How do I remove a hook a bass has swallowed?

[MN Fisher]

43 minutes ago, Hammer 4 said:

I always keep some 7up, or sprite with me, just for that purpose.

I'm still wary about using soda to stop fish bleeding.

 

Yes, it stops the bleeding in the gills, by constricting the blood vessels there. Think about putting a clamp on the blood vessels that flow through your lungs - you'll be short of breath as your body isn't taking in the normal amount of oxygen. That's what happens when you constrict the blood vessels in a fishes gills - it's now short of 'breath' for how ever long the effect lasts.

 

Personally - I'm staying clear of the soda treatment.

[Hammer 4]

4 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

I'm still wary about using soda to stop fish bleeding.

 

Yes, it stops the bleeding in the gills, by constricting the blood vessels there. Think about putting a clamp on the blood vessels that flow through your lungs - you'll be short of breath as your body isn't taking in the normal amount of oxygen. That's what happens when you constrict the blood vessels in a fishes gills - it's now short of 'breath' for how ever long the effect lasts.

 

Personally - I'm staying clear of the soda treatment.

There's always that possibility. What do in addition to the soda, is I keep the fish by the tail, and move it back and forth, for a good 2 mins, which hopefully is enough time for the fish to recoup. I've only need to do this once. Hopefully that 4 lb bass lived to fight another day. 

[J Francho]

13 hours ago, kayaking_kev said:

A biologist has been performing a study about using mt. dew on bleeding fish for awhile and he is pretty convinced that it saves fish.

 

https://www.facebook.com/pg/Save-a-Million-Fish-752045115140863/posts/

Let's end this myth, and practice once and for all.  Some dude with a FB account does not a study make.

 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/223207-bleeding-fish/?tab=comments#comment-2520588

8 hours ago, Hammer 4 said:

I keep the fish by the tail, and move it back and forth, for a good 2 mins, which hopefully is enough time for the fish to recoup.

Search this on google, as it's also considered harmful.  Just hold the fish in the water, letting it breathe as normal until you feel it regain buoyancy and "stiffen up" it's muscles.  Moving it can actually prevent normal breathing, and not allow the lactic acid in the muscles shed via the blood stream.  Been doing this for over a decade with very good results.

[galyonj]

6 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Search this on google, as it's also considered harmful.  Just hold the fish in the water, letting it breathe as normal until you feel it regain buoyancy and "stiffen up" it's muscles.  Moving it can actually prevent normal breathing, and not allow the lactic acid in the muscles shed via the blood stream.  Been doing this for over a decade with very good results.

Interesting. My usual practice is, if I can, keep them lipped and kind of gently move them forward, then at the end of my arm's extension, I let them go.

[J Francho]

It's probably not hurting a bass, but it's definitely not helping.  I mean, look at all the pros that drop them in the water without a second thought!  With Esox, it's a different, more serious story.  They build up lactic acid to the point of paralysis.

[kayaking_kev]

2 hours ago, J Francho said:

Let's end this myth, and practice once and for all.  Some dude with a FB account does not a study make.

 

It's not just some dude with a FB account! It's a Carleton University Biologist that has actually launched the first scientific study on the subject. A Canada Research Chair in environmental science and biology, along with multiple other people assisting him. 

 

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/do-the-dew-for-a-bleeding-fish-an-ottawa-biologist-investigates-the-healing-power-of-pop?fbclid=IwAR0NdiIQV8QHLSG-_91mgGXprDGAN9yMyKGywBb_h8kkw05TtyaABf6SRhg

 

Maybe it works, maybe it is bad for them in the long term, but so far there is no evidence to say either way and I'm just interested in finding out the truth. We know it stops bleeding and has saved fish, and all we have against it is a couple scientists saying they have a “difficult time believing this works, and isn’t actually harmful to the fish.” Sorry, but that doesn't exactly convince me.

 

The river I normally fish in gets it flow from agriculture runoffs and all the chemicals that comes with it. It's so bad, you are only allowed to eat one fish out of it per month and I wouldn't even do that or else I would just take the fish home and eat it. And, it's loaded with fish and they seem to do well year after year. I've only used mt dew a few times on fish that had a good chance of dying. If their just bleeding a little, I just get them back in the water as quick as possible. But, I have a hard time believing that after swimming in as dirty water as they do, filled with all kinds of chemicals, that a little bit of mt. dew is going to hurt them. But, then again, I'm not a scientist and that's why I keep an eye on the subject for actual evidence one way or another. 

 

I will error on the side on caution for now and skip doing the mt.dew thing just to be safe until more science is done on the subject. In the meantime, can someone link me to the Catch n Release product to use instead.

[J Francho]

Meh.  Pouring soda into a bass's mouth is akin to giving a human pure ammonia gas.  Might wake them up, but it's poison.  Why bother, when plain old water  (the water they live in) works fine?  I don't get it.

[galyonj]

4 hours ago, J Francho said:

It's probably not hurting a bass, but it's definitely not helping.  I mean, look at all the pros that drop them in the water without a second thought!  With Esox, it's a different, more serious story.  They build up lactic acid to the point of paralysis.

Totally. Like I said, I do that when I can, I guess I feel like it's the polite thing to do or whatever. If I'm not right at the water, though, I'll just chuck it back in.

[MacJig]

Wow, an interesting and useful topic -- i just read an article today (which at least looked like a reputable authorship) that said if unable to remove the hook then cut the line and leave the hook in the fish -- the point of the article was that there is some biological process in fish whereby the healing process around the hook entry point actually cause the hook to fall out -- i neither credit nor discredit that point -- i only mention it as an obvious truth that everyone has an opinion here -- I just today ordered some solid hook cutters and will have them with me if I ever need them -- i appreciate the article on how to safely remove the hook -- but when I got to the "push and pull" part, it all seemed like telling me to do opposites at the same time -- kind of like saying ... you must do "right and left" , "up and down" , "north and south" and all at the same time -- what? -- I mean maybe with practice you get better -- but with a fish out of the water and as a rookie trying to follow these "simple" processes -- well, it reads simple -- just not sure how doing it (especially the first time) is all that simple. 

[Glenn]

39 minutes ago, MacJig said:

the point of the article was that there is some biological process in fish whereby the healing process around the hook entry point actually cause the hook to fall out

Sad to see that old wive's tale still being told.

40 minutes ago, MacJig said:

just not sure how doing it

It may take a little practice, but it can be done in about 20-30 seconds once you learn it.

 

I showed this technique to Hank Parker when I was fishing with him, and he honestly didn't know about it. He was floored at how fast and simple it was...and that it worked!

 

[MacJig]

24 minutes ago, Glenn said:

Sad to see that old wive's tale still being told.

It may take a little practice, but it can be done in about 20-30 seconds once you learn it.

 

I showed this technique to Hank Parker when I was fishing with him, and he honestly didn't know about it. He was floored at how fast and simple it was...and that it worked!

 

Hey, thanks for the reply -- i did find the article and it was from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Not sure how old the article is but the process the author flagged was called "encapsulation" whereby the fish "...are capable of rejecting, expelling or encapsulating hooks." Bass were not mentioned specifically by name so  i can't comment on the relevancy of such to bass in general. But the argument was made that at times it is best to cut the line/leader at the hook and leave the hook in the fishes mouth. 

 

[J Francho]

That "encapsulation" can involve significant swelling in the area, which can impede feeding, causing starvation.

[ATA]

On 9/29/2005 at 7:59 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.

So if you cant get to the hook from under the gills, just cut the line and let it go, stomach acid will do the job, thats what I would do.

[J Francho]

Just now, ATA said:

So if you cant get to the hook from under the gills, just cut the line and let it go, stomach acid will do the job, thats what I would do.

Interesting theory, how does the stomach acid do anything outside of the stomach?  Please read the rest of this thread.  You are wrong.  Remove the hook.

[ATA]

2 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Interesting theory, how does the stomach acid do anything outside of the stomach?  Please read the rest of this thread.  You are wrong.  Remove the hook.

I meant if there is no way to remove the hook, and in that case I think hook is way down there, going to read it again.

[J Francho]

There really is NEVER no way to remove the hook.  This thread explains how.

[MN Fisher]

42 minutes ago, ATA said:

I meant if there is no way to remove the hook, and in that case I think hook is way down there, going to read it again.

 

25 minutes ago, J Francho said:

There really is NEVER no way to remove the hook.  This thread explains how.

If the hook is deep - just need the right tool.

 

This is what I use for deep hooks.