Confusing?

[tomustang]

 

While a lot of anglers pass along the link from the first page as the best way to remove a hook, a scientific study back in 2010 compared that technique against others and found no advantage in terms of survival. It also found that bass frequently ended up expelling deep hooks automatically when left in with an inch or less of line as in the show being cited, though such hooks likely don't dissolve as suggested by the angler. Here are some notes from that study.

 

 

The 2010 study took a scientific look at several common hook removal methods. What made the study so interesting was the intentional inclusion of the "through the gills" removal technique made popular by a Ralph Manns piece back in 2002 in In-Fisherman magazine and revisited again by Doug Stange some years later. The study authors even went so far as to use the exact same hook style in their testing as was done in the original publication piece.

 

The study techniques involved a control set of fish that were hooked in the oral cavity ("in the mouth" but not deep) as well as the deeply hooked fish that were given 4 treatment types:

• barbless method - through the mouth with hemostats
• standard method - through the mouth with hemostats
• through the gill method- the IF technique with hemostats
• hook in method -  left the hook in the mouth with 1" or less of cut line attached

After all the testing was complete, fish were placed back into ponds and checked in both the summer and the fall for feeding and growth. Results included:

• Hook removal method has no influence on survival of deeply hooked largemouth bass angled using these gear types.
• The authors found no evidence that deeply hooked largemouth bass suffer reduced growth compared with fish hooked in the oral cavity or among deeply hooked fish subjected to various hook removal techniques.
• No method for removal of deep hooks in largemouth bass was found to be advantageous in terms of growth or survival.
• Necropsies of eight surviving fish that originally had hooks left in revealed that all of the fish had shed their hooks by the end of the experiment.
• Although air exposure varied among treatments (ave. 8-60 sec.), these patterns were not consistent with measures of feeding recovery, suggesting that the observed periods of air exposure had little negative effects.

 

 

The point of the link is how to access the hook better since its in the gullet. You can't twist your tools around gracefully diving right into the mouth, it takes a side approach to work the hook better for extraction.

[Team9nine]

The point of the link is how to access the hook better since its in the gullet. You can't twist your tools around gracefully diving right into the mouth, it takes a side approach to work the hook better for extraction.

 

I understand, just pointing out that it doesn't matter in terms of whether that fish will survive or not, only whether you'll get your hook back a little easier. The original poster did state, "Does anybody really have any accurate information other than just an opinion, or hearsay."

 

-T9

[Hyrule Bass]

the instance is when you are using a small finesse hook and it goes al the way through a small portion of the fishes gullet, I cut the hook off just before the barb then remove it using a long pair of forceps. I have not left a hook in a bass ever, now live bait fishing for walleye is another matter, sometimes that hook is long gone and all you can do is cut the line... 

 

Mitch 

like i said, i wasnt calling anyone a liar, ive just yet to experience it myself and would like to see an instance of it

[WIGuide]

I always try to remove the hook if at all possible. If the fish is in question of surviving, I'll put it in the live well for a while to make sure it's ok. Here's a fish I caught that shows what can happen if the hook isn't removed.

 

 

 

As you can see the hook didn't just rust away, and of course the lead head on the jig played into it too. However, the reason it couldn't pass the jig was because the hook was getting hung up on the inside of the fish. Lucky for this fish, I caught him so after a quick surgery with some needle nose pliers the blockage was cleared and hopefully he/she is still swimming!

[Dwight Hottle]

the instance is when you are using a small finesse hook and it goes al the way through a small portion of the fishes gullet, I cut the hook off just before the barb then remove it using a long pair of forceps. I have not left a hook in a bass ever, now live bait fishing for walleye is another matter, sometimes that hook is long gone and all you can do is cut the line... 

 

Mitch 

 

Yea but it doesn't matter with the walleye unless you are over your limit. You are going to eat them anyway. 

[rangerboy]

the first thing i thought of when i saw it. i would cut the hook out. you can clip the hook point with cutters and pull it out the gill.

[SirSnookalot]

A hook will not dissolve in a few days in salt water.  Amazing how many salt water experts never fished in saltwater.

[Glenn]

A common misconception is to leave the hook in.  It was popular belief years ago, but that has since changed.  Research has shown that:

 

1.  Hooks do not "dissolve" or "rust" away quickly.  It takes years - way too long to be inside an animal.

2.  Gut-hooked fish are far less likely to survive than those that have the hook the removed.  The key is properly removing the hook.  A link was provided earlier to a page that shows how to do this.

 

So if you're still cutting the line and leaving the hook in, you need to stop.  That practice is now an old wive's tale.

 

Glenn

[Team9nine]

A common misconception is to leave the hook in.  It was popular belief years ago, but that has since changed.  Research has shown that:

 

So if you're still cutting the line and leaving the hook in, you need to stop.  That practice is now an old wive's tale.

 

Glenn

 

With all due respect, and since this is just my opinion (LOL - had to play with Hoot's current post), I believe the above statements are misleading, if not just incorrect.. There are now several studies showing that leaving the hook in a deeply hooked fish and removing the line is as good or better than trying to remove it. Even state resource agencies, such as the Pennsylvania Game & Fish Commission as just one example, have this recommendation to cut the line and leave the hook in for best results on their website. They reference two studies, one with trout and another with bass, supporting their recommendation. I previously posted in this thread the results of a third study showing it made no difference whether you left the hook in or removed using the illustrated technique shown. 

 

I believe whichever tactic used (leave in or remove) that will seem to do the least amount of damage to your caught fish is the right course of action most times.

 

-T9

[Hyrule Bass]

With all due respect, and since this is just my opinion (LOL - had to play with Hoot's current post), I believe the above statements are misleading, if not just incorrect.. There are now several studies showing that leaving the hook in a deeply hooked fish and removing the line is as good or better than trying to remove it. Even state resource agencies, such as the Pennsylvania Game & Fish Commission as just one example, have this recommendation to cut the line and leave the hook in for best results on their website. They reference two studies, one with trout and another with bass, supporting their recommendation. I previously posted in this thread the results of a third study showing it made no difference whether you left the hook in or removed using the illustrated technique shown. 

 

I believe whichever tactic used (leave in or remove) that will seem to do the least amount of damage to your caught fish is the right course of action most times.

 

-T9

 

the thing is, since i learned the removal method, i have seen no instance where i had to cut the line and leave a hook in. but i do acknowledge that it may not hold true for everyone, i just havent came across that instance myself...

[jhoffman]

That through the gills works great. I would do whatever happens at the moment. Give the gill a try, its not coming out fairly easy then cut it.

 

If you look at how this works, its just like removing a hook in your hand.

[Loop_Dad]

ive never ever seen an instance where i needed wire cutters to remove a hook from a bass...i'm not calling anyone a liar, but i'd really love to see a clear good quality picture of such an instance, of the bass with hook in the mouth

 

I bring both end cutter and bold cutter with me. I pinch barbs on worm hooks and many of jigs, but some of the jigs still have barbs. I had a couple of time that sign hook came through right next to eye. The chances are the damage was already done, but I cut barb off so that I don't cause any more damage. It is not a gut-hooking example, but I believe one should always carry some tool that can cut the biggest hook using. I wish I had a tool on my when I hooked on my brother's cheek long time ago.

[Loop_Dad]

I always try to remove the hook if at all possible. If the fish is in question of surviving, I'll put it in the live well for a while to make sure it's ok. Here's a fish I caught that shows what can happen if the hook isn't removed.

 

 

 

As you can see the hook didn't just rust away, and of course the lead head on the jig played into it too. However, the reason it couldn't pass the jig was because the hook was getting hung up on the inside of the fish. Lucky for this fish, I caught him so after a quick surgery with some needle nose pliers the blockage was cleared and hopefully he/she is still swimming!

 

Nice save!

[Stlbob]

i have always remove the hooks i have the tools to get them out if they are deep...if a hook dissolved that fast we would get a bass in,hooks would snap.

[Hyrule Bass]

I bring both end cutter and bold cutter with me. I pinch barbs on worm hooks and many of jigs, but some of the jigs still have barbs. I had a couple of time that sign hook came through right next to eye. The chances are the damage was already done, but I cut barb off so that I don't cause any more damage. It is not a gut-hooking example, but I believe one should always carry some tool that can cut the biggest hook using. I wish I had a tool on my when I hooked on my brother's cheek long time ago.

 

ok, you have given me a fair example as ive ripped out a few fish eyes in my day. and i agree about if a person gets hooked, could be good to have a pair around. im convinced to invest in some cutters for if i hook myself or someone else gets hooked. once i hooked myself through my tshirt and into my jeans and into my leg with both trebles after i yanked a SK6XD crankbait out of a tree when i made a bad cast. cutters could of helped, the hooks in my leg werent deep, not even past the barb thankfully. cutters could of freed me much easier than the pliers i used to rip the hooks back out of my jeans and shirt...

[*Hootie]

Fishing a wacky rig one day, felt a strike, set the hook, and it appeared I had missed the fish. When I reeled in to make another cast, there was an eyeball on my hook. True story.....before anybody asks, yes it was a fish eyeball.

Hootie

[tomustang]

Fishing a wacky rig one day, felt a strike, set the hook, and it appeared I had missed the fish. When I reeled in to make another cast, there was an eyeball on my hook. True story.....before anybody asks, yes it was a fish eyeball.

Hootie

Same thing happened to me once, but it was a human eye

[*Hootie]

Same thing happened to me once, but it was a human eye

 

And your partner wont fish with you anymore,....right?

 

Hootie

[tomustang]

And your partner wont fish with you anymore,....right?

 

Hootie

Some guy on shore. True story. Even caught a 11lber off it too

[*Hootie]

Some guy on shore. True story. Even caught a 11lber off it too

 

 

Fish might have swallowed the eyeball, but I ain't swallowing that story.....lol.

 

Hootie