Save a fish's life

[Patrick Krueger, Jr.]

I don't remember where I read this tip, and I haven't had to use it yet.

When a hook gets in the gills of bass, which happens quite often with jerkbaits, break out your superglue. Find where the blood is coming from and put a drop on the wound. It stops the bleeding and saves its life.

I've used it on myself before, but never even thought about it for the safe release of bass.

[dodgeguy]

that i have to try.

[crankybait]

id be happy enough to land a fish before i think about saving its life... but if i catch one, ill try

[WTL]

There was another good tip posted a while back about what to do when you hook a fish in the fleshy part in the back of its throat. You actually cut the line about 6 inches up, and manuever the hook eye and line so it can got at with a pair of pliers through the gill. Now you can actually just push the hook point back and out straight and this way you don't tear up all that flesh back there. It does work, and I believe it to be superior to just ripping the hook out (never do that) or leaving the hook in.

[Rebbasser]

I think this is what you are referring to, WTL:

http://www.in-fisherman.com/magazine...6_HookRemoval/

[WTL]

Reb, I was hoping you'd come through. That article explains it better than I could ever hope to do myself.

[striker23]

once i had the hook stuck around the eye of the fish. not through the retina but the scales around the eye. not a pretty situation it made me real sad, but there was no way i could give up on that fish, it took some time, but eventually got the hook out. anything you can do to save a fish is great, its important to conserve wild populations.

[Marty]

With my typical inability to visualize things correctly, I just don't quite understand what this step is telling me to do:

(2) With a finger or two, reach in through the last gill arch on that side of the fish and push and pull down on the hookeye so the hook turns and . . .

[bass kicker]

i have never had a problem with removing the hooks from that part of the basses mouth

[KenDammit]

Originally Posted by Marty

With my typical inability to visualize things correctly, I just don't quite understand what this step is telling me to do:

(2) With a finger or two, reach in through the last gill arch on that side of the fish and push and pull down on the hookeye so the hook turns and . . .

basically, that means that you push down(as in, deeper into the fish), and pull down(towards you) while rotating the hook for removal. Doing this allows you to get the barb out of the flesh and down in to the hole created by the hook entry, which lets it slide out with relative ease. Thats the way I interpreted it when i first read that method, and it is what works for me, with no visible damage to the fish.

[Patrick Krueger, Jr.]

Good stuff! I had always cut the line before. Now I can add Bass Surgeon to my resume.

[bassnman30]

In the event that a bass swallows the hook, I just clip the hook with a good pair of cutting pliers just above the bend in the hook. It is then much shorter and the bass will be able to dislodge it in a shorter period of time.

[crankybait]

only 3 fish... never even set the hook for the first two. very easy hook removal

[Marty]

Originally Posted by KenDammit

basically, that means that you push down(as in, deeper into the fish), and pull down(towards you) while rotating the hook for removal. Doing this allows you to get the barb out of the flesh and down in to the hole created by the hook entry, which lets it slide out with relative ease. Thats the way I interpreted it when i first read that method, and it is what works for me, with no visible damage to the fish.

Thank you.

So you're not pushing the point through the flesh to expose the barb? That means you're doing something to enlarge the entry hole, but still backing out the hook against the barb?

[Rodman_Rob]

from what I've heard from reliable sources, a bass's gill system is very efficient and can handle wounds without putting the fish at risk of dying. I've even caught a bass with a gill hanging down after being ripped for some time (could see it was healing even though it was only attached at one point.