[striprman]

99% of the fishing I do is in the canal . When the herring run is over, I dead stick pogie or mackerel chunks. Thats how I catch fish in the canal. I fish 2 or 3 rods. I have NEVER
gut hooked a bass. I always use J hooks.
The other 1% I fish at powder point bridge or the causeway to gooseberry island.

The only time I gut hook bass is when fishing live herring, and then it's usually hooked in the gullet or throat. I use a long stick
with a v notch to remove the deep hooks.

I don't think I've ever killed a bass unintentionally by gut hooking one.

I guess eel fishing tends to cause gut hooked fish. I don't fish eels very often

the thing about he canal is, even though theres alot of guys fishing certain spots, there is always a spot that no one is fishing at.