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Posts: 72
| I caught a fish that completely swallowed a crank bait. The fish was hooked deep inside its mouth, but it wasn't gut hooked. I had a heck of a time managing jaw spreaders, long nose pliers, and bolt cutters by myself. I ended up putting the bolt cutter through the gills and cutting all the split rings, but I couldn't get two of the hooks out.
It'd be easier if I had 3 hands, but I don't. Any tips?
I normally fish alone. |
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Posts: 8788
| barbless hooks would solve that problem. |
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Posts: 1209
| You have the tools, experience helps. Some times it's not good. But odds are still better than catch and release hunting. |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | I have a tool I need to use about every second year. No idea what its called but it consists about a 14 inch 1/8 rod with a T handle on the ens is a small U shaped hook and an inverted U shaped hook( an S on it's side ) which allows you to either push or pull on the bend of a deeply swallowed hook. Personally I seldom use lures smaller than 9 inches and rarely have the problem. You do what you can but it's a fish not your first born.
Edited by horsehunter 9/23/2017 9:03 PM
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Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | Honestly, just do your best. That's all you can do anyway. With all the fish that you and others most likely release safely, one loss probably won't ruin the lake. It's really not worth making a huge deal over one fish. It's probably going to happen to everyone at some point. |
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Posts: 1274
Location: E. Tenn | You did the best you could have.. what a lot of people miss with a deeply swallowed air is going in from the gill plates.. It never ceases to amaze me how easy hook removal can be..
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Posts: 1291
Location: Hayward, Wisconsin | The tool horsehunter is referring to is a "Hook Pik (or Pick)". Has saved a lot of fish for me including a couple of 57 inchers hook deep. Saves the day many a time. I know Thorne Bros. has them. Everyone should have one, especially if throwing a lot of Bulldawgs that often get taken deep! |
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Posts: 1144
Location: Minnesota. | Find a Grabb-it by Leu... I got mine from the only place I found that still had them back a couple seasons now. some place in Canada I believe.
https://www.muskyshop.com/tools-measuring/grabb-it-hook-holder/
They might be more avail. now, not sure.
Given this, you did all you could by going in and snipping the hooks thru the gills. I also only fish barbless in everything but walleyes and that's just so the leeches don't swim away!! |
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Posts: 841
Location: Southwest PA | That hook pik also goes super smooth with barbless hooks. It does get taken away with the wash though which makes unhooking sharks nervewrecking if you set it down and the wash takes it away... Don't think that problem happens muskie fishing though so it's worth carrying and you can even make your own if you're handy! |
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Posts: 2333
Location: Chisholm, MN | Yes, a hook pick of some sort is absolutely necessary if you're a muskie fisherman. I hardly use mine but I know it's there if I need it. There really shouldn't be any reason a hook is left in a fish. You didn't know, or didn't have the experience so it's not the end of the world. But now you know what you need, and anyone else reading this needs to get one as well. |
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Posts: 897
| Kirby Budrow - 9/25/2017 7:27 AM
Yes, a hook pick of some sort is absolutely necessary if you're a muskie fisherman. I hardly use mine but I know it's there if I need it. There really shouldn't be any reason a hook is left in a fish. You didn't know, or didn't have the experience so it's not the end of the world. But now you know what you need, and anyone else reading this needs to get one as well.
I have left parts of hooks in at least three fish that had inhaled a lure and got a hook point buried in where all of the gills come together on the bottom of the mouth. Are you saying I should pull that hook out? |
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Posts: 7049
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | Description of how to use a hook pic for a deeply hooked fish:
http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/videos/02.13.2008/766/Tools.and.Tec... |
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Posts: 2333
Location: Chisholm, MN | whynot - 9/25/2017 8:41 AM
Kirby Budrow - 9/25/2017 7:27 AM
Yes, a hook pick of some sort is absolutely necessary if you're a muskie fisherman. I hardly use mine but I know it's there if I need it. There really shouldn't be any reason a hook is left in a fish. You didn't know, or didn't have the experience so it's not the end of the world. But now you know what you need, and anyone else reading this needs to get one as well.
I have left parts of hooks in at least three fish that had inhaled a lure and got a hook point buried in where all of the gills come together on the bottom of the mouth. Are you saying I should pull that hook out?
I certainly would attempt to. #7 hooks are pretty thick and nasty. I don't think it will dissolve like some people say. They can be tough fish though. Maybe just a hook point jammed somewhere isn't a big deal, and you would do more harm than good pulling it out? Tough call. |
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Posts: 72
| Its a tough situation. I'd rather pull it out and maybe tear some flesh than leave a hook in. Like said above I really don't think the hook will rust out and if it does it will probably be long after the fish has already died. The only time i would probably leave it in is when the fish it hooked in or around the gills, pulling it out would probably result in the fish losing too much blood. Doing your best is really all you can ask, sometimes their just not going to make it. |
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Location: oswego, il | When i was a kid we cleaned an eater sized pike up on eagle lake that was ready to #*#* out a treble hook. It wasn't rusted. They did not rust out back then imagine the hooks we use now. Do your best and learn from your situations. You catch enough fish and you will have them die on you and for no reason that you can figure in situations you have realeased many fish with ease.
Edited by ToddM 9/25/2017 11:43 AM
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Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | First thing i do in rough spots like that is just start cutting hooks. Cut the hooks off the lure or fish and get the bait out of the way. This helps with visibility and makes each hook independent of each other. |
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Posts: 612
| esoxaddict - 9/23/2017 7:36 PM
barbless hooks would solve that problem.
x2 makes a big difference. |
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Posts: 72
| Thanks, guys. Learned a lot from this thread and ordered a hookout. |
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Posts: 1291
Location: Hayward, Wisconsin | Cut hooks are definitely better than leaving the whole hook in. Homer Circle of Sports Afield magazine once did a study on bass and found that the hooks left in didn't rust out, rather the area around the hook deteriorated and the hooks fell out eventually. |
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Posts: 246
| These hooks are not rusting out in freshwater. |
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| Musky_Mo16 - 9/23/2017 9:01 PM
Honestly, just do your best. That's all you can do anyway. With all the fish that you and others most likely release safely, one loss probably won't ruin the lake. It's really not worth making a huge deal over one fish. It's probably going to happen to everyone at some point.
do you think only one angler will have to deal with a fish loss on that lake?if all the anglers have a poor release ethic yes it will hurt the lake really fast |
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| Larry Ramsell - 9/26/2017 7:56 AM
Cut hooks are definitely better than leaving the whole hook in. Homer Circle of Sports Afield magazine once did a study on bass and found that the hooks left in didn't rust out, rather the area around the hook deteriorated and the hooks fell out eventually.
do you have a link ?why there is no rust and why the hooks fell out?do you think they have some sulphuric acid in their mouth? ive caught at least 2 fish with a lure in their mouth and the hooks where all rusted like hell |
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Posts: 1291
Location: Hayward, Wisconsin | No link. It was in an old Sports Afield magazine article. I didn't say the hooks didn't rust, I just said that Homer found what he found. If you don't cut a treble into pieces, then they won't fall out! |
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Posts: 492
Location: Northern Illinois | An article in IN-Fisherman Magazine years ago addressed gut-hooked bass (as this is a problem associated with worm fishing) and whether it was best for the fish to remove the hook or cut the line. They referenced a study in which hooks were left in the fish and did not rust but subsequently punctured the stomach wall or digestive track. The magazine illustrated a method by which the hook could be safely removed by going up through the gill with long nose pliers, pulling the line so the hook turns bend side up, then reaching into the fish's mouth with the pliers to grab the hook bend and pulling it out. I have used this method on hundreds of fish over the years successfully. The point here is that hooks left in fish can and will do more damage. |
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How to release a fish that's swallowed a bait?