When you catch a LM and it swallows the hook, to the point where the fish starts bleeding when you try to remove it, does the fish have a better chance of surviving if you just cut the line and leave the hook? or should you always remove the hook? I hate it when a fish ends up dieing from the trauma of removing a hook.

No.

Practice and learn this technique:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1128002349/22#22

BTW, Welcome aboard!

8-)

there is a thread about removing a gut hooked fish somewhere in here.  But if that method doesn't work then I believe it is better to leave it.  My understanding is that the hooks rust away pretty quickly.

Thanks, RW. Thats what i was looking for. Today my 9yo daughter caught 2 bass around 2lbs (one on a senko and one on a shiner) and one had a hook and some line stuck in its gullet from a previous catch.

And yes...... she out-fished me.

The technique RW showed you is all you'll need to know  

X2,

Very great info.. RW..

If for some reason that doesn't work for ya.

I have had to go through the gills with my needle nose

and push the point back though the gut so you can see the

point and the eye of the hook.Then cut the hook in half and pull

both halves out.

Jeff

Even easier. I keep needle nose pliers or small forceps. If I cannot quickly get the hook out by backing the barb out then just pull the barb on through and continue pulling the eye through then just cut the line.

Takes only a few seconds to do this. Get the fish back in the water quickly and then retie.

If your releasing all fish, bend the barb down a little...gives the fish a little better chance and makes it more of an even situation sportwise.

B.A.S.S. taught everyone this at Onieda this year because of the amount of smallies they figured would be gut-hooked. If the fish is bleeding, dump a sugary liquid (Mt. Dew works best) in the fishes mouth and it clots it and stops the bleeding nearly instantly. I have never had to do it but my dad says it works great.

B.A.S.S. taught everyone this at Onieda this year because of the amount of smallies they figured would be gut-hooked. If the fish is bleeding, dump a sugary liquid (Mt. Dew works best) in the fishes mouth and it clots it and stops the bleeding nearly instantly. I have never had to do it but my dad says it works great.

Never even thought about that. Thanks for the tip!

No.

Practice and learn this technique:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1128002349/22#22

BTW, Welcome aboard!

8-)

This technique is awesome and it works every time. The only difficult part SOMETIMES is getting the shank through the fishes gills

I got to try the thru the gills technique with the needle nose last night and it was amazing how easy it was and how much faster I got the fish back in the water.