So far this spring I have been catching a lot of sunfish and for some reason, no matter what size hook I use, they swallow th whole thing and I can’t pull the hook out without the fish dieing. Is it better for the fish to leave the hook in ir will it kill them as well? I’ve never had this problem before to have to worry about it.
Cut the line or switch style of baits 
If your using cheaper hooks, leaving them in with 4in. of line dangling this will cause the line to pull the hook shank to one side, allowing food to still be able to pass into the gullet. But try circle hooks, barbless hooks long shanked hooks and sm jigs.
I tend to not gut hook with Aberdeen or Kahle style hooks.
Eat them.
With the size of sunfish, you are probably better off leaving the hook in, if you want to give the fish a chance. Any amount of fiddling around with a gut hooked sunfish is going to kill them.
Here’s proof that smaller fish can survive with the line cut. I caught this one and the line was in the condition that he had it in him for quite sometime I imagine.
Trick I learned years ago when kids were little. If using live bait use a small jig. Very seldom were they hooked deep.
Quote:
If your using cheaper hooks, leaving them in with 4in. of line dangling this will cause the line to pull the hook shank to one side, allowing food to still be able to pass into the gullet. But try circle hooks, barbless hooks long shanked hooks and sm jigs.
I caught a redear yesterday with just this.. about 5-6″ of what looked like 20-30# mono sticking out of its mouth. The fish was only 7″ but I threw it in the livewell anyways because I didnt think the fish would pass it, and that had to have been miserable swimming around with that big hunk of line in your face.
When I cleaned it, it had a #4 baitholder in its gut tied on with 12 over hand knots.
If the fish is legal sized, and big enough to get a fillet off of then I keep it if it is really deep. For bluegill, I usually get it out quickly and if it is bleeding everywhere I keep it, if not I let it go. If it comes floating up later I go pick it up. A couple times I’ve had pelicans beat me to it when they come floating up, so I really do not think they go to waste.
If you are getting more than 1/10 swallow the hook, you need to change something. If the bluegill are biting good I will go to a #4 or #2 aberdeen hook. I never use #8 or smaller because they will swallow it before you realize they are on there.
I also tend to get less gut hooked when I use ice jigs instead of hooks, which is 99% of the time in the spring and hot of the summer.
Caught a sheep with 4 inches of line hanging out of its rear with a hook on the end. I pulled the inch of line that was still in his bung hole out and he swam away happy as can be. 
Didn’t someone just post about drinking a rum and coke or something to stop the bleeding???
I might have this a little mixed up, I’ve been practicing…just in case….:)
Al
Thanks for stopping to count the tie number…. 
You had me until that line…..
was fishing on blackduck lake close to ten years ago, caught a 12 inch wally that had the line snipped off about 2 inches in front of it’s jaw. the jaw(side of mouth) grew around the line dragging. couldn’t believe it.
snip the line real close to the lips or inside the mouth, or do what ido, eat’em.
fieds 
i have been eating them . im not sure what the legal limit is on sunfish but the biggest was MAYBE 6″? i didnt want them to suffer so they went in the freezer. Never encountered this problem before, course its never been this nice to be fishing so early. Assuming its because they are extra hungry coming off winter?
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