Removing hooks from weird places

[Bryce C]

Alright so this isn't the first time that I've ever had this happen, but it's the first time since I've been a member of a forum where I could ask.  So I was doing a little wade fishing this morning and caught a nice two and half pound smallie on a jig.  Once I landed him I realized the hook had come out through the eye socket on the fish, but not through the eyeball.  The way it was in there made it really difficult to remove the hook and when I tried I ended up bending the hook, which made it even more difficult to remove.  It seems like I have this happen mostly to fish in this size range since small ones can't get the jig that far down and bigger fish give you more room to work.  So not wanting the fish to lose it's eye I simply cut the end of my hook off and slid it out.  Are there any tricks you all use to remove hooks when they are lodged in at weird angles like this or is ruining the lure the only option?

Also, if the hook does go through a fishes eye do you guys try to save the eye by cutting off the barb or just do your best to remove it as best you can?  Any help is appreciated.

Bryce

[mrlitetackle]

if its through their eye......

i think you did the best that you could,

cutting the hook, and letting it back through unobstructed is likely the best option.

after all, we are in the sport of hooking them........and most of us releasing them........

it will happen from time to time that we hurt them more than usual.....its just part of the game, we dont want it to happen, but it does

i feel you took the best option, IMO.

[Crestliner2008]

Try crimping down the barbs on your hooks. They're not needed, if you know how to play a fish properly. The only hooks I leave the barbs on now are my drop shot hooks. All my cranks, spoons, blade baits, jigs and circle hooks have no barbs any more. Rarely do I lose a fish. And so what if I do? I'm a CPR fisherman anyway.

If you are concerned about hurting the fish, this is the only really practical approach.

[skillet]

 Did the best with a bad situation. It does happen...

skillet

[Raul]

When fishing with Tru Turn worm hooks that happened a lot to me, a huge percentage of the fish I caught were hooked in the mouth but the hook point exited through the eye socket  >.

[Uncle Leo]

Must be them Mexican Bass Raul, I swear the last time I fished there 75% of the bass were hooked in the eye. I went to a 6/0 hook and still the same problem. I guess they are loco.

[Bryce C]

Thanks for the input guys, this doesn't happen very often, but always sucks when it does.  The creek I'm fishing is pretty small so I try to put as little stress on the fish I do catch out of it so they will be there next year for me.  I may remove the barbs from the one kind of jig that is usually to blame and try that out Crestliner.  Thanks.

[hookset]

When you said weird places I thought... Oh

[Sharpie]

I have that happen to me on more than one occasion. What I do is to stick my index finger on the lowest part of the hook I can, inside the fish mouth. It is kinda like using a pry bar or some sort of leverage point. I could draw a pic if you are confused.

[Bryce C]

I have that happen to me on more than one occasion. What I do is to stick my index finger on the lowest part of the hook I can, inside the fish mouth. It is kinda like using a pry bar or some sort of leverage point. I could draw a pic if you are confused.

I know what you mean, haha!  Tried that didn't work at all.....sometimes it has though.

[D4u2s0t]

When fishing with Tru Turn worm hooks that happened a lot to me, a huge percentage of the fish I caught were hooked in the mouth but the hook point exited through the eye socket >.

Me too.  When I use my 4/0 hook, that seems to be the perfect size to go right through the dinks socket.  Never had it pierce the eye, and never had a problem getting the hook out.  But still never pleasant.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

:-[ :(Has anyone heard a rule of thumb as to when you're better off just cutting the fish loose? I got a nice smallmouth the other day that got all three trebles, one in his chin and one in each gill plate. I finally got him free but it took so long he almost suffocated.

[looking4structure]

That had happend to me a few time.First i try smashing the barb down with pliers and if that doesn't work I'll cut the hook off between the barb and hook eye and the hook will slide out with ease.

[dauberangler]

Try crimping down the barbs on your hooks. They're not needed, if you know how to play a fish properly. The only hooks I leave the barbs on now are my drop shot hooks. All my cranks, spoons, blade baits, jigs and circle hooks have no barbs any more. Rarely do I lose a fish. And so what if I do? I'm a CPR fisherman anyway.

If you are concerned about hurting the fish, this is the only really practical approach.

Well said sir , i on the other hand also was wondering to do you when a fish gets hooked in the back of the throat?   Iv seen pics of fish swallowing a whole crank bait and have no idea what i would if that ever happened.

[christopherjake]

I belive you did the right thing.  Unfortunately these things happen.  

[.dsaavedra.]

i one time hooked a little 5" bass right in between the eyes, like smack in between them. the hook went right through the fish's brain. i just pulled it out like i normally would and threw the fish back.

it floated on its belly and was swimming in 2 foot circles on the top of the water for about 5 min. my dad and i were watching this when a nice 4+ pound bass came and just ate it. it was really cool to see! glad the fish didn't go to waste, although turtles would likely eat it after it died.

[jcrazy]

I am not sure what happened but today I was fishing a river with a jig on the bottom and I felt something so I set the hook and reeled the fish in and noticed it was a 8" catfish!  Hooked in the bottom middle of his body.  Took the hook out with no damage and he darted into the water and swam perfectly fine away.  First time that's ever happened.  Anybody have any other stories like this?  I guess it had to be right place at the right time because this doesn't sound too normal.  I was hoping there would have been a smallmouth on there.

[timothy_spain]

Do the best you can to remove it.  If not, it's dinner for the other fishes or yourself.  

[kms399]

I had a 35" or so musky swim into my line, I am not kidding I have a witness! this fish was swimming with its head out of the water and right into my line. once it did the fish went nuts and I could feel my line wrapping around the fish. I started reeling in and I actually got the fish next to the boat and I could see my 3/0 gammie, with fluke still attached, hooked into that second set of fins on the bottom. I didn't get the fish in the boat but it actually made 2 good runs before the hook popped off.

[Big Bait Fishing]

funny , i hook alot of blue gill thru the eye socket . ticks me off > i don't like to hurt them , but i don't care about trout and catfish since i eat them ( keep em' ) but bass and blue gill , wich i fish for sport , i hate to have them injured by errant hook penetrations . i know it's part of fishing , but i love to release them unharmed .....

[BassShephard]

Same here I hate hooking them in the eye, gills and the vein in there mouth. Just the other day I was trying to catch some blue gill and hooked the only 2 I caught in the eye, I ended up cutting the hooks out. I also manage to snag a lot of bluegill right in the back, very rare does it happen to a bass but this summer I actually got one right in the stomach it didn't kill him least not while I was there. Oh and I manage to always hook myself nearly always have sore thumbs, fingers and hands lol.

[Crestliner2008]

How's this for a foul hook!