Hook Removal | SouthernPaddler.com

Hook Removal

beekeeper

Well-Known Member
Mar 4, 2009
1,917
59
A couple of years ago my grandson got a hook embedded in his thumb. We discovered line snipers, leatherman pliers/cutters, and small wire cutters were inadequate to cut a hook. I purchased a heaver pair of side cutters to keep in the boat. Last week Paw Paw got a hook in my finger and discovered two things. It hurts, and the cutters don't work if they are in the other boat. They have now been moved to my tackle bag that goes with me in every boat I use.

IMG_1358.jpg


It hurt me more :( when he had the hook than when I did, especially when I was ill prepared to deal with it.

beekeeper
 

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
Bee, try smashing down the barbs on your hooks. You get easier hook-ups and surprisingly almost no increase in lost fish. I started doing this on my fly fishing equipment and am a believer now. Never got one stuck in my own skin, but the hooks seem to pull easily out of fish, anchor ropes, pants , shirts, PFDs, shoe laces, sneakers, caps, ........... Don't ask me how I know. :roll: :lol:
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
If you have a buddy with you there is a easy way to remove a hook.

Take some line and loop it around the bend in the hook , one person shoves down on the shank of the hook ( this releases the barb ) while the other gives the line a pull backing the hook out.

Personally I do like Joey and pinch the barbs on my hooks down. I like to catch and release , especially if it is me being hooked.

Chuck.
 

beekeeper

Well-Known Member
Mar 4, 2009
1,917
59
I know about the line and loop technique. Have not been brave enough to try on my self. Hooks, barbs, hold down, and snatch don't sound good when the hook is in my finger. The pliers are for cutting the hook to detach it from the bait. Not good to have it attached when snatching.
Has anyone used the line and snatch method?

beekeeper
 

Wannabe

Well-Known Member
Apr 5, 2007
2,645
2
on the bank of Trinity Bay
beekeeper said:
I know about the line and loop technique. Have not been brave enough to try on my self. Hooks, barbs, hold down, and snatch don't sound good when the hook is in my finger. The pliers are for cutting the hook to detach it from the bait. Not good to have it attached when snatching.
Has anyone used the line and snatch method?

beekeeper
BK,
I've never tried it but it sounds like a good deal if the hook is in someone else' finger. :mrgreen:
Bob
 

beekeeper

Well-Known Member
Mar 4, 2009
1,917
59
Wannabe said:
beekeeper said:
I know about the line and loop technique. Have not been brave enough to try on my self. Hooks, barbs, hold down, and snatch don't sound good when the hook is in my finger. The pliers are for cutting the hook to detach it from the bait. Not good to have it attached when snatching.
Has anyone used the line and snatch method?

beekeeper
BK,
I've never tried it but it sounds like a good deal if the hook is in someone else' finger. :mrgreen:
Bob

"someone else' finger" is the key factor in determining how well it worked. :lol: I would like to practice this befor useing it on myself, but can't find any volunteers to let me snatch a hook from their finger. :wink:

beekeeper
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
You know the best hook removal is the ability of not hooking yourself.....YES... I live in a dream world where those things don't happen. :roll:
Unless you are using a fly rod and all of a sudden a gust of wind hits the fly as you are casting on the tail end of the fly line with 6 or 7 feet of leader and it nails your ear , sometimes your back or hat ......

Those little fly's we use sure do grab onto things , especially body parts at times and being by yourself is no fun when that happens , one reason there are no barbs on my hooks.

Chuck....
 

catfish

Well-Known Member
Feb 7, 2007
996
3
jesup, ga.
dont know if any you geezers remember the 13 plug but in my real early years i manage to put one in moms arm. i dont guess was too lucky for mom. :( i don,t remember but i don,t think mom let daddy use the pliers or string & pull teckniqe? he took her to doc to cut out both trebble hooks. :(
 

Steve

Well-Known Member
oldsparkey said:
The Lucky 13 by Heddon , yep , used quite a few.

Chuck.

Never was any good with 'em. . . Have a "few" that belonged to my dad and a few of those are still in the packages. . . Kinda curious how'd they work on trout and salmon up here. . . Hmmmmm. . . I wonder. . . . . . . . . . . . . I do recall though them buggers hurt like 7734 whenever I snagged myself. . . .
 

Wannabe

Well-Known Member
Apr 5, 2007
2,645
2
on the bank of Trinity Bay
Steve said:
oldsparkey said:
The Lucky 13 by Heddon , yep , used quite a few.

Chuck.

Never was any good with 'em. . . Have a "few" that belonged to my dad and a few of those are still in the packages. . . Kinda curious how'd they work on trout and salmon up here. . . Hmmmmm. . . I wonder. . . . . . . . . . . . . I do recall though them buggers hurt like 7734 whenever I snagged myself. . . .
Dynamite works whenever it is tried. Instant fish.
Bob
 

catfish

Well-Known Member
Feb 7, 2007
996
3
jesup, ga.
steve never used them on trout or salmon but have caught a few bass on them

wanabee that reminds me i guess you heard the story of the outlaw & the game warden ? when the outlaw told him what he was fishing with (dyno) & the warden said thats illegle. the outlaw handed him a lit on & ask the warden was he gona fish or what :lol: :mrgreen:
 

islandpiper

Well-Known Member
I still (clearly) remember the day that I brought a thirty inch Northern Pike into the boat and ended up with him hooked on one end of a three inch silver shad wobble bait, and my left thumb on the other end of that same lure. We simply DANCED around that 14-foot fishing boat together for a while. Then, i managed to cut the hook.

Later that evening I found that not all doctors have experience in #3 hook removal. In fact, I don't think that this one really understood what a "barb" was. I eventually convinced him to push it through and let me go home.

I have not danced with a fish since then.

piper
 

islandpiper

Well-Known Member
If you happen to get to Hayward , Wisconsin there is the Muskie Fishing Museum and Hall Of Fame. Interesting place really. If you have never seen one, i'm here to tell you that Muskie Lures can be real monsters, and back a few decades they were even bigger. There was a doctor in Hayward who ran just a little office practice back when they still made house calls. He had a "cut off fish hook" collection that was VERY IMPRESSIVE. Each was on a card, with the name of the victim, the date and what body part is was removed from. Dang.....having some of those shark-hooks snagged in the forehead or neck or nose would have been really rough. Besides that, there are mounted fish there, lots of tackle, pictures, fishing boats from yesteryear, old motors, etc. Lots of fun seeing it all.

piper
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
Sorta brings up a whole, new image doesn't it. Maybe a TV series, or at least a 2 hour saga. Jointly sponsored by Eagle Fish Hooks and Arthur Murray Dancing Clinics. No one but Ted Nugent to sing the theme song, "Have Fish Hook, Will Dance."
 

akash52

New Member
Oct 7, 2011
4
0
It has been my observation that there are only three kinds of fishermen in the world, those who have never had a fishhook injury, those that have, and those that don't answer honestly. I have also discovered that those who have never been hurt by a hook will eventually experience the injury, if they fish long enough. I have seen hooks in legs, arms, fingers, heads, and even rear-ends. While some of these injuries may sound funny, they are painful to the victim. For the average fisherman, the most common area to get a hook is in a finger (or hand) followed by the head. With fly fishermen the reverse is true, but not hard to believe the way the line and hook are often seen flying around.
While all hook injuries cannot be avoid, I have found most were experienced by the novice fisherman or children. The beginner is often attempting new casting methods or learning to use their new equipment. As a result, a poor cast or a split-second loss of concentration can often cause a hook to go where it is not wanted. Additionally, most beginners aren't as cautious as old timers when it comes to just picking up a hook from the tackle box. Children, on the other hand, are often uncoordinated in casting and at times will be joking around (both of which can result in hook injuries). This is not to say that experienced fishermen don't receive hook injuries, because they do.
If you have a fish hook injury, do you know how to administer first aid, remove the fishhook, or when to seek medical treatment? The situation can be appear to much more complex when first viewed because of the type and size of hook (single hook, treble hook, barbed hook, etc.) that may be involved. If the hook is imbedded in or near an eye or if the injury is to the face, do not attempt to remove the hook and immediate seek medical attention. A fishhook in the eye is a very dangerous situation and most medical authorities will recommend you shield the hook from further movement. Additionally, avoid moving the eye as much as possible so additional injury does not occur. A fishhook in the eyes is considered a serious medical emergency!
There are many different procedures used to remove fishhooks, but I have decided to discuss the top three used by most medical professionals and survival instructors. I will explain the push through and cut off method, the string yank or pull method, and the multi-barbed hook removal method. Not all of your fishhook injuries will require any of these techniques and in some cases the hook can simply be backed out of the injury with little pain or effort. It depends on how deeply the hook is impaled in the skin.
While somewhat painful for the victim, these hook removal procedures do work very well in most cases. Nonetheless, to give you an idea of the pain level usually experienced by the victim, in emergency rooms a local anesthetic is usually administered. Then again, some of my "hooked" friends said the fishhook removal process was almost painless. In a survival situation you may not have a choice but to remove the hook without the aid of an anesthetic.
Regardless of the method you plan to use to remove the fishhook, your first task is to clean the wound area and your hands well with soap and water. Remember to check to see if the hook is near an artery, joint, tendon, or to the head. All head injuries should be seen by a doctor. One aspect of hook removal often forgotten is to reassure your patient. While most hook injuries are very minor, the victim is often scared of the removal process (this is especially true of children). Explain the removal procure to the person and tell them why you are using it. Once the person has a basic understanding of what is going on they should calm down for you. Wait until the injured person is ready (with some adults and children this may never happen) before you start the removal procedure.
When using the push through and cut method, there are some things you need to consider. This procedure will cause additional tissue damage when the hook is pushed through and the pain level is higher for the victim. Additionally, there is the increased risk of contaminating newly damaged tissue
from the hook itself, increasing the risk of infection. Of course, one big advantage is this procedure is almost always successful regardless of the location of the injury or the size of the hook.
* Push the hook forward and force the barb through the skin until it is clearly showing on the outside. You may have to use pliers or needle nose pliers to push the shank forward.
* Cut the barb off, using a pair of wire cutters. Most of us carry a pair in our tackle boxes (or use any tool you have on hand capable of doing the job).
* Then, push the shank of the hook back through the original hole in the tissue.
* Clean the injury well with soap and water and apply an antibiotic ointment if you have it available.
* I suggest a simple band-aide be applied to protect the wound from foreign matter and the injury be kept dry and clean.
When using the string yank or pull method I believe you will find much less pain for the injured party. Also, this technique keeps the wound size down and decreases the risk for additional infection when compare to push through and cut method. It is a good procedure to use when you may not have a pair of wire cutters along as well. Once again, as in call cases where you are removing a hook, clean the wound and your hands well with soap and water prior to starting.
Tie a long length of fishing line or strong string to the bend in the hook. At the other end of the line, I usually tie it to a small piece of green wood or a pocket knife handle (closed) to give me additional leverage (handle) when I pull the line.
Push the hook shank down parallel to the injured tissue to disengage the barb on the hook (on the inside).
While the hook shank is down, give the line a hard and sharp jerk in the direction the hook entered the tissue. The hook will usually come right out of the entry hole with very little pain.
Clean the injury well with soap and water and apply an antibiotic ointment if you have it available, just like the push through method.
Use a band-aide to protect the wound from foreign matter and remember to the injury should be kept dry and clean.
The last method of removing hooks I want to explain is multi-barb hook removal. This type of hook has barbs on the shank that may prevent the use of the string yank or pull method. Additionally, some of these barbed hooks can be large and they cannot normally be back out the entry point very easily. This method has the same negative aspects as the push through and cut off method (tissue damage, painful, contaminates additional tissue and raises the risk of infection).