When fish "swallow" hooks

[billy8878]

Was just wondering what you guys do when you "gut hook" a fish. Do you cut the line leaving the hook inside, I hear the hook dissolves but was wondering the time frame and if thier were any studies on this.

Or do you just get the bait out because the survival rates are slim. I was fishing tube jigs this past weekend and let a nice bass take the bait "gut hooking" it. I cut the line hoping that she would fight again but have found nothing as to if this method actually works.

[McCarter]

if i can get the bait off the hook without doing too much damage, i try to do that.  especially with tubes.  but tubes are probably one of the hardest baits to get off without doing more damage to the fishes throat becuase they are so tough and dont tear as easily as other soft plastics.  i bought a pair of cutters 5 or 6 years ago that were perfect size to get in to a smallies mouth and they worked good for about 5 uses but then the edges got beat up and they wouldnt cut good anymore.  there are in my garage somewhere collecting dust.  either way, i think a fish has more of a chance with just the hook and not the bait and hook stuck in its throat.  do what you can.  no one likes to kill a fish, but it happens.  get what you can out, and i have read if you splash a little mt dew down there throat it will stop the bleeding.  havnt tried it but you might give it a shot and let us know.

McCarter himself

[Dan]

I bought a tool,  http://www.dbarb.com/ it's a pliers like and you can go straight down the shank of the hook  with it and cut the hook without having to get at it from  the side. It also has a magnet  in it that  the piece of free hook sticks to so you don't drop it down the gullet. You then  can back the hook out very easily. I'm not a believer in the hook rotting out.  Caught a bass one year that had a small ice  fishing hook halfway out of it's anus and it was well in to June and the hook showed no sign of rust or decomposition.

[MBell]

Had a fish up at Saginaw this spring that totally swallowed a 4" tube with a 1/2oz foot ball inside.  You couldn't even see the tube, so I cut the line and didn't mess with it.  At the weigh-in I put the fish in the bag and was suprised to find the tube sitting on the bottom of the livewell.  I don't think the hooks disolve but they do work themselves free.   
-Matt

[Cy]

I always have side cutters in the boat.  I have used them on fish and on myself in the past.  I try to get hook out if I can, either by cutting it in half and working it out or at least cut as much of the hook off as I can.  I believe a giving up a little fishing time to try and save the life of that fish.

I agree with Dan, hooks don't dissolve at all.  I caught and weighted a small mouth with a 4/0 Gami hanging most of the way out of it's butt.  That means that fish managed almost past that hook and it was in perfect condition.

One more story.  I had a smallie this spring completely inhale a popper.  The treble was in the gills and in the throat.  I cut the split ring to get the hook and that stupid fish complete swallowed the treble hook.  There was nothing I could do but release it with that hook in there.  Hopefully it spit it out later and survived.

Cy

[motocross269]

Try this...
http://www.walleyesunlimitedusa.org/documents/hook_removal_technique.pdf

[djkimmel]

Try this...
http://www.walleyesunlimitedusa.org/documents/hook_removal_technique.pdf

That's the removal method I use when I can - the first I ever heard of it was from Ohio Lake Erie bass pro Jeff Snyder. It can work with many single hooks.

I always carry wire cutters. Have used them many times. Sunday at Lake Ovid on a musky for example. And have sometimes loaned them out to unfortunate anglers too

If I can't get a hook or lure out, I cut the line leaving about 6 inches sticking out of the mouth of the bass. For some reason, this seems to lead to more successful ejection of the lure more often. I don't know why, but it was actually studied and shown to work better. So I do it.

Always try to keep my fish alive and release them back in as best shape I can. Except for gobies. Gobies have to die. You're not supposed to put them back. In Michigan, you can't release a live goby back into the water.

[motocross269]

Deep fried Goby...YUMMMM!!!

[djkimmel]

Uhh... I've never actually tried to eat one. But I've fed a few seagulls, turtles and crayfish!!

[motocross269]

Uhh... I've never actually tried to eat one. But I've fed a few seagulls, turtles and crayfish!!

My daddy used to always say "You kill it you eat it"....       I don't think he would make me eat a Goby though.................

[djkimmel]

Mine too... Had to eat a sparrow that I shot with a BB gun once. But I draw the line at gobies!!