Hooking a fish in the top of the mouth and out thru the eye

[Fun4Me]

Are there any good techniques that can help in removing the hook? I've caught a handful of fish lately that have a hook coming out around the eye. So far I haven't found a good way to remove the hook without jacking up it's eye ball. I've thought about smashing the barb on the hook but it's hard to get to. Any ideas? Or is it just part of the game.

[Team9nine]

Part of the game, but if it's primarily one bait type causing the issues, I'd smash or file down the barb. Takes just a few seconds.

[Lucky Craft Man]

The best thing you can do is remove the hook as easy as you can, give the fish an eye patch, and send him on his way.

[Fun4Me]

2 minutes ago, Lucky Craft Man said:

The best thing you can do is remove the hook as easy as you can, give the fish an eye patch, and send him on his way.

 

Do they sell eye patches at Tackle Warehouse?

[corn-on-the-rob]

If its a cheap, easily replaceable item, you can cut the hook, then back it through, just like you would if you hooked yourself.

[WRB]

What type of lures and size of hook are you using??

Tom

[Fun4Me]

17 minutes ago, WRB said:

What type of lures and size of hook are you using??

Tom

 

Most of them happen on a 4/0 owner twist lock hook, Texas rigged weighted and pegged, with a creature bait.  

[WRB]

6 minutes ago, Fun4Me said:

 

Most of them happen on a 4/0 owner twist lock hook, Texas rigged weighted and pegged, with a creature bait.  

That is a EWG style hook, try Owners 3/0 or 4/0 Flippin hook with CPS, shorter hook with smaller gap size should move the hook point forward to the lip ridge in lieu the rough of the mouth.

Tom

[Fun4Me]

5 minutes ago, WRB said:

That is a EWG style hook, try Owners 3/0 or 4/0 Flippin hook with CPS, shorter hook with smaller gap size should move the hook point forward to the lip ridge in lieu the rough of the mouth.

Tom

 

The next time I see a pack of those I will give them a try. Thanks for the advice!

[Montanaro]

Palm smack the hook out asap.  Eyes are delicate...once a hook has went through, it is toast.  Best to do it that way rather than tug and pull and twist.  Get fish back into water and take comfort in knowing that even fully blind bass live to grow large.

 

Ive had trebles catch an eye before and instead of pulling on it Ive taken my knife and cut the thin eye membrane holding hook.  The membrane usually heals well.

[geo g]

It happens from time to time.  Crush the barb, or just remove as easy as possible.  They will live and do well with just one eye.  

[finatic]

Just wondering if you can attach a different type of hook, instead of the three-prong ones. Like maybe one with just two prongs?

[Raul]

3 hours ago, Fun4Me said:

Are there any good techniques that can help in removing the hook? I've caught a handful of fish lately that have a hook coming out around the eye. So far I haven't found a good way to remove the hook without jacking up it's eye ball. I've thought about smashing the barb on the hook but it's hard to get to. Any ideas? Or is it just part of the game.

 

Yup, crush the barb or cut the hook.

 

[islandbass]

This has also happened to me on occasion and I have been seriously considering going barbless when possible (most bass hooks I've seen don't come this way but it's a requirement in fishing for other species in different areas in my state) or crimping that barb down. I think cutting the hook off if possible seems like a great option because it could still be difficult to pull a hook back with a crimped barb.

[Fun4Me]

45 minutes ago, hawgwash said:

Just wondering if you can attach a different type of hook, instead of the three-prong ones. Like maybe one with just two prongs?

 

I'm not sure I understand your question. Are you talking about treble bait hooks? You could crush the barbs on those as well.

[finatic]

I meant something like this.....

 

 

[Fun4Me]

5 minutes ago, hawgwash said:

I meant something like this.....

 

 

 

I've seen people switch their treble hooks out for single hooks as well. I've personally never hooked a fish in the eye with a treble hook before.

[Scarborough817]

3 hours ago, Fun4Me said:

 

Do they sell eye patches at Tackle Warehouse?

just grab some new eyes that you would put on a crankbait 

[Fun4Me]

4 minutes ago, Scarborough817 said:

just grab some new eyes that you would put on a crankbait 

 

LOL!!!!!

 

Who's going to get the lucky red eye.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Molded-Eyes-Multipack/743904.uts?productVariantId=1603181&WT.tsrc=PPC&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=02456431&rid=20&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkZmPrrvN1QIVQpN-Ch2viA0aEAQYASABEgL78vD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[BuzzHudson19c]

I've always assumed that once a hook goes through the eye, it's lights out. Crushing down the barb will make it easier to get out, but chances are that fish has lost use of the eye anyway. (This is through the eye not just in the corner.)

[Falkus]

This happen to me, I was using fluke using 5/0 hook

Caught it though the mouth and BOTH EYES  

 

I was so dumbfound....

[Fun4Me]

Well, the destruction continues. Intended to go out for about half an hour, caught a fish on the second cast, destroyed it's left eye (hook right through the middle of the eye) packed it up and went home. I'm going to put down the creature bait 4/0 EWG hook for a while. I think I'll go Ned rig fishing tomorrow.  

[CroakHunter]

Downsize your hook and also use either round bend or straight shank as @WRB suggested. 

[Bluebasser86]

Use wire cutters to cut the hook if you really want it to come out as easy as possible. I've caught plenty of fish that were blind in one eye though, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. 

[NHBull]

Like mentioned above.....I use a lot of light wire hooks and if one goes thru the roof of the mouth and out the eye, I use small bolt cutters to cut the shank and pull from the barb to remove.  Works like a charm.  Also, if this happens on an average size fish, drop down a hook size.