Holding Bass With Treble Hooks In Mouth

[hoosierbass07]

I caught my first bass with a crankbait yesterday and I was not sure how to pull it out of the water. I know how to lip bass but when it comes to treble hooks I'm not so sure. I was in my kayak and ended up pulling the bass up on my lap with the line and going from there.

Is there a good way to grab a hold of bass with treble hooks in their mouths so the chances of getting a hook in a finger is minimal? What's the safest way to do it?

[Suspendingjerk]

I grab the lip FIRMLY where the hooks are not. A lot of people will grab the fish by the body. I have always heard this is not comfortable for the fish. Don't know how true that is but I have always lipped my fish.

[papajoe222]

First thing I do is look to see how the fish is hooked.  If the entire lure is in it's mouth, I won't attempt to lip land it. I'll either use long nosed pliers to remove at least one set of hooks or both.  With only one setin it's mouth, I'll either grab the bill of the crank and lift, or lift with the line until over half of the fish is out of the water. This tends to imobilize them for a second or so as the majority of their weight is out of the water.  At that point I'll reach into it's mouth to lip it while continuing to lift. The motion is kind of like racking the slide on a gun. Pulling with one hand and pushing with the other.  The trickiest situation is a fish that's hooked in or close to it's toung.  That's when the pliers come into play.

You could also belly land the fish, but you'll still need to remove the hooks and then the fish and the lure will be in the boat with you.

[Paul Roberts]

I grab the lip FIRMLY where the hooks are not.

This is what I do. But I'm very focused when I do it. If the fish is still shaking its head, I'll loop it around again until its laying flat out. I've handled a lot of fish so I'm pretty confident. (Papajoe does this fit your Superstitions question? )

 

If the fish has multiple sets in, often with mouth pinned closed, I'll belly lift. It works very well. But .. and this is true with all fish handling, you have to beware of the fish giving an unexpected kick. After handling fish a while you get a sense for when they are uncomfortable, jazzed up, and what prods them to react. A fish with a face full of hooks I'll often keep in the water a bit longer until it stops fighting all together. Once laying out prone I'll belly lift. After I've freed one set, I then switch to the more secure lip grip.

 

Another option that works surprisingly well is going barbless. Here's why I started looking into this option:

This fish is a common sight in some public waters I've fished. That fish will likely lose it's maxillary and premaxillary on that side. Like this fish has:

 

I found going barbless works just fine. I don't lose fish. However, I don't do this with just any lure. Works fine with soft plastics with light weights, and with most free-swinging trebles. I don't go barbless with jigs; The barb is necessary there. I don't go barbless with lipless cranks either -their compact weight seems easier for bass to throw. But other cranks and topwaters, I don't know I'm barbless until I have the fish in hand, and the hooks just shake out. Very cool.

 

There are also micro-barb hooks out there that work very well. But the big barbed trebles, I can't stomach anymore.

[Suspendingjerk]

This is what I do. But I'm very focused when I do it. If the fish is still shaking its head, I'll loop it around again until its laying flat out. I've handled a lot of fish so I'm pretty confident. (Papajoe does this fit your Superstitions question? )

 

If the fish has multiple sets in, often with mouth pinned closed, I'll belly lift. It works very well. But .. and this is true with all fish handling, you have to beware of the fish giving an unexpected kick. After handling fish a while you get a sense for when they are uncomfortable, jazzed up, and what prods them to react. A fish with a face full of hooks I'll often keep in the water a bit longer until it stops fighting all together. Once laying out prone I'll belly lift. After I've freed one set, I then switch to the more secure lip grip.

 

Another option that works surprisingly well is going barbless. Here's why I started looking into this option:

This fish is a common sight in some public waters I've fished. That fish will likely lose it's maxillary and premaxillary on that side. Like this fish has:

 

I found going barbless works just fine. I don't lose fish. However, I don't do this with just any lure. Works fine with soft plastics with light weights, and with most free-swinging trebles. I don't go barbless with jigs; The barb is necessary there. I don't go barbless with lipless cranks either -their compact weight seems easier for bass to throw. But other cranks and topwaters, I don't know I'm barbless until I have the fish in hand, and the hooks just shake out. Very cool.

 

There are also micro-barb hooks out there that work very well. But the big barbed trebles, I can't stomach anymore.

Great post. I've been thinking about going barbless myself but I don't feel like the confidence will be there.

[hatrix]

Unless its a big fish just grab it behind the head. Just grab it quick and firm. They don't even try to flop around like that when you grab them. Plus you shouldn't just lip a bass because you can. Bass thumb can be a real issue tough hands or not

[Bluebasser86]

Grab them behind the head if you can. Even if you lip them where the hooks aren't, one quick flop and there's a good chance your fingers and the hooks will be much closer than you'd like. 

[hoosierbass07]

  What about crushing down the barbs on treble hooks?  I've been doing that with regular worm hooks this season and I've not lost a bass yet.  But those treble hooks, each little hook is not that long.  Will crushing down the barbs make it easier for the bass to throw the hook?  Whenever I reel in a bass with a worm hook, I always have a good deep hook set through the mouth/jaw.  But those little treble hooks seem so small it looks like a bass could throw them.  To be honest, those little treble hooks are a pain.  But I guess I have to use them if I want to use crankbaits more.  

 

 I'm asking these questions because I'm going into kayak fishing for the rest of the spring/summer and I just found out I can catch big bass on them.  I just caught my first bass on a crankbait yesterday and I was not sure how to pull it up out of the water.  You can see in the video I was a little hesitant on what to do.  

 

 http://youtu.be/7Dc8f3TKroc

[Paul Roberts]

That's what I do: Roll the barbs down with needle nosed pliers. I'm not purchasing barbless hooks. No, I don't lose fish on them.

[aavery2]

Tell your partner that you have a sore knee, and ask if he can help out.....       

[Greed]

Take out the lure and then take your picture.

[BassinLou]

If your concerned about your safety about being around treble hooks, you should look into the fishgrip. This tool has been very handy for me. I get to lip big mudfish with it and remove hooks from their mouths. It also has a convenient slot for scales to easily way the fish. If it falls over board it floats. Here is the link if you are interested. http://www.thefishgrip.net/

[HeavyFisher]

 http://www.thefishgrip.net/

 

Do the fishgrips lock when you squeeze or do you have to have constant pressure on the handles to keep the lip gripped?

[flyfisher]

Do the fishgrips lock when you squeeze or do you have to have constant pressure on the handles to keep the lip gripped?

they lock closed and do work very well.

 

I would also never flop a bass with trebles onto my lap in my kayak.  That is just axing for trouble,  Generally i just grab where the trebles aren't and if i have to, I will use my fish grips but for the most part i can usually find a spot to grab the fish.  I am not a fan of grabbing behind the head of the fish but i will do it if i have too.

[HeavyFisher]

Good to know FlyFisher, as locking is a huge selling point for me. I pretty much lip a fish to remove the hook, I tried the squeeze behind the head method once but I think I may have squeezed to hard because the fish started peeing. 

[WRB]

How would you handle a fish with sharp teeth, treat the bass the same when it has sharp treble hooks in it's mouth. A good knotless net works, holding the bass belly up in back of the head works, Boga style grips work, hand anywhere in the mouth doesn't work every time and accidents are painful.

Tom

[BassinLou]

Do the fishgrips lock when you squeeze or do you have to have constant pressure on the handles to keep the lip gripped?

 

 

they lock closed and do work very well.

 

I would also never flop a bass with trebles onto my lap in my kayak.  That is just axing for trouble,  Generally i just grab where the trebles aren't and if i have to, I will use my fish grips but for the most part i can usually find a spot to grab the fish.  I am not a fan of grabbing behind the head of the fish but i will do it if i have too.

 

Just like flyfisher mentioned. They lock pretty tight once you press down on the handle. Very simple, cheap, and handy tool to have around for multiple situations. 

[einscodek]

If you do it by hand like I do, then grab the  treble with pliers with one hand

use the other hand and grab its mouth where the hook is not.

Do yer thing

 

When I first started I didnt like having hooks completely thru my thumb and hands at times.. a bit painful to get out and with tetinitus and all not really needin the problems.

 I alway grab the trebles with pliers to make sure those dont get me if the fish decides to seizure.

[hooah212002]

 

I found going barbless works just fine. I don't lose fish. However, I don't do this with just any lure. Works fine with soft plastics with light weights, and with most free-swinging trebles. I don't go barbless with jigs; The barb is necessary there. I don't go barbless with lipless cranks either -their compact weight seems easier for bass to throw. But other cranks and topwaters, I don't know I'm barbless until I have the fish in hand, and the hooks just shake out. Very cool.

 

There are also micro-barb hooks out there that work very well. But the big barbed trebles, I can't stomach anymore.

 

You've convinced me. The next crank/spook I throw will have barbless hooks.

[ww2farmer]

Honestly..................The same way I would with a single hook. I have never been stuck by a bass. Largemouth, most of the time, I just reach over the side of the boat an lip them, or swing them in, and grab them by the lip...if any largemouht is ever going to eventually stick me, it's going to be a 2lber that thinks he's a smallie. AlLL smallmouth, because they are crazy, get the net, treble hooks or not, but then once in the net I just grab them by the lip. Now pike...............they have stuck me, more times then I can count. Not a season has gone by the last 5-6 years where I have not taken a treble past the barb several times during the coarse from one of them.

[WRB]

I use to hand land crankbait bass until a Big bass I had by the mouth twisted loose and the rear treble went into my hand between the index finger and thumb on the left hand that gripped the bass. This bass was attached to my hand by the hooks and trying to get off still in the water....never again, I use a net now for crankbait bass.

Tom

[Dave P]

1. Get a net.

2. Use the net.

3. Lip them out of the net if possible.

4. Buy a pair of good side cuts, just in case.

 

I have cuts all over my fingers every weekend I throw cranks. It's part of the game.

[CDMeyer]

you can grab them by there stomach, or quickly just look and make sure the hook is clear of where you plan to lip him

[michang5]

How would you handle a fish with sharp teeth, treat the bass the same when it has sharp treble hooks in it's mouth. A good knotless net works, holding the bass belly up in back of the head works, Boga style grips work, hand anywhere in the mouth doesn't work every time and accidents are painful.

Tom

x2 Boga.

[deadadrift89]

I use Bass Pro brand grip master w/scale and no problems. My partner uses a lip gripper also from Berkley w/digital scale and its nice.