gut hooking catfish

[troutking]

is there anyway to NOT guthook catfish with shrimp? I used a size 1 circle hook for catfish and even with these i get gut hooks. Shoulod i go a bigger size?

[smokehound]

is there anyway to NOT guthook catfish with shrimp? I used a size 1 circle hook for catfish and even with these i get gut hooks. Shoulod i go a bigger size?It's likely because you are waiting for the fish to hook itself. As soon as the rod doubles over, immediately start cranking. ignore the twitches, wait for the bendo, then crank hard and fast.

[mjc89]

ya. the circles will sumtimes gut hook but its because the swallow the hook into their stomach and wen u start reeling it gets caught in the insides. they will lip hook from time 2 time. if u go to a bigger hook i think you'll have the same results cuz i use sizes 1 to 2/0 and ive still gut hooked um

[Hitts0n]

Dont use circles if u dont want to gut hook! Are u trying to avoid the gut hooking cuss its a hassle to remove...or ?

[Sublime-Steve]

you gotta b on it.. hold the line in ur hand. when u feel that sucker set the hook.. thats my best advice to not gut hook a cat

[Ifishtoolittle]

Gut hooking is unavoidable when it comes to catfishing. All I can tell you is to keep tension on your line with a circle hook so that the cat cannot engulf the bait too deep. Or use a long J-hook and keep doing what you're doing and it will be a little easier to unhook. OR use a larger circle hook that the cats can just barely suck in.

[Fishbreath]

Catfish are not particularly hook shy, and that is why they keep swallowing even when they should have felt the hook. Be sure not to defeat the purpose of the circle hook by threading the shrimp all the way on. The same would apply to a J hook and with whatever other bait you may be using. It is OK to leave most of the hook exposed, so that barb will more likely to snag quicker.

[fish-o-haulic]

catfish are survivors even if gut hooked theyll live trust me.this is a fish that can live several weeks outside of water. if your worried about it safety dont itll be fine. if your worried about using your hook again for that trip but you dont want to keep the catfish cant help you there. sorry.

[smokehound]

catfish are survivors even if gut hooked theyll live trust me.this is a fish that can live several weeks outside of water. if your worried about it safety dont itll be fine. if your worried about using your hook again for that trip but you dont want to keep the catfish cant help you there. sorry.Misinformation is never a good thing.

[troutking]

catfish are survivors even if gut hooked theyll live trust me.this is a fish that can live several weeks outside of water. if your worried about it safety dont itll be fine. if your worried about using your hook again for that trip but you dont want to keep the catfish cant help you there. sorry.

Several weeks? Lol....hope tat was a typo

[TheAsianGuy]

Hey..never know you might have caught a genetic mutant that can live in and out of water :LOL:

[smokehound]

Several weeks? Lol....hope tat was a typoWell he wasn't completely wrong. Bullheads are known to burrow into mud and aestivate, thanks to their ability to breathe air, they can survive for a long long time until water returns.. However, ANY fish with a hook in their gut will likely die. Piercing the gut allows acid to flood blood vessels and causes tremendous damage. Humans are tough animals too, but if you stab us in the stomach, we're FUBAR'd. That's what gut-hooking is. It's basically them getting stabbed in the stomach.

[mjc89]

Hey..never know you might have caught a genetic mutant that can live in and out of water :LOL:

hahahahahahaha :ROFL:

[Frequent Flyer]

@the asian guy
lik my ex-gurl-fiend! emphasis on the fiend

[fish-o-haulic]

Misinformation is never a good thing.

i just heard some catfish can live out of water for a long time dont know what species. but from experience i know they can live out of water for a long time. out of all the years ive fished ive spent most of it catching and studying up on catfish. of course the catfish hear in california(what is it with these weak california fish) dont live nearly as long as the ones ive caught in my grandparents home state of texas and mississippi. but howerver many seem to not realize how long catfish can live. its amazing how many dont realize how much a catfish can go threw. there survivors. some things ive experienced first hand. I watched my grandmother cut the head of a catfish off and watch it still move(of course the catfish moving with its head cut off was purely a reaction of the fish, i doubt it was still alive). but one thing i will agree on is us city slickers dont nearly as much about catfish as the people that lived in the rural areas do, lol haha. i know quite a few people who grew up in the southern rural areas, its astonishing at times how much more they know about animals than suburbians or city slickers. lol haha.

[mjc89]

dude ive caught catfish on circle hooks and just lip hooked um and they still die within 24 hrs.

[stressD]

i used to fish for cats extensively in my early teens using a bobber and never had one get hooked in the guts, but like sublime steve suggested, i was on it and set the hook as soon as i saw movement. man that used to fun sitting around with a buddy waiting for the bobber to start dancing and setting the hook just at the right moment. But this was in PA and I don't have too much luck bobber fishing in CA, not even for sun fish.

[fish-o-haulic]

Well he wasn't completely wrong. Bullheads are known to burrow into mud and aestivate, thanks to their ability to breathe air, they can survive for a long long time until water returns.. However, ANY fish with a hook in their gut will likely die. Piercing the gut allows acid to flood blood vessels and causes tremendous damage. Humans are tough animals too, but if you stab us in the stomach, we're FUBAR'd. That's what gut-hooking is. It's basically them getting stabbed in the stomach.

thats what i meant some catfish can live out of water. and when i said in gut hooking a catfish he'll live, he will live longer than most other guthooked fish but will still die. and im see some people are taking my two earlier comments kinda personally. didnt mean to start problems. just sharing personal experience.

[fish-o-haulic]

dude ive caught catfish on circle hooks and just lip hooked um and they still die within 24 hrs.

were they stockers or natural. and some will die soon after. reguardless, catfish can go through alot thats what experience has told me.

[Skyler]

I use owner light mutu circles in 3/0 with a dropper loop rig. Fish it with a tight line and a tight drag on a stiff rod. The fish will hook itself. I've never had one get gut hooked. Always stick em in the corner of the mouth.

[Frequent Flyer]

ok, so wat if the cat is just mouthing the bait and not fully taking it, do u still swing or wait till it has it and swims away?

[fish-o-haulic]

wait. if the fish doesnt fully have it you cant hook him. ive seen plenty of people make that mistake of setting it when it doesnt have the bait.

[TheAsianGuy]

@the asian guy
lik my ex-gurl-fiend! emphasis on the fiend

NOW THAT'S A FREAKISHLY FUNNY COMMENT!:ROFL:

fish-o-haulic is right about waiting until the cats fully having it. You'll be able to tell when the rod and reel starts to rip. Don't worry too much about the tinkle tinkle tap tap on your rod until it bends. That's when you really want set the hook in.

[Skyler]

If you are using circles, DO NOT set the hook. The fish will hook itself when it turns.

[TheAsianGuy]

Skyler. What's are sizes of circle hooks are you using? I start out with size 6 to prevent small ones from gutting themselves. If I'm chasing after know spot for channel cats, I take out my size 3 or even 1. Some guys even warn me to take out my 4/0. I turned to them and had a big old question mark-exclamation look on my face. I wonder what in hell have they been feeding on locally.

Hey fish-o-holic, mind chiming in? I don't normally hunt for cats in the local waters. But come on..size 4/0? What are we catching? Sharks?

[fish-o-haulic]

actually i would agree with 4/0 in some rare cases. but not here in cali. well mabe in cali but it depends where. dont know if its still holds true, but i know back in the 90s and early 2000s irvine i think it was had monster cats dont think they were 4/0 size but they were big, but ive never fished irvine. 4/0 definitely for colorado river flatheads and blues. maybe a size smaller thinking about. catfish is the only freshwater fish i would use a hook that big, and that depends where i am too. if this was one of the few lakes i know of in the south where you can catch a limit of 20lbers, or if it was mississippi river i would say 4/0. but the mississippi also has bull shark along with scary behemoth cats. the kind of catfish that jeremy wade would be looking for, for those of you who watch river monsters. hehe.

[Frequent Flyer]

or the kind that eat children...

[mjc89]

ive caught stockers and naturals. same results

[smokehound]

Here's a little tip, when it comes to setting the hook: Keep your rod-tip to the left, or right. (especially with circle hooks) That way, if you DO hook them deep, the have a much better chance at surviving.

Either way, a gut-hooked fish has virtually no chance of survival. Leaving the hook inside ups the chances a bit, but they STILL seldom survive.

[Ifishtoolittle]

Either way, a gut-hooked fish has virtually no chance of survival. Leaving the hook inside ups the chances a bit, but they STILL seldom survive.

Well that's an exaggerated claim don't you think? Cats aren't pansies they're pretty damn tough.

[fish-o-haulic]

Well that's an exaggerated claim don't you think? Cats aren't pansies they're pretty damn tough.

heck ya they are. I dont know why people insisit on treating them like stocker trout. If i gut hooked a catfish and shark and had to bet which one will live my moneys on the catfish. And sharks basically have there own category for toughness.

[Skyler]

4/0 isn't that big when it comes to catfish. I've caught stocker sized 2 pounders using that size hook. Cats have big mouths. The larger hook size just keeps em from swallowing it.

[fish-o-haulic]

4/0 isn't that big when it comes to catfish. I've caught stocker sized 2 pounders using that size hook. Cats have big mouths. The larger hook size just keeps em from swallowing it.

I completely agree with that comment.

[smokehound]

Well that's an exaggerated claim don't you think? Cats aren't pansies they're pretty damn tough.But their organs aren't. Now, imagine swallowing a hook, and having someone set it while it's in your stomach. How well would you survive this?

[phildampier]

I use 2/0 or 1/0 circle hooks and I rarely gut hook them. Just watch the pole and when they pull hard reel in.

[DockRat]

catfish are survivors even if gut hooked theyll live trust me.this is a fish that can live several weeks outside of water.

Several Weeks.

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd283/janthonyaguilar/Emoticons/Nowthatwasfunny.jpg

http://i748.photobucket.com/albums/xx121/EcoAdvocates/Deepwater%20Horizon/Picture3.pngDR

[fish-o-haulic]

Several Weeks.

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd283/janthonyaguilar/Emoticons/Nowthatwasfunny.jpg

http://i748.photobucket.com/albums/xx121/EcoAdvocates/Deepwater%20Horizon/Picture3.pngDR

i bet hes still alive. hahaha. some species can live out of water for long periods of time. the ones out of the amazon do, dont know about any in the us though.