definitely a good weekend and payback for all those teeny tiny little micro bass. As w/ you and sand-eels I too get concerned about bait fishing and how it really limits your C&R options.
Since I probably had 30 or 40 bait hookups and landings this weekend I did learn a bit:
* quick hooksets avoid gut hooking; by quick hookset I mean a 1 or 2 count,
the drawback of course is that your hookup ratio is 50% or less.
* wait the traditional 5 count on eels and your going to gut hook at least
50% of the fish you catch; of course your hookup ratio is up in the 75%
or more range
* wait the Billy-Bob interval (put beer can down, get out of chair, stumble,
walk to surf rod in spike, pick up rod; set bail; set hook) perhaps 10
seconds and you'll have 100% gut hooked fish and a 100% hookup
ratio.
* as to guthoked fish - don't mess with them; snip the leader fast, put them