I can't be the only one....catching fish with a hook!

[cracker]

I have used a tiny hook to catch wild fish. That was back in the day when no shops sold salt fish around here .

I would do it in the tank .The larger the fish the less damage.

 

[jd371]

I'm trying this soon. I have a Falco Hawkfish that has gone rogue, he was fine for the first year now he has started chasing my Firefish and Rainford Goby. The Firefish was my first fish in this tank 5 years ago and the Rainford sifts the sand all day keeping it clean but now is confined to the area around his cave because of the Hawfish. It's a shame but I like clean sand and miss seeing the Firefish so the Hawfish is out. I tried a trap but for the one week it was set up none of the fish went near it and don't want to stress out the tank and corals by removing most of the water to catch him. Since he's an aggressive feeder I thought of trying the hook method.

 

[YumaMan]

While living in Miami, Florida years back I learned from another hobbyist that a certain canal near the Miami International Airport was chalk full of Jewel Cichlids and Cichlosoma portalegrensis. So I purchased the smallest hooks I could find and tipped them with tiny pieces of red worms, used 6 lb test fishing line by hand and caught about a dozen of each species within an hour. I took them home and medicated their hook wound against infection. In two weeks there was no sign whatsoever of any wound. I then sold them to my LFS, which happy to receive healthy stock of this size and quality. As the disclaimer in the movie A River Runs Through It reads, "No fish were harmed in filming this movie". Your hawkfish must be extradited, as he is in the wrong canal.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Removed a pain in the rear banana wrasse with a small barbless salmon egg hook used for brook trout. Put a little piece of food on it and being as it was always the first to the food and the first to hide from a net, it worked wonders. Fish is still alive and well a year later in a friends tank.

I have also used a barbed hook, but took pliers to crush the barb down for other fish that would not go in a trap or in the net. Small bream hooks with the long shaft work great for voracious eaters. The long shank ensures they cannot swallow the hook.

 

[Peace River]

. . . So I purchased the smallest hooks I could find and tipped them with tiny pieces of red worms, used 6 lb test fishing line by hand and caught about a dozen of each species within an hour. . .

Interesting story! There are some really nice cichlids in Florida waters which would be amazing if they weren’t invasive and a threat to the native fishes.

BTW, my microfishing gear includes #26 hooks and 1 lb. test line.

 

[YumaMan]

Smart move flattening the barb, Eagle_Steve! I should add here that a long shank hook might enable one to better get a grip on the hook with a set of pliers and proceed to remove the hook with the most control and least stress to the fish. Hook sizes between #20 and #26 will work fine. You can buy them online, not expensive. If barbless hooks are are not available for sale simply flatten the hook, no difference. Dip the Hawkfish in Hydroplex for 7 minutes then transfer it to another tank. Bob's your uncle. Finally, you might check your local and state laws regulating Falcon Hawkfish fishing (you can't be too careful these days as only the paranoid survive, which is the same lesson your hawkfish will learn).

 

[BestMomEver]

I bought an adorable domino damsel to put in my 500 gallon tank (not 50 gallons.. 500.. eight feet long). He grew up and was no longer cute. He terrorized everything, even my tangs. But catching him in a 8’ tank was not a possibility. We dropped a tiny hook (with barb removed) with some shrimp on it. Being the bully he was, he was the only fish that got near it. We caught him in less than two minutes.

 

[YumaMan]

Hey, Peacc River, you and me are friends forever!

 

[Peace River]

. . . Hook sizes between #20 and #26 will work fine. You can buy them online, not expensive. . . .

Flyfishing hooks usually can be found down to #18 or #20 in most outdoor stores which will work for most aquarium fish that are resistant to other types of removal (these will need to be de-barbed or have the barb crushed for the safety of the fish). Hooks at least as small as #30 are available online - side note: pre-snelled hooks are worth it for ease of use. To find really small fishing gear then search for “microfishing” or “Tenkara”. I personally recommend tenkarabum.com for all microfishing gear (rod, hooks, line, floats, info, etc.) if your serious about catching fish in the 1” to 3” range.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Flyfishing hooks usually can be found down to #18 or #20 in most outdoor stores which will work for most aquarium fish that are resistant to other types of removal (these will need to be de-barbed or have the barb crushed for the safety of the fish). Hooks at least as small as #30 are available online - side note: pre-snelled hooks are worth it for ease of use. To find really small fishing gear then search for “microfishing” or “Tenkara”. I personally recommend tenkarabum.com for all microfishing gear (rod, hooks, line, floats, info, etc.) if your serious about catching fish in the 1” to 3” range.

Also, a sabiki rig can be cut up for very small hooks if they are readily available. Ones for greenbacks and smaller baitfish have very small hooks, and the barbs crush easy.

 

[jd371]

Removed a pain in the rear banana wrasse with a small barbless salmon egg hook used for brook trout. Put a little piece of food on it and being as it was always the first to the food and the first to hide from a net, it worked wonders. Fish is still alive and well a year later in a friends tank.

I have also used a barbed hook, but took pliers to crush the barb down for other fish that would not go in a trap or in the net. Small bream hooks with the long shaft work great for voracious eaters. The long shank ensures they cannot swallow the hook.

I surf fish for Stripers during the Fall here in the Northeast and mostly practice catch and release so all my lures have their barbs crushed.

I bought an adorable domino damsel to put in my 500 gallon tank (not 50 gallons.. 500.. eight feet long). He grew up and was no longer cute. He terrorized everything, even my tangs. But catching him in a 8’ tank was not a possibility. We dropped a tiny hook (with barb removed) with some shrimp on it. Being the bully he was, he was the only fish that got near it. We caught him in less than two minutes.

The Melanurus, Flasher and CBB are the fish I need to look out for when trying to hook the Hawkfish these are the most aggressive during feeding.

Flyfishing hooks usually can be found down to #18 or #20 in most outdoor stores which will work for most aquarium fish that are resistant to other types of removal (these will need to be de-barbed or have the barb crushed for the safety of the fish). Hooks at least as small as #30 are available online - side note: pre-snelled hooks are worth it for ease of use. To find really small fishing gear then search for “microfishing” or “Tenkara”. I personally recommend tenkarabum.com for all microfishing gear (rod, hooks, line, floats, info, etc.) if your serious about catching fish in the 1” to 3” range.

Found these on Amazon and sold by a Japanese company called microfishing.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001HY7ISK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[fish farmer]

Here you go...

#18 Amphipod(scud)....that's a 1/4 inch fly for non fishers.

Mysis shrimp

 

[ca1ore]

Removal mechanism of last resort certainly ..... had to do it once with a three stripe damsel.

 

[kchristensen8064]

It's how I got all 4 of my jerk chromis out!

 

[Sump Crab]

Was able to remove an unwanted cardinal fish last week using the tried and true hook and line method. The best part is my LFS put him in one of their large frag/growout tanks so I see him everytime I visit.

 

[Sump Crab]

Only in louisiana!!! I feel like I am home!!;Happy You made my night bud.

I love Louisiana. Try and make it to Delacroix or Houma as much as possible.

 

[Sump Crab]

Anyone catch anything lately?

 

[Sump Crab]

Here you go...

#18 Amphipod(scud)....that's a 1/4 inch fly for non fishers.

Mysis shrimp

Lol

 

[Sump Crab]

It's how I got all 4 of my jerk chromis out!

If it works it works

 

[C4ctus99]

Kinda old thread lol.

Just gonna add some fishing experience here: Use round hooks, you don’t run the risk of the fish swallowing. If it does it comes right out and hooks in the corner of the mouth. Much safer for the fish