I hooked a good sized bass in my personal lake today. Unfurtunarely it had got hooked through the crushers in the back of its mouth. I'm not sure if that is the proper name but I am talking about the 2 pads that are right above its gullet. I normally don't have a problem unhooking fish but this joker was stuck good. He wasn't bleeding and I couldn't get to the hook through the gills. I've always heard if you can't get a hook out to cut the line and the hook will rust out so that is what I ended up doing. For the future I thought I would ask, is there a way to unhook one that has gotten hooked in a crusher? Will the hook really rust out? 

You did not mention what type of hook you were using Single, Double Or Treble.

Rusting out in freshwater takes a while.

You could mash down the barbs - that would facilitate easy removal.

You could utilize a pair of pliers to assist you with extra hook removal power.

You could even use this ~

That would definitely be pretty good.

A-Jay

 

 

I was using a single EWG trokar hook, it pained to cut it off but it was a better chance of the bass surviving. I tried with pliers but the only way I could have gotten the hook was to tear the crusher pretty bad so I cut it. I'll have to remember about mashing the barb down in case it happens again, thanks a-jay!

 

I keep a pair of long handled diagonal cutters on the boat so i can actually cut the hook itself as close to the flesh as i can if need be.,.. maybe i use it once every 2 years but worth it in my opinion

try using forceps or pliers

trokar hooks are very sharp

circle hooks will less likely gut hook fish

if barb is past flesh/too deep, try pulling it all the way out past the barb

use heavy wire cutters to break the hook.

hope this helps

keep fishing, never stop

 

Hooking a bass in the crushers is common with jigs. Use needle nose pliers, grab the hook by the bend push down.

Tom

There are a bunch of videos on line that show you how to remove gut hooked fish safely.  Although I seldom gut hook bass, it happens once in a while to everyone that fishes frequently.  It is a simple process, and a lot simpler with big fish.   Good video's are available.  One tip, if you see the fish is gut hooked, make sure you net, or lip the fish while in the water.  Don't lift them out using the rod.  This puts all the pressure on the hook, and whatever its hook too.  The videos will explain it a lot better then me trying too.

22 hours ago, geo g said:

There are a bunch of videos on line that show you how to remove gut hooked fish safely.  Although I seldom gut hook bass, it happens once in a while to everyone that fishes frequently.  It is a simple process, and a lot simpler with big fish.   Good video's are available.  One tip, if you see the fish is gut hooked, make sure you net, or lip the fish while in the water.  Don't lift them out using the rod.  This puts all the pressure on the hook, and whatever its hook too.  The videos will explain it a lot better then me trying too.

The crunchers are in the back of the basses mouth not the throat or gut. Crunchers are 2 cartilage patches with teeth used to kill critters like crawdads by squeezing between the tongue and crunchers. Jigs often hook bass in the crunchers and being carriage it's not easier to remove the hook. Needle nose pliers or a tool like Catt posted works good.

Tom