Bad Hook Sets 2025

Scorcher214 reply :

I fished with a frog yesterday and even though I only caught one using it, it was about 3lb and I was pretty happy about that. But the hook had gone through its tongue area. Man that was a pain to get out.

Then I had one on a jitter bug and it had inhaled the thing. Hooks in its bottom mouth area and in the gills. Bled all over the boat and on my pants and tore my thumb up while I was holding it. I tried pulling that hook out so hard my arm was shaking. Took a good 3 minutes but I eventually got the hooks out and the fish back in the water. I tried reviving it and it moving it around in the water and what not...went upright and swam off right below the surface...It was dark so I lost sight of it pretty quick. Felt bad :sad78: .

Happened several times yesterday and it was just annoying the crap outta me. Ever have one of those days? I want to be delicate with the bass but Im starting to think that just ripping the hooks out as hard and as quick as possible would be better. Possibly damaging the bass a little more but reducing time out of the water. Thoughts?

00 mod reply :

Make sure to have pliers!!! It happens. Fishing is a blood sport

Jeff

ChrisAW reply :

If I hook in a sensitive spot like that, and I can reach the barb, I pinch it to make hook removal easier. Hooks are cheap and replaceable, makes removal much easier to do this.

Scorcher214 reply :

I am never without pliers. But dang, it can be a real pain getting the hook out sometimes.

NoBassPro reply :

Sidecutters

Michael DiNardo reply :

I don't know how to describe this but I'll try: push the hook forward slightly while pushing away from the barb then removing the hook. This opens the hole a little but hopefully gets the tissue out of the barb. Also the sidecutters are a good idea. It is pretty common in muskie fishing to sacrifice yuor hooks.

Mike

islandbass reply :

Yeah, that's tough to experience. 3 minutes is an awfully long time to get a hook out for sure. I feel for you and the fish. It makes me seriously consider the use of barbless hooks. We're mostly catch and release anyway. But has anyone ever seen barbless trebles? In some areas of my state barbless is the rule of the land and I haven't noted an increase in losses via fish coming undone.

Scorcher214 reply :

I usually go barbless on single hook lures, but with trebles...I rather not.

ChrisAW reply :

On 7/24/2012 at 12:32 PM, Scorcher214 said:

I usually go barbless on single hook lures, but with trebles...I rather not.

I don't actually fish anything barb-less. I just pinch them to remove from a badly hooked fish. I quickly replace them, and keep fishing. Even trebles.

Scorcher214 reply :

On 7/24/2012 at 12:46 PM, ChrisAW said:

I don't actually fish anything barb-less. I just pinch them to remove from a badly hooked fish. I quickly replace them, and keep fishing. Even trebles.

Ya, by barbless, I mean I just smash the barb down and fish it like that.

RobertBG reply :

I have a few lures that tend to really hook them pretty bad too,what i do is flatten the barb just a little.I dont go all the way,just enough to make it easier to unhook em yet retain some of the barbs purpose and havent noticed a difference in fish landed since doing this.

SirSnookalot reply :

I do my best to make hook removal as clean as possible, but it isn't always possible. As said it's a blood sport, I don't dwell a badly hooked fish for very long.

Crestliner2008 reply :

I stopped using barbed hooks years ago, except on my drop shot hooks. Even my expensive cranks, I crimp down the barbs. Very rare to loose a fish unless they bite very short and break water a lot. The way I look at it, it's not imperative for me to land every fish (but that's just me). Hook removal is a breeze when going barbless too. I don't remember the last time I saw blood.

A-Jay reply :

On 7/24/2012 at 6:44 PM, Crestliner2008 said:

I stopped using barbed hooks years ago, except on my drop shot hooks. Even my expensive cranks, I crimp down the barbs. Very rare to loose a fish unless they bite very short and break water a lot. The way I look at it, it's not imperative for me to land every fish (but that's just me). Hook removal is a breeze when going barbless too. I don't remember the last time I saw blood.

I have not done this - but I'm going to try it.

I think I'd like the easier release - for both me and the fish.

I will say that using a boga grip (Thanks Dwight) to unhook and release fish on treble hook baits has been nice.

I usually can keep the fish in the water and it's definitely safer -

A-Jay

georgeyew reply :

I stopped using barbed hooks after my first fish that I gutted. I even switched over to barbless circle hooks for most of my fishing. Haven't killed a fish since.

Rumslo reply :

Barbless is the way to go. I would hate to see a really nice hawg torn up so bad it cannot be released. The next person to tie into that fish just might be my grandson. Why deprive the next person of the thrill of latching onto a big un?

Crestliner2008 reply :

A side caveat to crimping down all the barbs is that should you get stuck - which is bound to happen if you fish much at all - hook removal is a lot easier and safer, as well as for the fish!

Jay Ell Gee reply :

I haven't had a ton of issues yet, but since I am just seriously getting into fishing, I can see it becoming a problem from time to time.

I also recently picked up a 7 wt fly rod with a nice reel. I just got my casting to a serviceable level and hope to land my first bass very soon. I am highly considering crimping my barbs on my flies just in case I hook myself on accident. I went out fly fishing with my bud for the first time last week and he whipped a back cast right past my head... It got me thinking to say the least!

dale.m reply :

Pressing down the barb and sliding the hook out has worked for me. I'd rather sacrifice a hook than a fish.

BassAssassin726 reply :

My fishing buddy is notorious for gut hooking fish. I dont think he understands the concept of setting the hook. I try telling him as soon as he feel the tap to set it but time after time i see him get a thump and not do anything for a second or two then just start reeling, giving the fish that extra second the swallow it deeper. Everyone on here has told me to use barbless hooks. Bought a pack last night and are gonna try em tomorrow. IF they are hooked deep and you can see the barb bend it down with pliers and it should slide out. Or cut it at the bend with wire cutters and remove the pieces.

hatrix reply :

Get a pair of needle nose. They are a MUST for fishing any thing with trebles. As for tearing your thumb up grab the fish behind the head and not the mouth. Catch 30 lbers in a day and grab them all by the mouth and your thumb will be sorry.

ClackerBuzz reply :

did you see the pix on the hook removal posts? helps alot

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/12981-how-do-i-remove-a-hook-a-bass-has-swallowed/page__st__15

Bass Slayer 72 reply :

Yup, needle nose pliers for sure, I also carry a pair of 5-1/2'' Forceps, you know they look like surgical instruments, they are nice to be able to get down deeper than the pliers and can really help backing out those hook sets, or lack their of.

prjavelin reply :

if you damage a fish that bad, take home or give it to someone who would eat it. Dont let it go to waste.

flyeaglesfly5186 reply :

I had a bad hook the other day. First set of trebles hit the lip, second set completely ripped the eye out and it was dangling on the hook away from the fish. Not fun. But it happens.

NoBoatLance reply :

Pinching the barbs on larger topwater lures with double treble hooks can be helpful as well. When popping or walking a lure plenty of bass may hit it initially just to turn it around or disorient it hooking them in the side or belly. No body likes a big hook in the belly, especially when you have to tear it out.

Sun Fish reply :

I feel your pain. I always catch and release but in the rare event that I gut hook a fish like a couple weeks ago and I injur the fish to much or can't remove the hook safely for the fish to survive, it's the one and only time I bring the fish home and filet it. I feel it's better to eat the fish and not let the fish go to waste than to release it only to die in the water.

SirSnookalot reply :

On 8/17/2012 at 11:56 AM, Sun Fish said:

I feel your pain. I always catch and release but in the rare event that I gut hook a fish like a couple weeks ago and I injur the fish to much or can't remove the hook safely for the fish to survive, it's the one and only time I bring the fish home and filet it. I feel it's better to eat the fish and not let the fish go to waste than to release it only to die in the water.

Nothing wrong in taking that fish home for dinner, it's yours. I c/r myself but in the event a fish is out of season or not legal of size I'm throwing it back, don't want to risk a ticket. I don't feel it's waste for fish to die in the water due to an unfortunate gut hook, something out there is going to eat it, pretty much how things work in nature.

NBR reply :

Crestliner and I are of the same mind. I have been crushing the barbs for well over 30 years at first I did't crush trebles on cranks etc but now all of mine are crushed from circle hooks to jigs to spoons. I rarely crush spinner bait main hooks but I do crush the trailer 100%. I lose very few fish and rarely is it the because the barbs were crushed. Advantages, easier on the fish, easier to ger our of clothers, boat seats, carpet and much easier to get out of me.

ClackerBuzz reply :

On 7/25/2012 at 8:30 AM, Jay Ell Gee said:

I haven't had a ton of issues yet, but since I am just seriously getting into fishing, I can see it becoming a problem from time to time.

I also recently picked up a 7 wt fly rod with a nice reel. I just got my casting to a serviceable level and hope to land my first bass very soon. I am highly considering crimping my barbs on my flies just in case I hook myself on accident. I went out fly fishing with my bud for the first time last week and he whipped a back cast right past my head... It got me thinking to say the least!

things get scary when you're trying to make extra long fly casts when learning b/c the fly comes so close to ur face. and when u have a buddy that doesn't pay attention! the best piece of advice i can give is get a pair of sunglasses. i bought a pair immediately after a buddy did the same thing to me--his treble hook crank flying right past my face. now i don't feel safe unless i have my sunglasses on. and when dusk sets in i switch to clear construction glasses b/c i'm on the water well into dark----had a few close calls

SissySticks reply :

I've watched Joe Bucher a lot. Like him, I t-rig and finesse fish a lot. Reality is, even with sensitive tackle, you're sometimes going to hook them deeper than you'd like when you use small baits. A lot of times bigger fish will nearly swallow a small plastic bait on the first strike-- they've already swallowed it when I feel them. When he hooks one deep, he always cuts the hook off the line and lets the fish go, figuring the fish has a better chance of dislodging the hook or it falling out as scar tissue forms around it than the fish has of surviving the trauma it would go through when he tears the thing out. Having caught fish with bits of rusted hooks still in their mouth, I tend to agree with his sentiment. Still, some will die, which is a bummer. I've followed his lead, but, I think after reading this, I'm going to go one step further and use side cutters to cut of as much of the hook as possible when I hook one in the throat. Great posts everyone. If I start throat hooking a lot of fish, I may even go to the barbless like Crestliner.

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