and Berkley plastics...

Incidentally (and I know this is probably a dumb question), but can you handle a catfish the same way you handle a bass, a thumb in the mouth to remove a hook? Are catfish as easy in that regard as bass are?

Gopher turtle? As in Tortoise?

Anyway, I can't help much with the Catfish question. I try and avoid them. I, however, would not put my thumb in their mouth!

Sorry, not a gopher turtle. It was a softshell.

you can put your hand in the mouth of small catfish.  they may close down on it but it shouldn't hurt too bad.  i wouldn't lip a big cat.  Most grab cats by the gills i believe.

Jason

Let me guess.

Your new to plastic worming.

I say this because when fishing crawlers we are taught to "let the fish take it"  and gut hooking is common.

But with plastic worms, we are taught to set the hook right away.  It does reduce swallowed hooks.

I'm glad that you are trying to prevent damage to fish.  

Try "line watching"  I use high end sensative rods, but my goal when worming is not to feel the bite.  I would rather see  it.  Meaning the line twitches or moves to the left, or just does something unnatural.  Crank out the slack and set the hook.

The othe option is  tough to accept at first, but it will amaze you how well it works.

Circle hooks require no hook set.  you just start reeling and the fish hooks himself.  It's the hook of choice for long liners.  Even if the fish swallows the hook 90% it will end up stuck in the lower corner of the jaw.

It's a really fun way to fish, especially with ultra light tackle.

Fishing soft plastics requires a rod rated at least  Medium Power/ Fast or Extra Fast Action.

I had some mixed luck today as far as number of fish caught (3) and their size (all under 2lbs) for the amount of time fishing (about 3 hours), but at least there were no gut-hooks.