Randy talks about how to handle a fish that has been gut hooked…#catchandrelease #fish #bassmaster #bass #angler #bassfishing #fishing #fishinglife #fishingtrip #fishingdaily
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Hooks rotting out is a myrh..the metals modern hooks are made of will last for years! Ever pulled up sombodys break off? Test that old gear..no where close to getting soft…we do what we can..keep th fish in the live well if your worried..if it dies you got supper. It happens. Try to swallow something stuck in your throat..I won't do it. My 2 cents.
I use barbless hooks and hook cutters if needed since I only catch and release. Might have a couple more fish get off but worth it in the end.
Link to studies? There's zero chance in freshwater that a high end modern bass hook, be it 1/0 or 5/0, is going to dissolve. If you gut hook a bass and the barb pokes back through, you can use a forceps to remove the plastic and push the hook out the other end or use a Knipex mini cutter and just clip the barb off. Make sure you lock the forceps on the barb so that when you cut it you can retrieve it
Never would of guessed on doing that interesting thanks randy
Ran into this problem while trout fishing. I cut the hook as far down as I could and prayed for the fish after letting it go.
you just changed my mind. thanks Randy
Thanks for the information. I usually try to take the hook out but know if I gut hook a fish I will leave it in.😊
Great tip!
Great video i've been doing this since 1962 to present! Thank you!
Yea this happened a couple times, and I couldn’t get it even with Roland Martin’s trick. Thanks for this! BTW, What the heel is in the background? That a train? Lol i couldn’t figure that out
I watched this video yesterday morning, later in the day I decided to hit the local pond, gut hooked a 18 inch largemouth and did exactly what I saw in this video. Thanks for the tips, hopefully he lives 🙏
I always have a good pair of wire cutters with me. If the fish is gut hooked I cut the hook as close to the point as I can and let it go. That way it has very little of the hook left in his mouth. If the point has gone through the fish I cut the hook and then extract the hook from the point end. With a hook cut it will just come right out. Fish unharmed.
I have special wire cutter pliers , and if I can cut the hook point and barb in less than 20 seconds the hook just separates and the fish is off the hook . if the barb is not visible I just cut the hook at the line tie. I never pull the hook or try to take it out , the less you mess with the fish the better. Klein 2000 pliers would be a good choice. Good advice Randy
I caught a bass with a 4 ought EWG hook coming out of its butt. Removed it and it swam off fine.
Cut the eye off or barb off and thread it out. Works ever time.
I had a gut hook last weekend and lost the bass. The first time I have lost one that I "know" of. It was on a swim jig and we could verily feel the bite or if they did bite, they weren't taking it. I tried letting the bass have it a little longer which unfortunately caused the gut hook. Gave the bass to some people who liked to eat fish but sure made me feel bad. Thanks for the soda tip.
Usually cut the line in that situation. But I have had fish die from being hooked in the tongue and I don't know why. It has happened mostly on bigger fish. And die rather quickly within 5 minutes or less no blood not in the gut but the tongue.
I keep a set of wire cutters, that cut from the end, in my boat. I cut the hook in half and then try to remove the remaining hook part.
Give fish Mtn Dew, got it
All is good until barb gets stuck on butthole. I disagree with leaving hook in.
Great topic. I keep some hook cutters in my bag just in case to try to cut as much away as possible and release. I remember a few years back catching a smallie on Lake Pepin that had a jig head coming out its anal pore. Looking back, I should have just left it but I was curious so I got some tweezers and pulled it out. The lead head was still intact, but there was hardly anything left of the hook. Since then, I let nature do its thing.
Great stuff Randy….I've been doing this for years…not sure why…just assumed the fish stood a better chance of survival.
Sound advice Randy. I carry a long set of cutters with me, and when this happens I try to cut the end of the hook that my line is attached to, I try to cut as much of the hook as possible depending on the situation etc. I tend to use Coke to stop the bleeding, not sure the actual science behind it, but I would say it works maybe 50% of the time for me. During tournament scenarios I keep an eye on the fish etc. and keep my wells iced down as well. Sometimes after weigh in etc. and i flush and clean the wells I find the remnants for the hook from earlier in the day and it gives me a good feeling that the fish was able to get the hook out. Best not to panic in these situations and like you say at the very least cut your line and get it back in the water. Big fan of conservation, and I can count on 1 hand the number of fish that have died in my livewells with over 20years of fishing. Not a 100% but I can feel good about it knowing I'm doing my part in keeping these fish alive and healthy to the best of my ability.
Good to know!!
I will start cutting the line. I hate killing fish after a great fight. I didn't know the hook would rot off after time. I know in salt water this will work but I didn't think freshwater would do the same. Thanks Randy
Very helpful. Thanks for sharing
I fish very often and have become very proficient at removing lures from gut hooked fish. (I fish ned rigs a lot) I can almost always go in thru the gills with my finger only and reverse the hook. But I'll admit, people who don't fish often, and don't run into this problem often, are likely to kill the fish. And I'll admit, I killed my share of fish perfecting my technique.
Great video.
Or just keep it and eat it
You can get the hook out of a gut hooked fish super easily with no damage or blood loss to the fish. The under the gill technique has worked 99% of the time for me with no blood at all. I don’t believe those studies were done properly, they probably had an amateur try to remove the hook and obviously cause damage and blood loss
What do you guys feel about mashing the barb flat ? I very seldom lose a fish keeping constant pressure on it , hook usually comes out easily .
I switched from #1 to 1/0 when using throwing a wacky rigged senko and its significantly decreased gut hooking fish. When throwing a Texas rigged senko, I go with a 3/0 straight shank finesse hook and have never gut hooked a fish. High vis line with the finesse technique helps alot too.
Not sure of the study you are citing, but it is a wives tail that the hook will rust out. If the fish is able to pass & poop the hook, then it will live. If it stays in the throat, it will die.
Done properly, reversing the hook and popping it straight up will save more fish than cutting the line.
I agree, I do however carry some heavy 90 degree "diagonal cutters" and can literally cut the hook in half in under 30 seconds and it falls right out in most cases. Is this a practice that I should continue to use? If there is blood I put the fish in the water and it seems to coagulate immediately, also I cut it entering from the front of that bucketmouth, so no gill contact. So let me know what you all think I would be happy to stop this method if it increases the chances of mortality. Tight lines all!
Fishing off a dock at LOZ when I was a kid, we caught the same 14" bass 5 times in one weekend… We knew because we cut 2 hooks off in its gullet and it was still trying to eat the crappie we were reeling in.
Randy,I would rather dig a 3 inch splinter out of my foot than watch another live scope fishing show.I joined Bassmaster magazine in 1972 as a life member because we had real fishermen ,such as Doug Hannon,Bill Dance,Roland Martin,Randy Blaukat Ect Ect . These guys could really catch fish and teach us to fish and enjoy doing it. Miss the good information that was gained before live scope and modern technology . Just saying!!!
With all of my research and experience I've come to the same conclusion. A truly gut hooked fish will probably die if you use the BS through the gills technique. Also don't dead stick senkos and the like but check your line often. Great vid!
Randy, thanks for the info! I commented about the Mt. Dew on a comment 1 time n had about 50 guys jumps on me. They said sugar is the worst, idk man ty for the info!
Thank you for this video. I have use the slow death hook for walleyes and twice, I gut hooked a small largemouth bass. So I decided I would never use them again.
I broke a fish off once. 2 days later I hooked same fish, it still had my hook and bait in its mouth. The hook was already so rusted it fell right out. Made me realize how quick the hooks devolve.
Thanks for the info I always thought leaving it in was a death sentence so I've tried my best to pull it out I'll leave it in from now on
I prefer the 5 second video…Cut the line, or the hook if safely possible, & turn it loose.
Thanks for providing this information and you are right on this. I have heard this same thing before on a particular study.
i have been using the squeeze out hook remover for about 4 years now and it will pop the hook out of a gut hooked fish with ease i can't belive more fisherman don't know about this!