Hey all.....

I went out today with my fishing buddy and had a great day on the water except for one thing. I hooked a nice 2 lb. bass that swallowed the hook. I tried to get it out but after a while, I felt I was doing more damage then good. I cut the line, removed the plastic worm, and released the fish, hook still in. I have heard and read that this is the proper thing to do, but this is the first time I actually had to do it. The bass swam away like everything was fine, but I wonder what the odds are that the will be no problems for the fish in the future. I have heard that the hook eventually "rusts off" but...???

Any comments or views???

ajr

I am not the expert here, but why leave the hook?  Why not cut the hook with wire cutters and only leave the point; which you might be able to remove with needlenose pliers.

Again, not the expert or even close, but some thoughts.

Dr T

Well, I don't know how it goes for bass but my dad has harvested many catfish that, upon cleaning them and opening the stomach to retrieve his own hooks and leaders, have had other hooks within in them.  Many had appeared to have been there for quiet some time, some were whole and some partially rusted off, so it may not be to big of a problem.  Again, this was for channel and flathead catfish, bass may be more sensitive.

I did the best I could with the pliers but the fish was out of the water for such a long time, I was just more worried about getting him back in. I will carry a pair of wire cutters from now on. The hook was WAY DOWN as well.

ajr

Could you see the hook eye? There is a link on here somewhere that explains how to get those out. Maybe a mod or someone else knows where it is. I don't know if this applies to you situation, but its always good to know!

I saved a smallie last week using the through the gill technique shown here. . .

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1128002349/22#22

the above article of the gill removal works like a charm, and don't feel to bad about the hook Ive caught so many healthy bass with hooks in there gut or head area its not even funny. Thanks to that article though every time i do catch a bass with a hook still in him, i remove the hook safety. It makes me feel good

the through the gill thing is good... you can do essentially the same thing through the front of the mouth with a long set of fingers.  if you wedge the tip of your pointer finger in the bend of the hook and push down on the shaft of the hook till it is pointing toward the fishes gut you can pull the hook free.

but as many have said: i have caught lots of fish with hooks in there gut, that had been there a long time, and the fish were doing fine.

They say to leave it in if its way down there, that it will rust out, but i was always skeptical about that.

I know in saltwater you leave them in but thats a little higher of a rust time with the salt and everything.