Hooked in bottom lip?

[Adam 1]

Why does this happen? Today and yesterday I would estimate two thirds of the fish we caught out of about 80 or 90 were hooked in the bottom lip. I have noticed this in the past on occasion but never a majority of the fish like the last couple days.

[DockShootinJack]

What type of hook or lure?

[CrappiePappy]

If using a regular hook .... it could be that you are setting the hook when the fish is diving and/or has the bait in it's mouth but hasn't started trying to swallow it.

If using a jig ... it could be that the fish is coming up & grabbing the jig & turning to dive back down.

The fact that it happened so many times over the course of those two days could indicate that the majority of the fish caught were attacking the bait in the same manner.

[Adam 1]

Spider rigging double minnow rigs.

[DockShootinJack]

Crappie Pappy is all over it.

[Adam 1]

It was also at different spots a couple miles away from each other.

[CrappiePappy]

It was also at different spots a couple miles away from each other.

All the more reason I believe that the fish were attacking your minners in approx. the same fashion.

That might be "provable" .... IF ... you remember setting the hook early or late on most of those bottom lip hooked fish.

I know that I, personally, have hooked fish in the bottom lip or in the tongue ... and wondered just how in the heck did I manage to do that with a jig, considering that a jig hook rides in a horizontal position and I am pretty fast on the hookset (usually hooking fish in the roof of the mouth). Yet, when I think back about times where I've seen a Crappie take a swipe at my jig, just before it's about to come out of the water, I realize that given the position of approach by the fish ... it's quite possible for them to be nearly upside down when they come in contact with the jig's upward facing hook.

But, personally ... I'd rather hook them in the bottom of the mouth, or even in the tongue, than just in the thin membrane of their lips. It might be a tad bit harder to remove the hook in those cases, but it's far less likely that the hook can be thrown from a thrashing fish that's got a gaping hole in the lip membrane.

[Barnacle Bill]

My fishing buddy (RIP Roy) had that problem and switched to Tru Turn hooks and swore that cured his problem. I used them sometimes too but can't remember the results.

[Ketchn]

I often wonder these things myself , I got one like that the other day and I am not sure how or why it happened
other than obvious hook in the water fish too close to it scenario

[bigdoug03]

It's that time of year. The lake is turning over, all the fish are swimming around upside down.