As Jackster said, suckers are things of beauty compared to horny heads, particularly in their spawning colors. Get a look at one of those ugly critters and you'll forget all about being afraid of suckers.
As Jackster said, suckers are things of beauty compared to horny heads, particularly in their spawning colors. Get a look at one of those ugly critters and you'll forget all about being afraid of suckers.
debarb your hooks. that way you need only get your forceps/hemostats or (goodness forbid) fingers on the fly before waving goodbye to that poor sot of a sucker fish that unwittingly grabbed onto your line!
Marty
MFTG
[This message has been edited by MrFishingToughGuy (edited 20 June 2006).]
sm2k
Email me
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RRhyne56
[url=http://www.robinscustomleadersandflies.com:925e0]Sweetness On The Water[/url:925e0]
[url=http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/bgl/:925e0]Good Ol? Lepomis Macrochirus[/url:925e0]
sm2k Terry, AKLooker, on the for sale page here is selling a bunch of "Fear No Fish" stickers. I suggest you buy the all, put one on the mirror in your bathroom, one on each of the widows of your truck (car, vespa, electric car,what ever you drive). Your sucker fears will be gone from the constant reminder of the "Fear No Fish" stickers. good luck
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I learn more about the world while talking to myself when fishing alone
Think about this next time you catch one:
The thousands on this forum grab the fish by the lower jaw (check for teeth first!), and remove the hook either by hand or with forceps. The only fishes I wouldnt do that with are:
Piranha
Shark
Baracuda
Manta/Sting Ray
But I'm pretty sure you will recognize one of those if you catch one. If we all can do it you can too. Get a friend to show you how a couple times. Next you gotta learn how to gut them when they are keepers. Its also easy. Have faith in yourself, and you'll get over it. I do admire you for sharing it with all of us.
Migs
Migs - you forgot Pike...unless of course you know something I don't know about them?
No you got me skurming...Pike by the lower jaw....woah!
Dr. Phil...
Pike, Musky and Walleye, oh yeah and steelhead and spawning salmon...they've got teeth like a dog!
What I would do is...1) Go to a stream/river (with a trusted firend) that has suckers in it and just watch them for a while. 2) Start fishing for them. 3) Catch them and have friend remove them from the hook until you feel you can do it. 4) Continue doing this until the fear is gone.
This way, you face up to your fear, but you have moral support as well.
Jonezee...a Vespa? Haven't heard that one in ages.
Thanks for all the replies!
On one hand this problem is a little comical. A fisherman who's afraid of fish? What?
The fear though isn't by any means minor. For instance, I'm slightly afraid of snakes, and will jump a bit when I see one. But for the most part I can pick them up or observe them without any real fear after the initial shock (well, I don't go trying to pick up rattlers of course!).
Suckers are a different story. The fear is overwhelming. If I were to try to touch one at this point I would begin to shake heavily and probably start crying. It's very odd. I have at times tried to picture in my mind touching them... well, at least touching whitefish. That's why I thought that maybe I'd be able to grab one after my extended break from fishing. The fear was overwhelming though. When I picture suckers in my mind I have the same irrational, excessive response as when I'm actually confronted with one. I've used these types of visualization techniques to get over my fear of wading in fast water (I didn't even know I was doing it, but as a kid I would imagine myself being swept down stream and force myself to stick with the thought no matter how frightening), but realistic fears of physical danger are much easier to get over than unrealistic fears of "gross" things.
I've touched suckers before. I used to catch a lot of squawfish on the Blackfoot when I was younger, and caught a number of whitefish and removed them successfully in my teenage years (I'm all too familiar with the "whitefish squeeze"...ick). I even remember once catching a giant sucker in the missouri and handling it when I was probably 11 years old. I've caught and handled a lot of other "ugly" fish that I'm not afraid of: bass, walleye, sheephead, perch, etc.
The hook remover idea is a good one. I do have one of those gizmos, but just proximity to the fish frightens me. Like I have to remove myself from the water if I have one on the hook, even if I'm wearing waders. I'll have to see if I can do it.
The idea of trying to lessen my fears by making light of the things about the fish that disgust me the most is a good one. That may help as well.
Thankfully I'm the type who thinks that a 99 cent fly can catch just as many fish as a 2.99 fly! If you happen to be in Montana and catch a whitefish with a bead head hares ear in its lip, you can be sure that I've recently been in the area. Enjoy the fly. Haha.
I think what I'll do is try to use a hook remover on a small whitefish and gradually work myself up to larger ones. The small ones don't have as pronounced scales and don't squish as much.
Okay, at the risk of being insensitive - I ain't sure I'm buyin' it.
Internet's made me goosey, I guess.
Sorry..
"Flyfishing is not a religion. You can make up your own rules as you go.".. Jim Hatch.. 2/27/'06
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