Topwater rockfish leader

[Redfish12]

HJS, I know you have a lot of experience but I am curious to hear where the almost always kills the fish stat comes from? Have you ever found a dead fish with a plug in it's mouth? My experience with floating plugs is that they shake them pretty quickly and if you watch for them you can usually get them back (unless the current is ripping). I've caught striper with broken off jigs in their mouths, partially decomposed swim shads in their stomachs, and hooks coming out the other end and they are still kicking. I always feel bad about breaking a fish off with a plug but I guess I have always been hopeful they will throw it! I had one break off a rattle trap the other night, I hope it is ok!

As for the OP question, I use 2-3ft of 20-40 lb mono not flouro bc flouro sinks.


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[HJS]

Redfish - My opinion on the ability of a fish to shake off a hard bodied lure with treble hooks is just my opinion formed after working in fish management 8 hours a day for 33 years… and then what did I do during my time off???, I’d go fishing for the fun of it. I’ve been fishing like a nut-case for over 6 decades.

Over the years I have caught uncounted fish on hard-bodied lures. Many times it’s been difficult to remove a treble hook from the fish and that’s when I using fingers and forceps. I can’t imagine a fish working out a lure… heck, it doesn’t even have access to fingers or forceps like I do to get the job done.

Broken off single-hooked jigs, imho, have much less impact on fish then a broken off hard bodied lure. Several times the rear treble had actually sown the fish’s mouth close, especial if the fish is smallish compared to the size of the lure.

Like I say, this is just my opinion. Everyone is guessing, including me, as to the mortality of fish concerning this specific issue of broken off hard bodied lures.

For this reason, I have switched over to single hooked jigs and they are frequently barbless. The only hard bodied lure I use now are shad raps when fishing for smbass on the Susky.

The studies of fish mortality associated with recreational fishing are a highly specific, diverse and convoluted. A study addressing a specific issue of fishing mortality rarely applies when the issue changes. As far as I know, there has been no studies done addressing this specific issue of hard bodied lures lodged in fish’s mouths. I retired 10 years ago, so I’m pretty much out of the loop when it comes to recent fishing mortality studies. So that’s why I say I’m only guessing.

[Cowpokey]

I was told (YEARS ago) fish can dissolve a hook relatively quickly, a day or two. Supposedly they have some enzyme that does it. Any truth or belief to that?

[freshstripes]

I don't think the whole hook can dissolve. I keep a live bait tank in my house though. When i clean it out I find all the hooks that were gut hooked in the fish. The points and barbs are gone.

[Cowpokey]

I don't think the whole hook can dissolve. I keep a live bait tank in my house though. When i clean it out I find all the hooks that were gut hooked in the fish. The points and barbs are gone.

I think that's all it would take for a hook to "fall out".

[Redfish12]

Thanks Howard, that makes sense about the treble hooks and small fish.