How do I remove a hook a bass has swallowed?

[Salamander12]

I had a buddy who caught a fish that completely swallowed the hook to where I could barely see the eye of the hook. I told him I know a trick to get the hook out it was so far down I could even turn the hook to pop it up through the gills. Has anyone had this happen? Was there anyway I could of saved that ish? So I made him keep it and he ate it for dinner.

[kiteman]

On 10/5/2017 at 1:13 AM, Salamander12 said:

I had a buddy who caught a fish that completely swallowed the hook to where I could barely see the eye of the hook. I told him I know a trick to get the hook out it was so far down I could even turn the hook to pop it up through the gills. Has anyone had this happen? Was there anyway I could of saved that ish? So I made him keep it and he ate it for dinner.

the through the gill sometimes works.  i'm sure some people are better than others, but i have big fingers and unless it's a big fish, i just don't have enough wiggle room with my fingers to pull it out many times.

[Patrickcatalano]

On 9/29/2005 at 7:00 PM, Yankee_Bassman said:

I now use a rubber net under several circumstances:

The lake I fish almost exclusively has extremely thick weeds on the bottom. I was losing big fish at the boat because I couldn't find their lips under the sod farm they were tangled in.

I use a net when I am fishing with finger-attacking lures like Devil Horses and large jerk baits. One trip to the hospital, and one experience extracting a treble with needlenose myself, after getting impaled while lipping were enough, thank you.

I also use it when I can see that the fish is poorly hooked.

They're also a great help when a pickerel has grabbed your favorite lure, and you want it back with a minimum of pickerel slime on your hands, which invariably wind up being wiped on my pants.

I assume the same would hold true for Pike, and in any event, you don't wanna be lipping those suckers, or your friends are gonna call you "Stumpy".

As far as damaging fish goes, if you watch trout fishermen, who seem to be positively anal about how they handle fish to be released, they all use nets, and try not to remove the fish from the water. I've gotta believe that these guys have spent entire winters reading research into whether nets are harmful, and have concluded they aren't.

As to a recommendation, get a rubber net. I haven't had trebles tangle yet, and that is not the case with regular nylon or other braided type netting. My net has a long handle, and I added an elastic loop for my wrist, with one of those bungie ties that has a plastic ball on it. I get the fish in the net one-handed,  lever the net out of the water on the gunwale, put the rod down, and lift in the fish with both hands. Sounds harder than it is.

I also find it helpful when kayak fishing. I’ve been kayak fishing for 3 1/2 years and I net a lot of my fish. I am a huge pike fisherman and I have had plenty of times when you are catching bass and pike alike and when you go to unhook a pike and it shakes it’s head and next thing you know is that your hand is bleeding and staining the water. Conservation nets are help full because while you’re getting your camera ready, the fish is still in the water and not getting hurt.

[FishDewd]

What if it's a catfish and they swallow the hook to the eyelet? Would this still work? I have bad luck hooking catfish that way, they tend to just kind of suck it in and swallow it. Not sure I would want to stick my fingers inside a catfish's mouth though. They clamp down and don't hardly let go lol. Lost some skin on some fingers that way once.

[Chris Brunk]

I am confused on this one,  topic say how to remove a hook but the question is in regards to a net.  For the net I say its very important.  you can pick up one just about anywhere but I prefer a plastic collapsible to save on space and if you have a net be sure to have it out and ready when fishing.  It sucks to try to find it after you catch a big one.  

as for hook removal once swallowed I can tell you this.  If you try to remove it you may kill it.  its best if your not sure to cut the line.  in time it will come out on its own. I have caught many small fish to put in my tank and gut hooked them.  in about 3 days I find the hook on the bottom of the tank.  so if your unsure on weather you can get it out safely then don't do it.

however a lot of the time you can cut the line and reverse the direction it is facing through the gills  and pull it strait through its mouth to get it out.  If your trying to save the fish just cut the line and let it go.

[J Francho]

11 minutes ago, Chris Brunk said:

its best if your not sure to cut the line.  in time it will come out on its own.

Read the entire thread.  Studies prove that both statements are wrong.  Remove the hook.

[Chris Brunk]

I apologize.  I am going off of personal experiences only, however, if someone is new and trying to learn this wont they be more likely to kill it just from being out of the water to long or failure in technique?  I am just not sure I agree with that I believe someone with practice would have no problem with this and even then it still may die, not trying to discredit just trying to understand. Do you know where I can find these studies?  I don't see anything regarding this.  Maybe I am scanning to fast.

p.s.

I love the illustration 

 

[Chris Brunk]

Ok, so I did find a few other resources that state the same thing you said and go into explaining why you need to get the hook out. (hooks can rust and poison the fish,  they can heal around the hook causing scare tissue that prevents the hook from being removed and most starve because the hook is there)

however I kid you not.  I have had many fish I have released into my tanks to find the hooks later, so far with no fatalities, and safely released the fish once they are ready or to big.

I still cant find the actual case study though.  Me personally I always cut the line and wait tell after weigh-in to remove.  I feel its the safest for me, so I don't get penalized for a dead fish lol.  I will look further into this to find the case study and share if you like?  unless you have it.

[All about da bass]

On the whole illustration thing. So when the hook is almost out, then you get your pliers out and pull the hook. I did that exactly. The only problem was that the fish would swallow it deeper every time I would be able to get the hook closer to being out. I went to grab some pliers that were two feet from me, I looked and its already back where I started. He had it in his mind that he was just gonna swallow it and everything would be fine.

 

[waymont]

EGO S1 Genisis Nets for me. They last a really long time and don't damage the fish.

[Backroad Angler]

If I read this post before today, would of helped me so much.... 2nd fish today he ate the worm and got em right in the gut poor guy.

[haggard]

On 3/2/2018 at 3:57 PM, Chris Brunk said:

if someone is new and trying to learn this wont they be more likely to kill it just from being out of the water to long or failure in technique?

Just hold the fish in the water for 15 sec once every minute to let it recover, then take it out and resume hook removal. If the line is cut just make sure to lip it firmly so it doesn't get away with the hook still in. Or hold a net under it just in case. I use barbless hooks which makes it much easier to back the hook out in this situation (also makes it easier for fish to shake the hook off when landing, but I prefer losing a few landings to leaving a hook in on release).

 

 

[Alex from GA]

All of my fishing partners give me their fish for hook removal, if they're gut hooked, and here's how.  I have a strong pair of hemostats with me and go through the gills, turn the hook and pop it out then reach down through the mouth and remove.  I usually pinch the barbs down.

[txchaser]

My future PB broke off a t-rigged lizard on 6lb flouro leader this weekend. Well, I broke it off, when I saw it hit. Felt horrible about leaving a fish swimming around with a hook. I know it happens, but this was an awfully big fish for this lake.

 

Anyway, switched to a jig on a heavier rod/line, caught a few others out of the structure, and finally picked her back up. Yay pre-spawn feed!

 

She had the lizard down in her gullet, bend and barb all the way in. 

 

The out through the gills technique worked flawlessly, and took 15 seconds. So good it should be required reading for new anglers. 

[Jweller]

Maybe someone can help me on this.  After finding this board and this awesome thread, I got to try the through the gills method a couple of times; unfortunately only one time was successful.  

 

The first a 12" bass sucked down a shakey head, I worked and worked at it, keeping him in the water plenty.  Eventually got it out and he swam away just fine.  

 

The second, a 10" dink swallowed a small drop shot size hook my father was using with a weightless senko.  I assumed it would be super easy to remove.  I could get the hook rotated, but it seemed like the barb was stuck.  It almost seemed to be the same problem with the shakey head hook, the barb was pulling on the gullet.  I just could not get it, so instead of ripping it out I reluctantly cut the line short and released him, but he went belly up instantly, no blood or anything.  I felt awful. 

 

Obviously I will be crimping the barbs down from now on, but could I be doing something else wrong?  I've watched countless videos where the hook just "pops" out when the leverage is applied from below, but that has definitely not been my experience.  Would love any advice. 

[J Francho]

If you can, set the hook earlier.

[cyclops2]

For everyone but the money guys.

 

CRUSH DOWN the barbs...……………….SPORT fisherman do not need the barbs. I have had a large Muskie drive 5 of the 9 points THRU my right palm skin while bank fishing alone with NO TOOLS !!  I was about to feel what your fish Might feel as we rip the barbs out each time...………… PANIC set in fast...……..Then I became shocky & sweaty. I put my kneeon her gills & spine & broke her back. I just knelt their lookin down at a 48" beauty I had murdered to stop her from yanking the hooks around in my palm MEAT.

Human skin IS LIKE LEATHER when the hooks are on a 12 " surf lure. The barbs ARE HUGE.

I made a large loop of the line & started to pull a barb out.  IT WOULD NOT COME OUT...……….I panicked to a higher level. A 1/2 mile walk to the car ?  Carrying a heavy 48" fish ? up a high railroad stone embankment ?  No way.

O K Rich. I After using the point as a poking point under the skinas a needle to poke a series of holes in a line under my skin. I got1 barb out.  Only 4 more to rip out. As I tore the last barb out. I simply collapsed next to the Muskie. I said I was sorry for killing her.

 

Crush all the barbs down. If the barb breaks off and has a jagged edge on the hook ? use a Dremel tool & a small grinding stone to smooth it flush for easy removal. 

I have had fly lures hooked into my ear & neck. SIMPLY SLIDE the hook out.  Kids hook people easily. NO BARB. Wearing PROTECTIVE EYE GLASSES.  The kids have NO FEAR of removing a hook. MACHO kids. Boy or girl.

 

Our reels have so high of a gear ratio that NO fresh water fish should get away. The few that do ?  SO WHAT ?

 

Crush the barbs & grind smooth. MACHO fishing people can continue to look forward to the next hook in them.

 

The E R nurses DID NOT understand what a difficult position I was in with the fish. They told me I could have severed some nerves With what I did. I never offered to take them fishing. 

[cyclops2]

As a side note I now have a pair of very long S S surgeons forecips to reach into throat & gill hooks. Piece of cake. Removed in 2 seconds every time.

[dgkasper58]

Thank you! this thread helped me save one this week!

 

Ned rig is getting harder to detect these subtle bites.

[kayaking_kev]

Does anyone else use Mt.Dew if the fish is bleeding? That's the first thing I do if I see blood, then I will remove the plastic and then use hemostats to turn the hook through the gills and pull the hook out backwards. I have done this once or twice in one of my youtube videos.

 

I caught over 500 fish this season on video and gut hooked less than 10, and I fished a lot with a plastic worm. And, to top it off I used a 6'0 Ugly Stik Gx2, 2 piece for most of the year. I now have two Dobyns Xtasy's and a Champion Extreme for next season, so hopefully I will have even fewer gut hooks. I would really like to try crushing the barbs on my hooks next season and at least give it a try.

[Glenn]

Never, ever, use Mt. Dew on fish. It's not made for consumption by animals, and may even be lethal.  Instead, use something designed for fish bleeding, such as Catch & Release formula.  

 

Not only is it better for the fish, but it ensures the best possible outcome for an injured fish.

[rogatsby]

I release all of my bass, like most others here. But if they are gut hooked, sometimes you just have to take them home and fry them up. Bass actually taste pretty good. I also have no complaints about people who selectively harvest them in areas where it is legal and the bass population is good. Nothing wrong with eating them when they will die from a bad hooking. 

[galyonj]

Totally. Sometimes there's just nothing you can do. And even if there is something you can do, there are a lot of people with the goal of catching a keeper limit and introducing them to a pat of butter and a skillet (or whatever). That's cool, too.

 

I think what chaps a lot of us is ignorance leading to dead fish that nobody has any intention of eating that, like as not, could have been returned safely to the water to fight another day.

[kayaking_kev]

A biologist has been performing a study about using mt. dew on bleeding fish for awhile and he is pretty convinced that it saves fish.

 

https://www.facebook.com/pg/Save-a-Million-Fish-752045115140863/posts/

[Hammer 4]

8 minutes ago, kayaking_kev said:

A biologist has been performing a study about using mt. dew on bleeding fish for awhile and he is pretty convinced that it saves fish.

 

https://www.facebook.com/pg/Save-a-Million-Fish-752045115140863/posts/

I always keep some 7up, or sprite with me, just for that purpose.