One way to sample or collect larger specimens of fish is by fishing with hook and line gear.

I have found Eagle Claw brand snelled circle hooks are very good at catching fish specimens with live bait with most fish being hooked in the corner of the mouth with little damage.

With any chance of fishing, some fish may occasionally take a hook deep unfortunately but the vast majority of times using the Eagle Claw brand circle hooks, I hook the fish in the mouth and it is released unharmed and healthy. Crush the barbs on the hooks before fishing.

Just a suggestion for those who might want to use fishing as a way to collect sunfish and small catfish for their fish tanks.

Edited by Gambusia, 16 June 2013 - 01:43 PM.

+1
I use circle hooks for large cats and the accasional striper and we have never had one foul hooked, although sometimes they don't quit hook as well, but its safer for the fish

I use the Gamakatsu octopus non-offset circle hooks for suckers and catfish. If you size the hook appropriately you will almost never gut hook fish, but sometimes when you are targetting suckers with small mouths (shorthead redhorse for example), a larger catfish will inhale your bait and end up gut hooked. Those guys come home for the dinner table if it looks like taking the hook out will do too much damage.

And as far as catching small fish hook & line to bring home for the aquarium, I've done it with quite a few of my fish. My logperch, sculpin, topminnows, and half of my darters were caught hook & line. Sight fishing helps avoid gut hooking small fish. As soon as you see the bait disappear, give your rod a twitch and set the hook. Usually it will be in the top lip, and after it's removed you can't even tell where the hook wound was.