Hook removal tool

[Fishin Dad]

I was watching Bassmasters this morning and Cody Hollen had deep hooked a smallie.   He grabbed a hook removal tool, got it on the hook, and the hook popped right out.  Have any of you used one of these?   Do they work well?  I have read About and tried going through the gill plate area, with OK success.   I rarely deep hook fish, but would like to see if that tool is the way to go or not.  
 

Thanks

[Jig Man]

So what’s it called?

[Nibbles]

I've got the T-shaped spring-loaded remover with the gaffe-shaped thing at the end.

 

They DO work, but can tear the fish up sometimes with barbed hooks since the hook "popping" action is mostly just yanking the hook out barb and all in one swift mechanical motion.

 

Not always a bad thing though, especially with a deeper hooked treble where the only viable alternative is keeping the fish for dinner.

 

However, anecdotally I find my 12" curved hemostats to be way more general-purpose while still being good for deep hook removal.

 

The graduated curve along the nose makes them much easier to thread through the gill plate for cases when the bass is gut hooked at an awkward spot/angle.

[lo n slo]

i have the one from BPS and it works for me, even with the spotted bass. only thing, it doesn’t float. i tried one from Academy that did float, but i like the one from BPS a lot better.

[Bird]

Setting the hook promptly eliminates the need for special tools. Lol

 

Just kidding, yesterday had to go through gills to unhook a 3lb bass that swallowed a 5.0 hook on Senko. 

 

I actually carry a tool that cuts the hook in half if need be.

[Fishin Dad]

Great ideas.  Thanks guys.  I may pick one up and give it a try.  I deep them so rarely (thankfully) that I don’t have a lot of experience, but want to do the best I can to save fish. 

[Kyle S]

10 hours ago, Bird said:

Setting the hook promptly eliminates the need for special tools. Lol

 

Just kidding, yesterday had to go through gills to unhook a 3lb bass that swallowed a 5.0 hook on Senko. 

 

I actually carry a tool that cuts the hook in half if need be.

I do something similar to this. When a fish does take it deep (typically on a weightless Senko for me?‍♂️) Ill just go ahead and cut the hook using a pair of klein side cutting pliers. Once the hook is cut, Ill then take a pair of needle nose pliers or hemostats if the fish is smaller, and then turn the hook barb side up and slide it right out. Sacrificing a hook, but not sacrificing a fish. Curious to see of their are better methods...