Extracting swallowed hooks

Hi All,

I recently started fishing again now that my kids are older. I take the kids to local ponds and we catch lots of catfish (bullhead), panfish, and an occasional smallmouth bass.

We seem to have the best success using plain old worms on hooks with a bobber used to keep the worm at a certain level underwater.

A lot of times the fish we catch tend to swallow the hook and I have a tough time extracting the hook. I have used both needle nose pliers and surgical clamps/hemostats to try and extract the hooks, but haven't had much success.

I've also tried switching to a larger hook (#2) and bigger worms in an effort to discourage the small fish from biting and to try and prevent the bigger fish from swallowing the hook, but it hasn't been too successful.

Any advice on extracting a swallowed hook? I normally just cut the line and release the fish, but I was wondering if I should try using some different extraction tool.

Also, should I switch the size of the hook to an even larger size?

Thanks in advance

Smash the barbs down with pliers or dremel them off.

Try one of these:

sometimes they'll just swallow it no matter what.
The 6 out of 7 sheepsheads that I caught today swallowed the hooks

and here is the biggest fish I caught today.
bad picture

Try using circle hooks. Linky

When the fish grabs the bait and swims away, the hook turns and hooks into the side of the mouth. Do not set the hook, just start reeling in the fish.

Thanks all for the advice!

twonami - that's an awesome fish you caught!

I use this www.dbarb.com/.


It's the greatest thing.


You will lose the hook but save the fish.

I use it all the time.

I just leave the hook in the fish. They rust out in a week. I have caught numerous fish that have hooks in their mouths.

Fishing?
Oh yeah thats what I did before my little girl came along...
Almost time to slip out with her and fish...
And then ask if I had permition when we get back


Cirle hooks work but I fly fish and carry curved Hemostats

Don't use bait.

Originally Posted By VTHOKIESHOOTER: I just leave the hook in the fish. They rust out in a week. I have caught numerous fish that have hooks in their mouths.

Does this apply to fresh water fish? Will the hook rust fast enough before they starve to death?

Originally Posted By Neutrino45: Originally Posted By VTHOKIESHOOTER: I just leave the hook in the fish. They rust out in a week. I have caught numerous fish that have hooks in their mouths. Does this apply to fresh water fish? Will the hook rust fast enough before they starve to death?

It is the only fishing I do! In fact, I have caught fish that have 6" Culprits hanging from it's gullet. The hook will rust out and the hole in the stomach will heal.

i use one of these...
hook pick
not sure how it would work on smaller fish though
actualy they make a smaller one

I never extract the hook, instead I just cut the line as close to it as possible, it's worked well for me for over 50 years.

Originally Posted By osprey21: I never extract the hook, instead I just cut the line as close to it as possible, it's worked well for me for over 50 years.

Ummm... It worked for you but did it worked for the fish?

Found this online and man it works like a charm.

www.in-fisherman.com/magazine/articles/if2806_HookRemoval/index.html

Originally Posted By DDiggler: Try one of these: image.basspro.com/images/images2/64000/64470e.jpg

Bingo. Trout swallow about 80% of my hooks. I kill the fish instantly after catching it, use that to remove hook, and throw it on ice. Works pretty well. Never had a problem removing a hook.

Originally Posted By -Mil-Surp-Phreak-: Found this online and man it works like a charm. www.in-fisherman.com/magazine/articles/if2806_HookRemoval/index.html

Bingo! this is the best way, use it all the time and always works.

Originally Posted By VTHOKIESHOOTER: Originally Posted By Neutrino45: Originally Posted By VTHOKIESHOOTER: I just leave the hook in the fish. They rust out in a week. I have caught numerous fish that have hooks in their mouths. Does this apply to fresh water fish? Will the hook rust fast enough before they starve to death? It is the only fishing I do! In fact, I have caught fish that have 6" Culprits hanging from it's gullet. The hook will rust out and the hole in the stomach will heal.

Fresh water hooks are designed to rust out with constant exposure to water. Also, the natural digestive acids of the fish will help to speed this process.

Best friend has a pond that we fish all the time. Has Bass, cats, panfish, crappy and others in there. If they get a gullet hook, we just cut as close to the hook as we can get and toss em back in. We keep nothing for the most part. More of a petting pond for the kids. Out there its almost unfair... Should call it catching instead of fishing! LOL

But we have caught several that have had markings where they have been hooked and released and had the hook rust out. Fish is still as healthy as can be. You do more damage to the fish trying to remove the hook rather than just letting it rust out in 2 or 3 days. Thats the normal time it takes.

Originally Posted By VTHOKIESHOOTER: I just leave the hook in the fish. They rust out in a week. I have caught numerous fish that have hooks in their mouths.

They don't rust out, that is misinformation that's been floating around for far too long. If you hook a fish bad, then keep it and eat it if it's legal length.

Originally Posted By VTHOKIESHOOTER: Originally Posted By Neutrino45: Originally Posted By VTHOKIESHOOTER: I just leave the hook in the fish. They rust out in a week. I have caught numerous fish that have hooks in their mouths. Does this apply to fresh water fish? Will the hook rust fast enough before they starve to death? It is the only fishing I do! In fact, I have caught fish that have 6" Culprits hanging from it's gullet. The hook will rust out and the hole in the stomach will heal.

I should have replied to this one first. They have done studies in WI on swallow rig sucker fishing for muskies, and the mortality rate on released muskies was 100%. The stomach lining will get infected and kill the fish.

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