Yesterday I caught a 4 or 5 inch baby bass with a whopper plopper (not much bigger than the lure). I am not even sure how he got the treble hook entirely inside his mouth. All of the hooks were embedded just under his lips (two in the upper and one in the lower). I took my pliers and tried to dislodge the three hooks but I had no choice but to do extensive damage to his mouth in order to remove them since I had no room to maneuver. I felt awful about it.
Anybody have any tips for me and others if this happens again in the future?
bpicinc
Loc: Zwolle, LA. Toledo Bend
Cut barbs off remove baby fish and replace treble hook
Thank you for the response. Just to clarify, do you mean pinch the barb with the pliers so they are flat and then remove the treble? I don't believe I can cut the barb with my set of pliers and I had very little room inside his mouth although I possibly could have flattened the barb.
Yes, I agree. Since I fish with Jeremiah, who is 8 years old, all our hooks have flattened barbs. One to protect us (me) and the fish,which are mostly small perch and bass. Just Sayin....RJS
bpicinc
Loc: Zwolle, LA. Toledo Bend
Flatten the barb will work too
Huntm22
Loc: Northern Utah. - West Haven
bpicinc wrote:
Cut barbs off remove baby fish and replace treble hook
I always have a pair of knipex (minature bolt cutters) that are used mostly on muskie but many times on other fish. No - not to put them out of their misery but to cut the hooks. Never met a hooK they wouldn’t cut - one hook at a time and leave them in the fish. Replace trebles. Expensive cutters but sure beats trying to ripp the hooks out. Only used on 4/0 and smaller but has never let me down. I have cut even 3x strength hooks with them without any problem except my weak grip🤪. They have 6” and these are the 8” (for us hand-grip-deficiency folks) 😅😅 for a little more leverage LOL.
Excellent idea: I once got a hook stuck deep in the back of my left hand. Had to have my fishing buddy cut the hook, push it on through and then pull it out. Not fun, but I could at least continue to fish. You have to be prepared. If you intend to fish, and fish often, sooner or later, you are going to get hooked and if the hooks have barbs you are then required to push it on thru, or go to the emergenchy room. Fortuntely, in the case I just descfribed, it was suitable for pushing thru and cutting. Sometimes it will be against a bone and not suitable for a push thru and cutting. Just Sayin...RJS
Huntm22 wrote:
I always have a pair of knipex (minature bolt cutters) that are used mostly on muskie but many times on other fish. No - not to put them out of their misery but to cut the hooks. Never met a hooK they wouldn’t cut - one hook at a time and leave them in the fish. Replace trebles. Expensive cutters but sure beats trying to ripp the hooks out. Only used on 4/0 and smaller but has never let me down. I have cut even 3x strength hooks with them without any problem except my weak grip🤪. They have 6” and these are the 8” (for us hand-grip-deficiency folks) 😅😅 for a little more leverage LOL.
I always have a pair of knipex (minature bolt cutt... (
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I was going to suggest the same thing.haha. I have about 8 paires of those. And have use them to cut off hooks outa me, outa my buddy's dog, and fish. I don't have to look far for a pair.
Huntm22
Loc: Northern Utah. - West Haven
Be prepared. People I have fished with have ended up with a few pair of mine. Side cuts just don’t do it when someone is in a world of hurt staring at a big ole treble hook in the arm, leg, hand or where ever! $50 is pretty cheap emergency care center😂😂😂😂🤑
Huntm22
Loc: Northern Utah. - West Haven
I figured a lot of the old timers that fished big - toothy - or with trebles would know all about them.
Small bolt cutters are my solution. Then you need to have spare hooks and split ring pliers. Pretty soon you need a bigger boat!
gr8advice wrote:
Yesterday I caught a 4 or 5 inch baby bass with a whopper plopper (not much bigger than the lure). I am not even sure how he got the treble hook entirely inside his mouth. All of the hooks were embedded just under his lips (two in the upper and one in the lower). I took my pliers and tried to dislodge the three hooks but I had no choice but to do extensive damage to his mouth in order to remove them since I had no room to maneuver. I felt awful about it.
Anybody have any tips for me and others if this happens again in the future?
Yesterday I caught a 4 or 5 inch baby bass with a ... (
show quote)
It is GOOD that you felt Awful!
Jwid
Loc: Lake Killarney, Ironton, MO
If we expand on this a little. How do you all feel about replacing treble hooks with single barb hooks? I catch bass that hit the front treble and then the other two treble hooks are hooked down the side, gills, eye socket etc.
Will that change really affect fishing?
Jwid wrote:
If we expand on this a little. How do you all feel about replacing treble hooks with single barb hooks? I catch bass that hit the front treble and then the other two treble hooks are hooked down the side, gills, eye socket etc.
Will that change really affect fishing?
Jwid here are a couple part numbers of hooks designed to replace trebles. The eyes are inline with the hook so they ride straight up or down,your choice.4101s are Owners, 7237BNs are VMCs. Have a good night,I'm out.
Probably a good idea to change out trebbles. When you replace with a single hook, do you set it with the hook up, or down? Just Sayin...RJS
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