Summary: This episode of Catfishing Radio started out as a question and answer episode where we were going to answer questions submitted through our ask a question page from readers of Learn To Catch Catfish and listeners of the Catfishing Radio podcast. When I got about halfway through the first question my computer started freezing on and was giving me major fits (causing audio recording problems) so I had to cut this episode short, so now this podcast is solely about whether hooks will rust out of deep hooked fish and catch and release of trophy blue catfish. The show starts out with the normal introductions and some shout outs to some recent five start reviews on iTunes and then gets into the question at hand. Will Hooks Rust Out Of Deep Hooked Fish? I have had a number of questions regarding this but recently Mike Prince submitted a question. I am with you on the CPR for catfish over 10 pounds but have a question for you. I have hooked some catfish quite deep and was told that if you just cut the line that the hooks will just rust a way and the fish will be fine. Is this true or is it an old wives tale? I have had some fish die trying to remove hooks that are hooked deep. What are your thoughts on this? Mike I start the show off talking a bit about trophy catch and release of big catfish and how as recent as 5 or 6 years ago it was not a very popular stance and not very many anglers supporting the catch and release of trophy class catfish but how this has become much more “accepted” of recent and more and more anglers are not only practicing trophy catch and release but also helping to spread the word about it. I also cover some information on how I have seen firsthand the affects that pulling big numbers of big blues out of a lake can impact the fishing for everyone and the importance of trophy catch and release regardless of whether you are rod and reel fishing, jug fishing or fishing with trotlines. The I move on to the question of “will hooks rust out of a deep hooked fish” and talk about this myth. Anglers have been spreading this rumor for years and while it may have once been true that cheap bronze hooks used ages ago may have rusted out quickly most modern hooks used for fishing are not going to rust out at all (or at least quickly). I talk some about what the difference is between a hook in a fish submerged in water and a hook in your tackle box and what accelerates the process of your catfish hooks rusting as well and give some advice on what to do when you deep hook a trophy class fish and what my though process is when this occurs. Once thing you can do to reduce the number of deep hooked fish is use circle hooks, you can learn more about these in my interview with TJ Stallings and also the podcast on catfishing with circle hooks. The hooks I suggest are the Daiichi Circle Chunk Light Daiichi Circle Chunk Light and the Team Catfish DOUBLE ACTION Circle Hooks. I also touch briefly on deep hooking channel catfish because these are the fish I have the most issues with deep hooking and cause the most concern on whether the hooks will rust out. This usually occurs when catfishing with prepared catfish baits like punch baits and dip baits. I cover how you can prevent this by using the right hooks and also through using the Secret Channel Catfish Rig and how the sensitivity of these catfish rigs will not only increase your numbers of fish caught but reduce the numbers of deep hooked catfish. The Bottom Line, Will Hooks Rust Out Of Deep Hooked Fish? The short answer is no, or at least not quickly. If you want some more reading make sure you read this study on The Effects of Catch and Release Angling. There is some great information on whether or not hooks will rust out in this study. When you are finished listening to this podcast, make sure you head over to iTunes and leave is a star rating and write us a quick review!
