I used a perch head on a J hook with a healthy dose of luck (Im a fishing noob..can you tell?)
The trick, as it turned out, was to let her (it was a she with tons of eggs) run with it several times. I think she was skeptical at first...like the others before her. If I had tried to set the hook soon after she took the bait, she would have likely spit it out... I let her run for some time... the story went like this....
She grabbed the bait right next to the bank in 2 ft of water.. she took off... stopped and chewed on it.... took off again.... chewed.... took off again.... I was about out of line so I decided to start bringing her home. She had swallowed it and that set the hook deep in the throat. She did not fight me much, she tried to turn a couple of times (i could see her in the clear'ish water) but i was able to turn her and bring her in without much of a fight.
The difficulties started once i got her to the bank. She snapped the line but it got caught up in roots and old fishing line on the bank. She was stuck there... but I had no way to get her on shore.... I sure as hell was not jumping in or reaching to grab her. Buddy came over and hooked her with a treble hook just in case she got loose...we then took the stringer and made a slipknot in it....we got the rope over the nose after several tries and were able to lift her out that way.... exciting as hell.... buddy put a knife through the skull..twice.. but she squirmed for another 20mins after that..freaky.
fun times.... I want to use steel leader next time
The trick, as it turned out, was to let her (it was a she with tons of eggs) run with it several times. I think she was skeptical at first...like the others before her. If I had tried to set the hook soon after she took the bait, she would have likely spit it out... I let her run for some time... the story went like this....
She grabbed the bait right next to the bank in 2 ft of water.. she took off... stopped and chewed on it.... took off again.... chewed.... took off again.... I was about out of line so I decided to start bringing her home. She had swallowed it and that set the hook deep in the throat. She did not fight me much, she tried to turn a couple of times (i could see her in the clear'ish water) but i was able to turn her and bring her in without much of a fight.
The difficulties started once i got her to the bank. She snapped the line but it got caught up in roots and old fishing line on the bank. She was stuck there... but I had no way to get her on shore.... I sure as hell was not jumping in or reaching to grab her. Buddy came over and hooked her with a treble hook just in case she got loose...we then took the stringer and made a slipknot in it....we got the rope over the nose after several tries and were able to lift her out that way.... exciting as hell.... buddy put a knife through the skull..twice.. but she squirmed for another 20mins after that..freaky.
fun times.... I want to use steel leader next time