Unhooking hooks

[benji5857]

This might sound like a stupid question to a lot of you but I have to ask to make sure I do things right. I have always fished venues that allow barbless hooks only but i would like try a new venue but they only allow barbed hooks. I have seen all the arguments with regard to barbed hooks vs barbless and so I understand why the fishery in question have imposed this rule. A lot of people seem to agree that barbed hooks cause less damage to the mouth but ONLY when people know what they are doing when they remove the hook. So here is my dilema, I have never had to remove a barbed hook before and yet it is clear that I will be if I fish this new venue so can anyone give me any tips? Maybe I will find it natural and easy but the last thing I want to do is hurt the fish. There must be techniques that peopl use to allow them to be removed easily? All comments welcome.

[johnplumb]

I would say quite simply push the hook , shank towards the point which will slightly extend the hole the hook has made and rotate the hook out

keeping the pressure on as you remove the hook ,firm but gentle.

[levigsp]

Hi

The hook should be pushed out following the entry route as close as possible.

Barbed hooks tend to go in then not move and if pushed the opposite way cause less damage then trying to twist them etc as this only enlarges the entry and internal hole.

The best way to achieve this is to either use a discorger pushed down the line to the bend of the hook and then keep pushing the opposite way to the entry.

Or a pair of forceps on the bend of the hook and again push the opposite to entry.

All but the most stubborn hooks will come out neatly like this.

Big barbs sometimes stop the hook moving if embedded in cartilage and will take a bit more moving, hold the hook tight and give the back of the holding hand a sharp tap with your other hand

If the point and barb go right through to the outside cut the hook in half with a pair of cutters

 

Whilst I am at it I will try to explain the correct way to remove a barbed hook from ones own person.

Imagine the hook is embedded deep in the end of you left index finger,

Get a length of fishing line 60cm long; tie the two ends together so you have a continuos loop.

Put the loop over the hook and slide it down until it sits on the bend of the hook, now trap the shank of the hook with you left hand thumb tightly against your index finger,

With your right hand get hold of the loop of line and give it a quick sudden jerk or better still get someone else to do it.

I was shown this way to remove hooks by the late Fred J and was again shown in hospital when I got a size 4 single embedded in my face.

It works a treat and I have successfully removed barbed hooks as big as 8-00, painful but no long lasting problems.

Frank

[salokcinnodrog]

This might sound like a stupid question to a lot of you but I have to ask to make sure I do things right. I have always fished venues that allow barbless hooks only but i would like try a new venue but they only allow barbed hooks. I have seen all the arguments with regard to barbed hooks vs barbless and so I understand why the fishery in question have imposed this rule. A lot of people seem to agree that barbed hooks cause less damage to the mouth but ONLY when people know what they are doing when they remove the hook. So here is my dilema, I have never had to remove a barbed hook before and yet it is clear that I will be if I fish this new venue so can anyone give me any tips? Maybe I will find it natural and easy but the last thing I want to do is hurt the fish. There must be techniques that peopl use to allow them to be removed easily? All comments welcome.

 

Benji,

 

Thank you. A very serious question with genuine concern

 

I'm going to move this into UK Carp Fishing Stickies, it is a very important useful piece of advice.

 

I'm pretty much with Levi on this, although I nearly always use forceps to grip the hook rather than one of the In-line disgorgers that he refers to.

 

Thats a handy tip about the "smack" tap on the back of the hand.

Can now legitimately get smacked wrists

 

 

 

Grip the hook as tight as you can with forceps, and gently push out in the opposite direction to how it went in. Very few hooks actually stick, but one or two can be enough to make it a difficult job.

 

If the hook point even comes out another hole from where it went in, I always gently push it out past the barb and snip the hook. The cost of a hook towards damaging a fish, the fish will win every time, I'll snip the hook.

Final Point, a quick dose of Klinik, or other Hook treatment will always be a good idea

 

 

 

The forceps and wire cutters should always be handy to where you unhook the fish, as close to your unhooking mat. I have my unhooking mat pegged next to the back of my bivvy, and attached to one of the guy tethers are my forceps and wire cutters.

[Phil]

Its funny but I have heard anglers (carp anglers at that, on another forum) scoff at the mention of forceps.  Comments such as "what do you need those for?" "never needed them" and my total fave.... "if you need those, you shouldn't be fishing".

 

Growing up unhooking silvers and tiny perch with disgorgers and forceps was like learning to write my name.

 

Meant to add.  You can practise all of the unhooking methods/tools using a rig and a raw pork chop or chicken breast.

 

Learning is good. 

Edited August 18, 2014 by phils_wicked

[salokcinnodrog]

This might sound like a stupid question to a lot of you but I have to ask to make sure I do things right. I have always fished venues that allow barbless hooks only but i would like try a new venue but they only allow barbed hooks. I have seen all the arguments with regard to barbed hooks vs barbless and so I understand why the fishery in question have imposed this rule. A lot of people seem to agree that barbed hooks cause less damage to the mouth but ONLY when people know what they are doing when they remove the hook. So here is my dilema, I have never had to remove a barbed hook before and yet it is clear that I will be if I fish this new venue so can anyone give me any tips? Maybe I will find it natural and easy but the last thing I want to do is hurt the fish. There must be techniques that peopl use to allow them to be removed easily? All comments welcome.

I wonder why such a simple question very rarely gets asked, something as important as this for fish care, and its taken a few years for this thread to get brought back to the top. I did Sticky this in old forum format, but since it has been brought back up, I hope it stays on top for a fair while

[dalthegooner]

I wonder why such a simple question very rarely gets asked, something as important as this for fish care, and its taken a few years for this thread to get brought back to the top. I did Sticky this in old forum format, but since it has been brought back up, I hope it stays on top for a fair while

Get the glue out, Nick

Edited August 19, 2014 by dalthegooner

[newmarket]

Get the glue out, Nick

Agreed we're always banging on about carp safe handling etc . This is even more important imo .

[crayonhussy]

I have always pushed slightly against the back of the shank while pulling out in the direction it went in.  Just to try an limit the amount of flesh the barb has to pull through when coming out. 

[newmarket]

I have always pushed slightly against the back of the shank while pulling out in the direction it went in. Just to try an limit the amount of flesh the barb has to pull through when coming out.

Me too . If it doesnt come back out first time , out come the sidecutters.

[welder]

Me too . If it doesnt come back out first time , out come the sidecutters.

 

Same here. I'd add that staying calm helps the operation and that, after a little practice, the "twist of the wrist" becomes second nature.

 

I've never used large barbs, microbarbs have always been sufficient.

 

Ian

 

[cyborx]

BUMP!!

 micro barbs are the way to go but as nick said, "this thread needs to be on top"

[dalthegooner]

BUMP!!

 micro barbs are the way to go but as nick said, "this thread needs to be on top"

It's stickied at the top on my PC (Unless I've totally missed the double entendre )

[Massivejim]

Nice to know I've never used barbed either can't wait to get out tomoz

[cyborx]

It's stickied at the top on my PC (Unless I've totally missed the double entendre )

Its ok being stickied but it is better if its on the front page

[Bazmati]

Barbed hooks should ALWAYS be removed with forceps

Far more precise, quicker, and less dangerous to the fish

[yonny]

Barbed hooks should ALWAYS be removed with forceps

Far more precise, quicker, and less dangerous to the fish

I strongly disagree bud. IMO it is far more precise using your hands.

When using forceps the slightest movement of the hand can result in significant movement of the forcep tips, which in turn means significant movement of the embedded hook. I only use them when I'm struggling by hand.

[newmarket]

I strongly disagree bud. IMO it is far more precise using your hands.

When using forceps the slightest movement of the hand can result in significant movement of the forcep tips, which in turn means significant movement of the embedded hook. I only use them when I'm struggling by hand.

If you snip the hook in half with side cutters you leave nothing to chance . Shank just slides out .

 

Sorted

[liamclose]

If you snip the hook in half with side cutters you leave nothing to chance . Shank just slides out .

 

Sorted

If you snip to hook and just pull out the shank then are you not leaving the point of the hook in the fish?

[androoooo]

It probably should read push the hook through and cut below the barb so you have the point out, then the shank comes out easily from the other way.

 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[newmarket]

Thank you Andy . I know what I meant ....

[smufter]

At the Gite we visit in France, there is no hard and fast rule on barbed or barbless hooks. I have always used barbless hooks for my carping, as most fisheries over here insist that you do and I personally felt that they did less harm to the fish.

Whilst over there last year I was using barbless and lost a couple of fish. The bailiff, a really nice guy, suggested I used barbed hooks. I didn't have any in my bag but thought I would use them this year for a change.

I felt much more confident using them and only lost one fish, a really big one, right old scrapper that slipped the hook on the way to the net. I was gutted, but feel quite sure had I been using a barbless hook, the fight would have been over long before it actually was.

I didn't have any forceps with me, but the bailiff lent me a pair, and these made removing the hooks a doddle, so much so that I purchased a pair of my own as soon as I returned.

Trying to remove the hook, even a large size 4, with wet hands can be hard work. Forceps make it so much easier.

I am definitely in the barbed camp now, just as long as you have the necessary tools to remove them properly. 

I have read all the arguments regarding barbed and barbless. I'm a firm believer that all of the damage to a fish's mouth is done by the anglers ham fisted attempts to remove the hook, rather than the actual hook hold during the fight

[adamkitson]

I've made the switch too after a number of lost fish due to slipped hooks. I think I used barbless mainly due to fishing a lot of day ticket waters where there's usually a barbless rule. Didn't see the point in having a bag full of barbed hooks that I don't use. Now I use micro barbs in all my fishing and hook pulls have been eliminated.

 

Definitely agree with the forceps. I have a small pair in the pocket of my cradle with my antiseptic, and use them every time. Getting a good grip on the hook, and treating the hook hold after does as well as using barbless I think without the rotating effect which can be more damaging to a fish's mouth than a barb. Having done a fair bit of pike fishing with barbed trebles in my youth, a micro barbed size 6 isn't much of a problem to deal with.

[adamkitson]

As above, seems we think alike on lots of things mate.

Except I use my bite alarms as an alarm clock.

[hnv]

I don't usually have a problem removing hooks (always micro barbed for me). If it is stubborn then out come the forceps.