queensland Unhooking tiny breams

[EMP]

I'm a killer. I tried to unhook those tiny breams and two of them died. They were about 10 to 15cms. Maybe I pulled them out too forcefully or something? I used a pair of long nose to free them up.

[Master Sardines]

we usually give em a free hook and let em live

[Dan23]

yeah, it's a tough one mate. Maybe if you want to avoid them swallowing the hook use some slightly bigger ones. Big bream will still take a fairly large hook but you'll avoid hooking the smaller ones.

[Mack_attack]

Also if the fish is gut hooked or the hook just looks like it it is pretty deep then cut the line as close as you can to the hook and let the fish go. If you pull the hook out it WILL kill the fish as the hook tears the fishes stomach.

[Rocket75]

perhaps the wide gape hooks would be the go. they tend to hook in the corner of the mouth or lip hook due to their shape. Most brands make them now in a range of sizes from about size 8 right up to 5/0. They all call them different names. I think the mustad ones are called "big mouth" and are red in colour. I have used these targeting both bream and bass and have managed all kinds of fish on them, very rairly does one get past into the gut.

If you do get a gut hook, or deep in the mouth, it tends to be best for survival rates to leave the hook in (as per Sards recommendation) and cut the line as close as possible to the eye. Most hooks commonly used now are high carbon and will rust very quickly in a salt water environment or work it's way through the fish's system.

It does suck to see a little one go belly up on release:(

Hope this helps

Rocket

[kevinchen19870316]

for small bream, try using ur hand to remove the hook as u tend to feel how much force's on the fish. i only remove hooks with pliers when removing them from catties, rays, sharks and eels cuz i don't wanna be spiked/bitten.

[EMP]

All right, thanks heaps everyone.

Learned another lesson here. Too bad at the expense of those tiny ones.

Thanks again, everyone.

[geebz]

Squash the barb on your hooks with a pair of pliers and they will come out easy as. It makes a huge difference and i dont think it makes much difference to your hook up rate on bream. In fact the hooks probably penetrate easier.

Unless of course if they are gut hooked then cut the line as close as possible.

[Mick]

I they die move the hook from their mouth to their Back

[ellicat]

Mick wrote:

I they die move the hook from their mouth to their Back

:laugh: :laugh: That's funny.

Just in case you don't know EMP, if it's undersize and dead you're still not allowed to use it as bait, and have to release it.