How do I remove a hook a bass has swallowed?

[boostr]

Even with pictures, I'm a little slow. Maybe I need a video instead....this is the part I have trouble with:

".....push and pull down on the hookeye so the hook turns and . . ..rolls out below the gill toward the side of the fish"

I have been successful, but felt like it was accidental...for some reason, it never is clear in my memory when I have the fish in hand.

That's the part I don't get either.

[So. Cal. Lunker Hunter]

Nets are for girls

[JG233]

I've trouble with that method too. I'm not sure what I do wrong. 

[hawgenvy]

By far the best instrument to remove a swallowed hook from a bass throat is a Finochietto 10+ inch surgical needle holder. Second choice is a Heaney 10+ inch surgical needle holder. These are surgical instruments specifically designed to drive large curved suture needles in the depths of deep holes, such as in the pelvis or at the far end of the vaginal canal. They are very powerful instruments and can actually lock firmly onto a large curved hook such as a 4-0 EWG. Furthermore, the tip is angled so the hook can be extracted almost in line with the length of the instrument, which is key. The angle also allows for improved visibility, because your fingers or the length of the instrument doesn't block the view as much. These can be expensive but can usually be obtained cheaply on Ebay or second-hand (as opposed to the best quality new ones, which are well over $100).

 

I am a surgeon so I am trained and practiced in the use of these tools, but they are simple to use (on a fish). Due to the compact, powerful, curved tip they are also the ideal instrument to sneak in thru the gill slits to extract a hook that way. Once the instrument is locked on the hook, rotate the instrument to extract the hook along its curvature to reduce tissue damage. 

 

I ALWAYS carry a long Finochietto or a Heaney with me when fishing, but I keep it on a retractable line secured to one of the finger holes so I don't lose it over the side. Did lose one of these last year.

[MIbassyaker]

On 12/16/2015 at 10:17 PM, hawgenvy said:

By far the best instrument to remove a swallowed hook from a bass throat is a Finochietto 10+ inch surgical needle holder. Second choice is a Heaney 10+ inch surgical needle holder. These are surgical instruments specifically designed to drive large curved suture needles in the depths of deep holes, such as in the pelvis or at the far end of the vaginal canal. They are very powerful instruments and can actually lock firmly onto a large curved hook such as a 4-0 EWG. Furthermore, the tip is angled so the hook can be extracted almost in line with the length of the instrument, which is key. The angle also allows for improved visibility, because your fingers or the length of the instrument doesn't block the view as much. These can be expensive but can usually be obtained cheaply on Ebay or second-hand (as opposed to the best quality new ones, which are well over $100).

 

I am a surgeon so I am trained and practiced in the use of these tools, but they are simple to use (on a fish). Due to the compact, powerful, curved tip they are also the ideal instrument to sneak in thru the gill slits to extract a hook that way. Once the instrument is locked on the hook, rotate the instrument to extract the hook along its curvature to reduce tissue damage. 

 

I ALWAYS carry a long Finochietto or a Heaney with me when fishing, but I keep it on a retractable line secured to one of the finger holes so I don't lose it over the side. Did lose one of these last year.

 

OK, I now have a mental image of the following scene, in which you sneak surgical tools out of the hospital to use on fish:

"Ah, this one will be perfect for removing a deep-hooked 4/0 EWG!"

"What's that, doctor?"

"Erm, nothing, never mind..."

(discreetly pockets the Finochietto 10+ inch surgical needle holder)

"Hmm...now where did I put that? Could have sworn I had it a moment ago....can you get another for me? Thanks."

[hawgenvy]

42 minutes ago, MIbassyaker said:

 

OK, I now have a mental image of the following scene, in which you sneak surgical tools out of the hospital to use on fish:

"Ah, this one will be perfect for removing a deep-hooked 4/0 EWG!"

"What's that, doctor?"

"Erm, nothing, never mind..."

(discreetly pockets the Finochietto 10+ inch surgical needle holder)

"Hmm...now where did I put that? Could have sworn I had it a moment ago....can you get another for me? Thanks."

That's a convincing scenario. In my case I got a little help from my friend S. in purchasing. She agreed that one of the hospital's existing models was a bit scratched and maybe warped a tad. "Sure, go ahead and take the old one," she said. Easy, right. But when I lost that one, S was a bit less effective in recruiting a new clamp. S. became hard to find. I ended up buying one on Ebay but they sent the wrong thing (a d**n Kocher). I went back to S. with some chocolates, down on my knees, and she eventually came thru. Love you S. -- tough love. I grovelled for you, S. because you have the power. And you threw me a bone.

[BaitMonkey1984]

On September 29, 2005 at 11:39 AM, p-funk said:

I net anything I think is of good size.  I'd hate to lose a  big hawg because of a line break or trying to lip it when I could net it.  It's pretty easy to net and hold the rod at the same time.

I have had many fish spit the hook at the side of the boat or the moment I get it in the net. Add onto that, the number of fish that you land without issue and then when you go to remove the hook, it pops free with little effort. Up here a good fish is albs, a great fish is 5lbs+. If it is over 3, i get the net, no exception. I keep my net hooked up to the seat on the rear deck via bungee and a carabiner. It is always right there, only one carabiner clip away from use. I don't stow it away because I wouldn't use it as much if it wasn't so easy to use. 

[Neil McCauley]

On 12/15/2015 at 10:17 PM, hawgenvy said:

By far the best instrument to remove a swallowed hook from a bass throat is a Finochietto 10+ inch surgical needle holder. Second choice is a Heaney 10+ inch surgical needle holder. These are surgical instruments specifically designed to drive large curved suture needles in the depths of deep holes, such as in the pelvis or at the far end of the vaginal canal. They are very powerful instruments and can actually lock firmly onto a large curved hook such as a 4-0 EWG. Furthermore, the tip is angled so the hook can be extracted almost in line with the length of the instrument, which is key. The angle also allows for improved visibility, because your fingers or the length of the instrument doesn't block the view as much. These can be expensive but can usually be obtained cheaply on Ebay or second-hand (as opposed to the best quality new ones, which are well over $100).

 

I am a surgeon so I am trained and practiced in the use of these tools, but they are simple to use (on a fish). Due to the compact, powerful, curved tip they are also the ideal instrument to sneak in thru the gill slits to extract a hook that way. Once the instrument is locked on the hook, rotate the instrument to extract the hook along its curvature to reduce tissue damage. 

 

I ALWAYS carry a long Finochietto or a Heaney with me when fishing, but I keep it on a retractable line secured to one of the finger holes so I don't lose it over the side. Did lose one of these last year.

For cutting deep hooks, seems like some of the ortho surgery instruments could be helpful, like the Ruskin-Liston bone cutters below. Anything better you could think of?


 

[J Francho]

I just use a pair of linesman pliers.

[hawgenvy]

2 hours ago, Neil McCauley said:

For cutting deep hooks, seems like some of the ortho surgery instruments could be helpful, like the Ruskin-Liston bone cutters below. Anything better you could think of?


 

I can think of a lot better ways to spend $500

 

[Andrew Shelton]

After having several take strong strikes and the hook being swallowed I figured out if you cut your line and use players to grab by the barb and pull out from that comes out smoothie and haven't had a problem.

[MRBAMA57]

great thread. Lots of good info on how to remove a hook in the gullet.

[NCbassraider]

This is good advice.  I cringe when I hear people say they leave the hook in.  You've killed the fish if you do that.  They don't digest them and they wont rust out, they simply block the esophagus and kill the fish.

 

The picture above is a pretty bad scenario where the barb is not exposed.  Most cases are easy to remove.  What i find disturbing is most people want to save their hook at the expense of the fish.  The barb is the obstacle in a gut hooked fish so if the barb is exposed, simply crush it with a pair of needle nose pliers and back the hook out after cutting the line and removing the soft plastic.

 

If it is not exposed try to push it thru in the same direction it was swallowed, then crush the barb, cut the line, remove the bait and back it out.

 

Other wise follow the above advice and cut the line, remove the bait, rotate the hook thru the mouth or gill and back it out eyelet first.  The esophagus is capable of handling hook punctures as it endures occasional spine punctures from prey, however it cannot survive a barb being ripped out in reverse or a hook being left in.

 

You will be surprised how easily you can do these simple procedures.

 

 

[S. Sass]

On 2/12/2016 at 11:55 PM, hawgenvy said:

That's a convincing scenario. In my case I got a little help from my friend S. in purchasing. She agreed that one of the hospital's existing models was a bit scratched and maybe warped a tad. "Sure, go ahead and take the old one," she said. Easy, right. But when I lost that one, S was a bit less effective in recruiting a new clamp. S. became hard to find. I ended up buying one on Ebay but they sent the wrong thing (a d**n Kocher). I went back to S. with some chocolates, down on my knees, and she eventually came thru. Love you S. -- tough love. I grovelled for you, S. because you have the power. And you threw me a bone.

So that is why my aspirin was $100.00 Had they just said buy the Doc a Finochietto 10+ inch surgical needle holder so he can safely remove hooks from gut hooked fish I would have been much more understanding. 

 

 

[Dmacster1]

On 9/29/2005 at 10:59 AM, hipster_dufus said:

i was fishing at cewc, lake bennett, when i hooked a monster, fought him to the boat and went to take him in and the line snapped at the boat. i screamed in agony. this one was bigger than my previous 9# personal best. i cannot stop thinking about it. so the question is does anyone use a net, and can u reccomend one? i hooked this one not 50 feet from where i caught my 9 lber. i had a friend in the boat and this was his first time ever fishing, he saw what it was all about. strike king bleeding bait crank, w/ 14# test, god i cant stop thinking about it.

I fish from a kayak all summer long and I use a net no matter what mainly to protect myself from getting hooked. But I keep one of those little black floaty nets that you can get at walmart for 6 bucks that fits right between my legs. Used that to complete the catch of my 9.8 pb that I caught this summer. It's all about how you play the fish, even though I was only using 12lb monofilament its its worth it to use the net for extra reach so you don't have to put as much flex in the rod or stress on the line.

[RoLo]

 

"How Do You Remove A Swallowed Hook?"

 

In my opinion you don't.

When major surgery is performed afield by a pretend surgeon, high success ratios are illusory.

The impatient angler will make lethal incisions out of haste, and the angler with poor manual dexterity

will do the same. A fish that swims away from your boat is by no means indicative of a survivor,

because delayed mortality is invisible.

 

The greatest healer on planet Earth is Mother Nature (literally the only healer).

Instead, carry a pair of long-handled diagonal cutters and snip both ends of the hook-shank

nearest to the flesh as possible. Then surrender the task of survival to Mother Mother,

and the consequences thereafter are out of your hands (You've done your level best).

 

Roger

 

 

 

 

 

[OCdockskipper]

The method for removing gut hooked bass per the diagram above works amazingly well.  It doesn't take much time to flip the hook around and then pop it up out of their mouth, so they aren't out of the water that long.  Once you do it, you get a feel for it real quick.

 

I caught a bass this past weekend hooked in a way I had never seen before.  He hit a Tiny Torpedo & when I got him to the boat, I found that the lure was outside his mouth under his jaw.  The rear treble hook was completely in his mouth, all 3 hooks in the mouth near the tongue (pointed down).  I have no idea how this fish hooked himself this way and even less guesses as to how I could have removed the hook intact, so I just snipped each hook loose (destroying the treble) and pulled it down through his jaw in order to release him.

[RCRFish]

As my first post here I can say that all the methods mention are excellent suggestions and thanks for the illustrations.

 

Most of all my "gut" hooked bass come from some sort of rubber/plastic worm fishing technics. I have found that as a sport fisherman, "catch & release" alive is my standard. To do this consistently I only use "no-barb" hooks on my worm baits. Starting out with a "no-barb" makes life easier for the fish to survive and for me to be a "happy bass fisherman"

[Bass_Fishing_Socal]

I just got two gutted hook fish on my last two kayak trips. First time I tried this method and end up some how damage the fish gill. Second time I take no chance but cutting the line and let fish go with hook in(my Fluke half was in his tummy already. I use 3/0 owner twisted hook. I hardly get this happen when I bank or boat fish but the kayak keep moving so I can't really feel fish bite.

do you this this took really work for gutted hook? I think I have this from long time ago.

[NHBull]

Wire cutters and 1 try through the gills....no joy, let it swim.

 

Eagles need to eat too

[Boomstick]

I picked up a Ranger 9930 because it's large enough for catfish and muskies and wasn't to expensive. I also usually shore fish, so most of the time I can just pull the fish out.

 

 

On 9/29/2005 at 11:53 AM, Hillbilly_Hooker said:

RW or others,

Are the rubber nets the WalMart carries as good a quality as any others?

 

The rubber frabil net I've seen at Walmart doesn't look like it's a horrible cheaper option for smaller fish, should be decent for bass. At least it's cheap enough if not. The only reason I didn't try it out is because I will be fishing with a boat in Canada for a week this summer where I can land muskies.

[Pro Logcatcher]

I always use a rubber net during tournaments.

[Rollincoal420]

Had to use this the other day,  and once I was able to figure out how to roll the eye of the hook into the gill,  the hook came out almost text book.   Altho I was alittle uncomfortable starting at something that looks like a butthole.  

[Bulletman20XD]

Most replies here are in regards to the health of the fish, of which I agree. We as anglers must do all we can to protect our sport and the fish. BUT no one has mentioned our safety when landing fish. Using a net is a much safer way to land fish. Many people end up with hooks in our hands, and fingers as well as other parts of the body trying to land a fish by hand. Keep in mind that we have tension on the line headed straight for us when leaning over to land the fish. If the hook is thrown it's coming your way. The picture attached is of what happens when a 5 pounder spits a spinnerbait in you face. I at first thought the hook got my eye but luckily it didn't. After clearing the tears and the pain subsided I threw the spinnerbait back into the same spot and caught another at 4 pounds. I was a Judge for the Bassmasters TTBC on Sam Rayburn back in May and saw the pain in Jason Christie's face when he ran a hook through the palm of his hand. Some of you may have seen the video. I standing about 20 feet away when it was filmed. Another event I witnessed years ago was a friend fishing with me ended up with a 1/2 oz jig stuck right between his eyes when a fish spit it back at him. Another friend got a crankbait spit at him on Old Hickory. 2 treble hooks stuck in his left cheek of his face. You can't help but laugh when your back-seater is looking at you with a jig/crankbait hanging off his face but the pain is still real and can cause a permanent injury!

 

 

 

[Glenn]

Ask and ye shall receive...