How do you unhook a deep hooked bass ?

[splashhopper]

I had a largie take one of My Scum Frog's real deep.

 

I didn't realize that i had him until I started to bring in the slack from what I thought was a miss by the bass. I had been missing them all day Saturday and was really concentrating on trying to "feel" the strike on Sunday vs "seeing" the explosion on the top water frogs.

 

The hook was down past the gills into a piece of soft tissue that just wouldn't let the hook out.

 

When i tried to push it back down to see if it would release, it just got hooked even deeper.

 

I ended up leaving the hook in him but can't stop thinking that the poor bugger is living( maybe ) with that piece of hardware in his upper gut.

 

Here is a pic of it:

 

So, how do you all unhook a deep hooked fish? ( any species)

 

 

Thanks

 

Splashhopper

Edited August 16, 2010 by splashhopper

[SudburyAngler]

If the fish is massively bleeding, just eat him, but, you have the right mind set in trying to release em', not to sure about un-hooking, but if all else fail cut the shank of the hook as close as possible to the flesh

[Terry]

cut hooks

 

or

release it into a big frying pan of oil

[splashhopper]

cut hooks

 

 

release it into a big frying pan of oil

 

I would need a bolt cutter for the hooks that are in the Scum Frogs

[spincast]

cut the hook, pullout the frog.. Nice fish BTW.

[fish_fishburn]

I have always just cut the line off without pulling on the line and causing more damage. In bass tournaments I have noticed many times that a bass that is hooked deep on a tube and is bleeding it is better to cut the line and leave the tube in the fish even if they are bleeding. Many times at the end of the day all my bass are alive and the tubes are laying in the bottom of my livewell. I'm not sure how they do it but I would of definitely killed them trying to get my tube out of them. They havae a way of turning it around and regurgitating the obstruction out.

[alexcba]

cut hooks. if its just a single hook you could also do a thru the gill removal. look it up online. saved a few bass and a pike this summer with this.

[Guest natron]

Nice large mouth!

 

Yep, I've had this happen plenty, especially when the bass are "breaking baits" in the evening.

 

Either eat or cut the hook as previously mentioned. Hard to tell from the photo, but the fish looks unscathed, which is a good thing

[kyle7273]

Believe it or not those $2 hook extractors have helped me a few times get hooks out that may seem otherwise lost.

I usually release most bass but if I deep hook one that is bleeding from the gills then it usually ends up in the pan or BBQ. I've been told that bleeding gills are mostly likely a mortal injury. One the other hand I've heard that fish have strong enzymes that help corrode hooks so they come out in a few days if they are bit or cut off. I'm not sure if I believe that or not.

[fish_finder]

Go barbless to start with. You'll lose alot less fish than what you think, and every hook removal will be easier. That coupled with hemostats will definitely help get the job done.

[timmeh]

I agree with fishburn, many times i've seen bass regurgitating food while fighting them. If you cut the hook off and remove the rest of the bait they may be able to get rid of it. I personally believe that pulling on the lure and twisting it around will only do more damage.

 

I have gone to barbless hooks for most of my bass fishing this year, especially for soft plastics since they tend to get inhaled more that hard baits, and it's made unhooking fish a lot easier. For deeper hooked fish pushing the hook down as you tried usually works. It's also better for me too, less damage to the fingers when lipping a thrashing fish. It's an option if you're C & R.

 

Beauty fish though. Those big buckets have such big mouths sometimes it's hard to prevent this.

[cram]

One the other hand I've heard that fish have strong enzymes that help corrode hooks so they come out in a few days if they are bit or cut off. I'm not sure if I believe that or not.

 

Pretty sure i saw a recent study that suggested the hooks do not corrode out. Or, it takes a LONG TIME (yrs).

 

That said, if you can cut the hook so that its not obstructing much, the fish apparently seem to do okay.

[John]

I'm of the opinion that anything hooked like that that's in season is destined for the frying pan. I am all for C&R but sometimes the writing is on the wall. You might save the fish by cutting the hooks but as you say you would need a pair of small boltcutters for those hooks.

[smally21]

cut hooks

 

or

release it into a big frying pan of oil

 

 

awesome laughed right out loud.

 

a good post happens to everybody its quite something to watch the pros dig out deep hooks in seconds. im in for the deep hook extractor brought up here, and barbless hooks. i switch alot of trebles over to singles on rapalas to reduce this as well.

[ch312]

in that case you club the fish over the head, bleed it, and throw it on ice.

[4x4bassin]

It's a tough call on this one but a fish that has a hook that big wedged in it's gullet

is pretty much a goner and destined for the frying pan . If it was a smaller hook I

would say cut the hook as close to the flesh as possible and let her go !

I,m sure i'm not the only one here but I have seen more then once a bait hook caught

in the rear of the fish and when you un hook it you have to pull a bit of line out of there

as well thus telling me the fish was able to pass the hook and line all the way through.

I have no idea how they do it but they can , so cut those small hooks off !!!!

[zeeter]

There is a way to remove a single hook from the throat so the bass will survive. You need to pinch the barb and rotate the hook out. You can also cut the line then pull the line and the eye of the hook backwards out of the point of entry. There is also a way to remove it through the gill by pinching the barb and rotating the hook (a little confusing to explain). I looked for an image but haven't been able to find one. This gives you a few options that may work.

[BillsTheBassMan]

One thing you should do is google "Through the Gill Hook Removal." I can't remember the exact website, but there is a great article on it and that is its exact title.

 

I'm like you Ron - when I lose a bass I'm generally not too happy. I've lost two this year (both in the gills on soft plastics) and it's just part of it sometimes.

 

Like Timmeh and Fish Finder, I go barbless 9/10 times. It really does help and it makes life easier on you as well with EASY releases.

[SudburyAngler]

Believe it or not those $2 hook extractors have helped me a few times get hooks out that may seem otherwise lost.

I usually release most bass but if I deep hook one that is bleeding from the gills then it usually ends up in the pan or BBQ. I've been told that bleeding gills are mostly likely a mortal injury. One the other hand I've heard that fish have strong enzymes that help corrode hooks so they come out in a few days if they are bit or cut off. I'm not sure if I believe that or not.

 

No, they don't, there was a lab study on the subject. If they had been effected for a couple million years by hooks they may evolve to produce an enzyme to corrode it

[lakeman]

Afraid with fish that have swallowed deep, from my point of view you only have two real options...frying pan or freezer..!!...lol. just kidding, i think the best way to keep fish alive are with barbless hook,....no trebles..!!..

you only need a single hook to catch big fish..forget about those fishing shows, most are just trying to sell products....from my experience and im an avid fisherman,if i catch a fish and the hook is too deep to take out, i cut the line as close to the fishes lip. ie. cut the line as short to the hook as possible. DO NOT PULL ON THE LINE because if you do this(you may critically kill the fish).

[lakeman]

Sorry to say but your options are limited.....FRYING PAN or FREEZER...

 

NOW TO GET SERIOUS, best way to release fish alive is with a barbless hook or with a SINGLE hook.

If you care about the fish, you should be trying to release them with as little damage as possible,unfortunately the fishing shows on t.v. represent companies and money and want you to buy their products, treble hook fishware can kill fish, more often than not...i am an avid fisherman and believe in most fishing situations a SINGLE hook is enough to catch fish of most/if not all species.

 

My method of trying to release a fish which has swallowed a hook deeply is to cut the line as close to the lips as possible, as you do this,BE CAREFUL NOT TO PUT TENSION/PULL on the line, this way the fish may survive, as for enzymes eating away at hooks quickly im not so sure about that. Ive re-caught fish with one of my hooks in it at a later date and found the hook had rusted a bit was far from being rusted away.....just my two cents worth

[SudburyAngler]

Afraid with fish that have swallowed deep, from my point of view you only have two real options...frying pan or freezer..!!...lol. just kidding, i think the best way to keep fish alive are with barbless hook,....no trebles..!!..

you only need a single hook to catch big fish..forget about those fishing shows, most are just trying to sell products....from my experience and im an avid fisherman,if i catch a fish and the hook is too deep to take out, i cut the line as close to the fishes lip. ie. cut the line as short to the hook as possible. DO NOT PULL ON THE LINE because if you do this(you may critically kill the fish).

 

 

"critically kill the fish" I had to laugh at that one

[BillsTheBassMan]

"critically kill the fish" I had to laugh at that one

 

"He's in critical condition sir"

 

"How critical is it?"

 

"He's dead sir"

[SudburyAngler]

"He's in critical condition sir"

 

"How critical is it?"

 

"He's dead sir"

 

 

HAHA lol

[splashhopper]

Sorry to say but your options are limited.....FRYING PAN or FREEZER...

 

NOW TO GET SERIOUS, best way to release fish alive is with a barbless hook or with a SINGLE hook.

If you care about the fish, you should be trying to release them with as little damage as possible,unfortunately the fishing shows on t.v. represent companies and money and want you to buy their products, treble hook fishware can kill fish, more often than not...i am an avid fisherman and believe in most fishing situations a SINGLE hook is enough to catch fish of most/if not all species.

 

My method of trying to release a fish which has swallowed a hook deeply is to cut the line as close to the lips as possible, as you do this,BE CAREFUL NOT TO PUT TENSION/PULL on the line, this way the fish may survive, as for enzymes eating away at hooks quickly im not so sure about that. Ive re-caught fish with one of my hooks in it at a later date and found the hook had rusted a bit was far from being rusted away.....just my two cents worth

 

Do you know of a single hook weedless frog for THICK vegetation?