this is the second time i have hooked a bass in what looks like its tongue and havent been able to get it out. i cut the line down by the hook because i heard that the exfoliate the hook so to speak. any tips in case this happens again?

Push the hook through, use some pliers to flatten the barb, and just pull the hook out.  I do it all the time when I gut hook the fish...if I can do it quick enough anyway.

If it is a single hook, remove the barb, you don't need it unless you are trying to keep live bait from slipping off.

Just shove her on through and cut the hook.... hooks are cheap, and I do the same when I hook myself .try fishing with 3 kids whipping lines on a boat, you'll get plenty of practice, and it doesn't hurt so bad once you get used to it.

;D ;D ;D ;D

thanks guys flatting the barb sounds easy and so does pushing it through

Just shove her on through and cut the hook.... hooks are cheap, and I do the same when I hook myself .try fishing with 3 kids whipping lines on a boat, you'll get plenty of practice, and it doesn't hurt so bad once you get used to it.

;D ;D ;D ;D

It doesn't feel that good either. My dad did it to me for the first time when I was 9 years old. Only had to do it twice since. p.s. I've only hooked myself once.

OUCH!

;D ;D ;D ;D

Crimp down the barbs on ALL your hooks - except for those you are using for drop shotting. I even crimp down barbs on the trebles on my hard baits.

Yep....you may loose a fish every now and again. So what? You're fishing to have fun. Landing every fish is not a pre-requisite to having a good time. JMO!

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Crimp down the barbs on ALL your hooks - except for those you are using for drop shotting. I even crimp down barbs on the trebles on my hard baits.

Yep....you may loose a fish every now and again. So what? You're fishing to have fun. Landing every fish is not a pre-requisite to having a good time. JMO!

I'm with the barbless clan. I pinch all barbs down before I tie a hook or lure on the line. Another way is to get a gadget called a "De Barb It" it snips the hook off down deep and has magnits to get the pieces of hook out.

There was a little diagram floating aroung the net a little while back that explained what to do if you tongue/gullet hook a fish.  I use it when I make a boo boo and so far as I can tell all the fish have been fine. 

It goes like this:  while lipping the bass looking into its mouth you see that it is deep hooked.  You should be looking straight at the hook from the top(seeing the eye of it closest to you).  Whichever side of the fishes mouth the hook point is closest to reach gently in through that sides gill slit.  Be careful not to damage the gills obviously.  Grab the line above the hook and pull it through the gill slit until the hook turns out and then the eye of the hook is pointing away from you and it is outside the fishes mouth.  You should look into the fishes mouth and see the bend of the hook pointed toward you.  Now simply take some needle nose pliers and grab the bend and pull straight out.  Works everytime!  Hope I explained that correctly.

Thanks McNasty, that's a really great method.  Sounds more complex than it is but here's a link to some illustrations of your technique.

http://www.in-fisherman.com/print/3560

Thanks Tucson, that is precisely what I was referring too.  It works everytime and takes just seconds!