Helping deeply hooked fish survive; this might help you too

[Chuck D]

Guys, just a little FYI in case you run in to this problem. I have been catching my share of bass lately on soft plastics rigged wacky style with small size 1 or 2 straight shank or wide gap finesse hooks and when the bite is really on like it is now find myself dealing with some deeply hooked fish. I'm pretty good at setting the hook at the right time and hooking them in the jaw but this happens to us all and right now they are just inhaling these baits really fast and by the time of the hookset, they are already nearly swallowed.

I had one yesterday that was really bad, she had bit a 7" TX rigged worm on a 2/0 straight shank hook and darn near swallowed the whole thing. I'm thinking I'm really glad I bought and brought long nosed wire cutters (not needle nose pliers) but actually wire/hook cutters for this purpose with me.

I reached in with the cutters, cut the hook in to two pieces as there was NO getting it out any other way. Backed the eyelet and shank out along with the worm and then went back in with the needle nose pliers and simply pulled the barb end on around and out with no damage to the tissue in the mouth of the fish/gullet.

I'm convinced this fish would have died had I tried to get that hook out any other way and I don't think that cutting the line and leaving the hook in there improves their chances that much although it's better than trying to extract it forcefully.

The $10 I spent on these hook cutters was worth it all day as I released that fish and she swam back to where she came from slightly sore I'm sure but fully capable of surviving and reproducing as well as giving me another good fight again on another day.

Get some for when you have deep hooking issues. The pair I have are a crimper/cutter combo and can cut a 6/0 hook in a second if need be. I got mine at Bass Pro but any place that sells tools shold have them as they are not unique to fishing. Yeah you lose a hook but who cares, you save a fish.

You can get a hook out too as I understand by using the technique of reaching up though the gills and turning the hook upside down and pushing it out that way. I've not tried it but hear it works well. This approach was a lot faster and the learning curve is zero unlike the other technique which may take some practice. I'd rather not have the angler experimenting on me and my gullet if I were the deeply hooked fish.

I got mine at Bass Pro Shops. Here is the link to them. If it goes bad for some reason or BPS renames that page just go on thier site and search for "crimpers"

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/...sults


Here's what they look like if you wanted to see them:

[lunker hunter]

Sometimes, the best solution is a nice big pan of hot oil. I don't keep bass unless I damage a gill enough to make it bleed or get a hook embedded so deep that I don't want to mess with going after it. but I do commend your efforts. :)

[Fish Loco]

I bough some pliers similar to them to cut the barb off I have not gut hooked a fish in a long time, so I have not used them.

On a side note if you hook one in the tongue, you might as well put him in some hot oil he will never live.

[21XDC]

Good Post... I have been looking at getting this one>>> http://www.staminainc.com/tool....html Fit in your pocket etc.

[artiea]

I have the one you are lookin at 21xdc-I can assure you they have cut right thru anything I have tried them on with little effort

[dpage70]

Here's what I use http://dbarb.com/ Best product I've ever seen for this purpose.

[motomania]

I've also been looking at the dbarbs, I like the longer neck they have to actually get down further into/towards the gullet if needed.

[Oldgeezer]

I have the Dbarb also-excellent tool. Suggestion though. If you are spending a lot of time pre-fishing(good idea) you might want to crimp the barb. You minimize the possibility of "gut hooked" fish and make the release of hooks from the fish that much easier. JMHO though.

[bassboy]

love that d-barb. I may consider gettin' me one!

[bperdue21]

here is some reading for you. looked it up searching for tongue hooked bass. somehow it didnt seem right that they would die. pretty good and surprising info on the site.

http://www.bassdozer.com/artic...shtml