deep hooked

[t0mb0la]

what do you do if a small fish is deep hooked? do you cut the line and put it back or risk yanking it out, always seems to happen with flattys, and i'd put them back, i recon they've got a chance as i've caught fish with hooks in em before

[g-force]

I'd always cut the hook off mate - at least they've then got a chance. If I'm fishing for the small stuff I like to use those small "crab hooks", they seem to cut down on the number of deep-hookings, & if you have to leave them behind I think they rust away quicker.

Gary

[codseeker]

use big hooks too avoid small fish lol but you allways seem to still get them but not right down

[Davyred]

I kill them, then try to get the hook back.

If I'm fishing for flatties though, which I normally return, I cut the hook length.

[Charlton]

if you are fishing for flatties and eels etcd, why don't you use barbless hooks, they come out no bother, especially if you use a little disgorger

[johnf]

I just cut my trace as close to the hook as I can. I think the satisfaction of returning a fish alive is worth the price of a hook.

[t0mb0la]

its more for the fish' sake than the hooks, i'm sure they rust away pretty quick

[The Great Wallsendo]

its more for the fish' sake than the hooks, i'm sure they rust away pretty quick

I'm not convinced they do...caught a few fish now with hooks in their guts and the hooks seemed pretty immaculate to me - granted I don't know how long they'd been there but a Cod I caught on the boat in the summer had a stainless steel Hokkai swimming about in its system and stainless steel certainly doesn't rust very quickly

As to deep hooked Flatties/Fish that I'm not going to keep I cut the snood as short as I can and chuck the little fella back

[t0mb0la]

I'm not convinced they do...caught a few fish now with hooks in their guts and the hooks seemed pretty immaculate to me - granted I don't know how long they'd been there but a Cod I caught on the boat in the summer had a stainless steel Hokkai swimming about in its system and stainless steel certainly doesn't rust very quickly

As to deep hooked Flatties/Fish that I'm not going to keep I cut the snood as short as I can and chuck the little fella back

fo sho a stainless hook would last but seeing fish alive with hooks in em is a good sign, i'll carry on as was,

nice to meet you today mate!

[5150]

Often get multi-packs of disgorgers in the likes of the quid shops and yorkshire trading etc.

Take a pair of small pliers with you and flatten off the barbs on your hooks (or use barbless as Alan suggested) if you're fishing with the intention of returning the majority of the catch.

[The Great Wallsendo]

...nice to meet you today mate!

you too mate