It’s never fun to deal with a deeply hooked fish in a kayak. But if you have the right gadgets in your milk crate, you can easily fix the problem and get back to fishing in no time. Follow these three simple steps for the best results next time you remove a swallowed fish hook.
3 Easy Steps to Remove a Swallowed Fish Hook
1 Get Control
We have enough going on in the small confines of kayak without having to deal with a hook that won’t pop right out and a fish that won’t stop flopping around. My first order of business in this situation is to get control of the fish. When an unruly king fish or a hungry hybrid striper swallows my hook, I grab my Fish Grip and get the fish under control first.
2 Nothing but Needle Nose
Second order of business is to find my needle nose pliers. The longer the nose of the pliers the better. Usually the combination of needle nose pliers and Fish Grip will get that deeply set hook out.
3 Bring in the Cavalry
When the hook is too deeply embedded for the pliers I go for a hook remover tool, also known as a “hook-out.” You can find these tools from brands like unHookR, Booms and Crazy Shark among others, ranging from 6” to about 16” long depending on the type of fishing you do. These tools will push the hook back out the way it went into the mouth tissue.
Using a hook remover tool is easy. Grab the leader line with your left hand, and grab the hook-out with your right. The hook-out has a fork at the tip. Put the fork of the hook remover onto the bend of the hook and push the hook down and out. In other words, push the hook back out the way it came in. Works like a charm!
Capt. Ty Southerland operates 30MilesOut Fishing Charters and hosts 30MilesOut on YouTube. He is a YakAttack, Backwater Paddle Company, Fish Grip and HOOK1 pro staffer.
It’s easy to remove a swallowed fish hook with the right gadgets in your milk crate. | Feature photo: Gustavo Castillo/Wikimedia Commons
But what if… what if I swallowed a hook?
Asking for a friend…
Needle Nose Pliers and BOlt Cutters .. you might feel a pinch hold still