# What to do with fish swallowing the hook?



## goosejerky

I have heard that if you cut the line down to the hook the fish's stomach acids will eat away the hook and they live on. Just wondering what anyone else does when a little walleye or a big female is released with the hook or to dig it out. Thanks


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## Kelly Hannan

best to cut the line, the hook will rot off in a few days. That's any fish


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## BirdJ

goosejerky said:


> I have heard that if you cut the line down to the hook the fish's stomach acids will eat away the hook and they live on. Just wondering what anyone else does when a little walleye or a big female is released with the hook or to dig it out. Thanks


They will get rid of the hooks in time. But it will take sometime!!! If they are down far enough where I can not reach the hook from through the mouth, I sometimes go through the gills to get a better angle on the hook. But you must be carefull not to rip the gills!!!! If it doesn't look like its going to that easy from there, I just cut the line. I have seen a lot of fish killed because people are to damn CHEAP and try to save the hook!!!! I guess a hook is more expensive than the natural resource, and yes, there are a lot of them out there!!!! Pretty Sad


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## goosejerky

Yeah I hate to kill a fish trying to get a hook out when you know the fish can live by just snippin the line down to the hook. Thanks alot


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## Capt Rick Hiott

Yes Sir,,,Just cut the line close to the hook. 
I have seen King Mackerel swallow a treble hook and while its in his stomach, it will form a membrane over the hook. I have seen some fish almost pass a hook. I have pulled quite a few from the rectum of a fish.


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## Jig Master

Try using circle hooks.


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## Capt Rick Hiott

Ive had giant red drum swallow great big 16/0 sircle hooks. (Thats about as big around as a golf ball.)

But yeah,,most of the time they do work.

This is the size red drum (Redfish) Im talking about. I catch these all summer long (46")


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## Plainsman

Your post got me to look for the tool I lost years ago. I found a pic I will add to this post. You slip your line into the grove to guide it down to the hook. When you push down the hook is pulled loose, but the best part is the hook embeds in the bud shaped end of the hook removal tool. This lets you pull the hook without it catching the fish again on the way out. Cheap and works great, but if you can't get it cut the line as everyone else has suggested.


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## macker13

I've had a lot of success with the method of going in from the gill. It is simple once you get the hang of it. It is pretty hard to damage a gill unless you are really careless or are using a pair of pliers. Get yourself a small set of hemostats. I have no problem getting a hook out of even a small sunfish.


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## Old Hunter

The tool that plainsman showed you is the best hook removal product there is. If you get good with it it, you can remove hooks that are so deep that you cant even see them. With no damage to the fish.


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## Jig Master

Crushing, or filing down the barb or barbs on hooks, may make it easier to remove a swallowed hook. If fishing from shore, one can break off a small stick, cut a notch in one end, and use that to help remove a hook.


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