# Fish hook removal



## lukejhoward (Jul 1, 2013)

Unlike many anglers, I didn't grow up fishing. So when a treble hook ended up in my thumb last summer I simply went to the an urgent care center. Little did I know I probably would not have had to go through all the trouble and panic if I was equipped with the knowledge (and tools) of how to remove the hook. 

This summer will only be my second summer fishing really and I want to be more prepared. I have read some things on how to remove hooks but I want some real people sharing their experiences with me. It seems to me that the snatch method (line around the hook and yank) and the push it through method are the two that people use to remove hooks in their fingers and such most of the time. Can anyone share their experience/vouch for the efficacy of the two methods? Feel free to share your own stories of hooking yourself and how you dealt with it!

A side note, does anyone swear by de-barbing their hooks? If so I would also like to hear what people's feelings are on this. Obviously de-barbing hooks would work wonders if a hook were to end up in your finger. 

Thanks as always to all the more seasoned members on here that have brought such good information to the table when I've needed it. 

-Luke


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## lukejhoward (Jul 1, 2013)

Another note, please excuse the title...I should have put something more like "self hook removal" as the current title almost seems like I'm wondering how to remove hooks from fish....whoops hah I guess that's what happens when you're thinking up a quick question and post a thread between classes...


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## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

There's has only been one time that I have had to do anything besides just wiggle it out. A few years ago, I was fishing the channels at lake st Claire. I had a gamagatsu (sp?) tube hook that I had already caught a bunch of fish with that day rigged up. I became snagged on the lattice in someone's backyard that they had over the channel wall. I tried to break off, but the hook let go and came flying back at me like a bullet. It happened so fast that I didn't even realize that it had became buried into my sunburnt leg. It was well past the barb but not completely through the other side. I had to shove it the rest of the way through which took a long time and a lot of pain because of the dull hook. I ended up getting it to where I could see the point protruding against the skin and made a small incision with a fillet knife to help it through. Once it was finally through, I couldn't snip the high quality steel with my pliers so I had to smash the barb down and wiggle it back out. From then on, I keep a sharp hook and a quality pair of snippers on the boat.


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

Yeah, the "snatch method" and "pulling it through and cutting the point and barb" are pretty much your only two options. 



lukejhoward said:


> A side note, does anyone swear by de-barbing their hooks? If so I would also like to hear what people's feelings are on this. Obviously de-barbing hooks would work wonders if a hook were to end up in your finger.
> 
> -Luke


I find myself smashing the barbs more and more, especially on smaller trebles. It makes removing the hooks from the fish, you, your clothing, and nets so much easier. Yeah, you do lose more fish but if you keep enough tension on your line it's not that bad especially if you're practicing C&R.


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## fishingful (Apr 5, 2004)

I have had to do both to other people. I hope I don't have to do it to myself. The key to it is do it in one swift push or pull. Never did the line but had a stinger hook that dad got caught next to his nail burried in the right thumb. A quick short push down and back away from the barb and up pulled it right out with needle nose. 

The other time I pushed it through real quick and cut off the barb. A pair of side cutters helped. Then just back it out.


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## seasick Steve (Apr 16, 2011)

i just had it happen to me last weekend. a small rapala with one trebble in a thrashing steelhead and the other in my finger. not a pleasent experience. i did the "snatch method". it works. the hook just pops out the hole it went into. the hard part was cutting off the other trebbles with a crappy set of cutters.


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## Fishingisfun (Jul 19, 2012)

Check out you tube videos of hook removal. One guy puts the hook in on camera and removes it with jerk line method. I think he also did a push through demo. Was out several years back and my fishing partner put a big stainless hook into his thumb at the joint. We could not budge it and he only had a pair of cheap rusty side cuts. Unpleasant for him but I managed to cut the hook at the bend so we could get him to the ER in the next town. Got the weight of the big Muskie bait off the hook in his thumb. Doc said the pull method would not had got it out. That week I went out and bought a small pair of very good small bolt cutters and keep them in my tackle bag to cut hooks. Being able to take the weight off his injury made to trip out loading the canoe possible.


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

Just check out EZBite's post on this topic from last year. He took a harness to the eye. Hook in the brow and treble hook in the lower eyelid. Warning, its pretty graphic!

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

Misdirection said:


> Just check out EZBite's post on this topic from last year. He took a harness to the eye. Hook in the brow and treble hook in the lower eyelid. Warning, its pretty graphic!
> 
> Sent from my DROID RAZR using Ohub Campfire mobile app


you mean this one 


ive had to do both, the old hook eye pictured here when we were 10 miles out on erie, i had to push both barbs thru the skin, i knew they were thru the skin when i heard a "pop", we cut them off (it was easier to cut the hook at the bend and finish pulling it thru, instead of trying to cut the tip off, easy 2-4 footers that day), I wiped off the blood and kept on trolling. i also did the fishing line wrapped around the bend of the hook once when i was in canada. i pushed down on the hook and had a kid jerk it out. it was a very large treble on a daredevil spoon sunk deep into the palm of my hand, as a matter of fact, the kid that did it was about 12 at the time, so it works and is easy to do.


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## fishingguy (Jan 5, 2006)

I just had to do the fishing line trick this past Friday. A friend in my boat buried the stinger hook on his jig in his little finger. I was talking to him as I did it, he didn't even realize it was out. Everyone should learn that trick, it's really easy and immensely helpful.


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

ezbite said:


> you mean this one


That would be the one!

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## lukejhoward (Jul 1, 2013)

ezbite said:


> you mean this one
> 
> 
> ive had to do both, the old hook eye pictured here when we were 10 miles out on erie, i had to push both barbs thru the skin, i knew they were thru the skin when i heard a "pop", we cut them off (it was easier to cut the hook at the bend and finish pulling it thru, instead of trying to cut the tip off, easy 2-4 footers that day), I wiped off the blood and kept on trolling. i also did the fishing line wrapped around the bend of the hook once when i was in canada. i pushed down on the hook and had a kid jerk it out. it was a very large treble on a daredevil spoon sunk deep into the palm of my hand, as a matter of fact, the kid that did it was about 12 at the time, so it works and is easy to do.


That looks like an awful experience but it's a good thing those hooks didn't end up in your eye! But I am glad to hear that these methods work...I suppose I will have to do a little more research to see exactly how to do the snatch method!


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## senoy (Feb 3, 2013)

Just another vote for the snatch method. I got a treble buried in my thumb joint last summer. I was only ten minutes from the house, so I packed up and headed home. I got some twine, showed my wife a youtube video since it was in my right hand and talked her through the snatch method and it popped right out. I won't say no pain, but it wasn't too bad.


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