Circle hook removal
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: The Briny Bar
Forum Description: The place for general chat on saltwater fishing!
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=135387
Printed Date: 06 Jul 2026 at 1:19am
Topic: Circle hook removal
Posted By: Perchase
Subject: Circle hook removal
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2021 at 3:48pm
| A couple of weeks ago my brother and heade out west for the day in my kiwikraft 440 to have a crack at a puka. The bar was fine and sea was good, aiming to cross at high tide, stay out for the outgoing tide and head in on the incoming tide at some stage, we got several good tarakihi. Then my brother got a good sized grey boy or tope , on a black magic flasher with the recurve hooks... bit of a struggle at the boat and with him holding and me on the pliers I ended up with one hook in the side of my thumb, nice and deep but not right through. A bit of a nerve wracking moment for me with the other hook still in the sharks mouth, my brother struggling to hold it outside the boat, I managed to cut the trace at that stage thank Christ and at least contain tthat side of the situation, then it was a case of hook removal. Trickier than I thought, the size of the hook was perfect for my thumb , it couldn't go right through because of the bone but very hard to pull out backwards because the shaft of the hook was hard against the back of my thumb. I tried to get my long nosed pliers in underneath to cut the shaft off but there was no space to get it in to the cutters. So I just ripped it out. Fortunately there was a first aid kit on board , so I gave it a good clean with the sterilised water to mainly get the squid juice out, then a simple bandage. And that is my story. Mainly I was just wondering if anyone has an awesome trick or idea for this scenario. Bolt cutters are an obvious one, (now in the tool box) and cutting the trace is another... the sterile water is a great thing to have in a first aid kit. Real clean, it healed up with no infection or pain even that I put down to that water. I also had in my mind that if if turned real messy it was mid outgoing tide and far from ideal to head back home across the bar. ( I could be keen for some of those barbless circles) |
Replies:
Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2021 at 4:58pm
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I always carry iodine in the boat - great antiseptic. Sterile water is not an antiseptic. Just a clean wash. And never guarantees washing every nasty bug out. I would do as you did - then pile some iodine on and cover. I have bolt cutters in the boat. BTDT. Treble hook to the bone. We seem to learn by our mistakes rather than others :-)
Alan ------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: Crochet Cast
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2021 at 6:10pm
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I have used this method http://www.bishfish.co.nz/articles/general/hookout.htm" rel="nofollow - LINK Not sure if it works with circle hooks. |
Posted By: kingiFiddla
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2021 at 6:41pm
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crush the barbs in the future |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2021 at 7:54pm
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Barbs make it hard to keep the bait on but would certainly help. The link from Crochet Cast works really well but I've only had to use it once and it wasn't on a circle hook ------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Posted By: Tzer
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2021 at 8:29pm
I was skeptical about this method but after trying it, it does work. Yes it does work on circle hook albeit small ones.
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Crochet Cast wrote:Posted By: terrafish
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2021 at 8:42pm
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Crotchet cast link works well, BUT it has to be done quick before swelling starts to set in, and done on the 2 count of a 3 countdown(stops the flinch or pulling away reaction) and more suited to J style hooks in smaller sizes, and where it is. Circle hooks need to be rolled out so would not suggest trying it this way. Crushing barbs is not allways an option depending on style of fishing but carrying a first aid kit and small set of bolt cutters is! As is knowing how to use it ------------- Part time Devils Advocate, Fulltime procrastinator |
Posted By: kingiFiddla
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2021 at 7:25am
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There are rubber bands, bait cotton, lumo beads and probably a half dozen other ways to keep bait on barbless circle hooks. Might make a good thread topic actually, to learn the various ways people get it done. I understand for many it's not worth the hassle of going to barbless. But pulling hooks out of human body parts isn't a walk in the park either, and not many of us think it'll ever happen to us...until it does ;-) |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2021 at 9:47am
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I tried to get my long nosed pliers in underneath to cut the shaft off
but there was no space to get it in to the cutters. So I just ripped it
out. Some yrs ago I posted , have several times now.. Pliers, even good side cutters.. Waste time. Go out to the shed get a hook and try and cut it.. think think.. " Im shaking , squeezing , and would I be a happy chappy?" Even squeeze the barb, note just how 'squeeze it down and just how far it actually goes down. Again happy with that shake and pull back thru? A small pair of elcheapo bolt cutters (about $25), good spray lanocoate to stop salt corrosion over the yrs of non use laying up in the cabin shelf with the 1st aid kit? Simple.. snip either end,which ever works best, the barb or eye off, slide out... a walk in the park In practice, do you really think you will remember the rubber bands, or exactly how u tube does it? And are these methods as simple , easy painless as snip the end off effortlessly and pull thru? |
Posted By: Fishb8
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2021 at 11:26am
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I must be either clumsy or just unlucky but I've had several recurved hooks in my hand, from 1/0 to 8/0. Those times when there's an angry fish on the other hook aren't nice. For every embedded hook, I've rotated the hook until it pops out of the skin....flattened the barb then reverse-twisted it until it's free. Surprisingly painless and almost no blood. Clean in sea water then continue fishing with same flasher rig. With a circle hook it's very unlikely you'd drop any fish. Perhaps I should pre-empt my next hand hooking by flattening barb before I start fishing. Actually, my very first self-hooking was on a trout spinner with a treble hook and never had any pliers so I just pulled it out and it was the most painful and bloody instance. I also removed a 10/0 marlin hook from another angler's foot by just yanking it out. I never felt a thing! ------------- Be yourself; everyone else is already taken |
Posted By: kingiFiddla
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2021 at 3:01pm
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Steps - if you can still remember your way to the boat ramp, and to bring the cutters, why is it such a burden to remember rubber bands? I'm not saying they are any better or worse than other means to secure bait to barbless hooks, but c'mon man, using forgetting rubber bands as an excuse to not use them or claiming they are too complex to use is selling yourself short mate. |
Posted By: Big -Dave
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2021 at 7:02pm
Somehow I have avoided hooking myself, but maybe one day...  ------------- you can't fix an idiot with duct tape, but it does muffle them for a while... |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2021 at 9:06pm
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Only hooked myself once and was too soft to thread it through - too much feedback! the problem with threading it through is if it goes into the bone or a tendon. either way, the trick to removing a hook is to get someone else to do it.
------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2021 at 9:10pm
| Yep had one in the side of my index finger went through to the bone so couldn’t push that through had to be cut out. |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 20 Apr 2021 at 11:04am
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Steps - if you can still remember your way to the boat ramp, and to
bring the cutters, why is it such a burden to remember rubber bands? A pair of small bolt cutters (lanocoated) Permanently left in the boat.. like the 1st aid kit, anchor, tool kit.. Works far better than a bag of rubber bands that have been in the boat for a while, perished and useless.. like my live bait bands eventually get to.. And to rem how to rubber band some yrs after seing it on u tube... Its just a practical thing |
Posted By: kingiFiddla
Date Posted: 20 Apr 2021 at 11:54am
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I guess that's what makes this world interesting - different approaches for different folks.
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Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 20 Apr 2021 at 6:27pm
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Exactly m8.. thu these days more often than not there great ideas off google.. sound good but in practice far to often not fully thought thru as simple/ easy option in the real world. And then there is the old school tied and true, often over centuries, but because change is so called good, they cant work anymore. |
Posted By: Perchase
Date Posted: 21 Apr 2021 at 2:32pm
| Interesting feedback gentlemen, I have seen that trick before crotchet cast and considered it but there was no space to pull it out with the shank of the hook hard against the back of my thumb. I've read steps before re having bolt cutters onboard but of course I hard to learn the hard way first of course. My favourite way to learn... plenty of complacency is the key. I'm very careful around stick baits with double trebles especially with a frantic rat involved but the second hook on a ledger rig really caught me out, not something I'd thought about... amazing hook design though, flawless performance in this case. I did try out my new bolt cutters on a small hook and they did the trick but wouldn't cut through a larger livebait hook... perhaps a hacksaw for next time |
Posted By: Pcj
Date Posted: 21 Apr 2021 at 3:41pm
| Did a similar thing awhile back. Hook wouldnt budge so just pulled and it came out leaving a nasty hole. Washed it with meth's and to stop bleeding poured some acetone on it.Bleeding stopped and seeked medical attention 4 hrs later. Nurse unimpressed when I told her how I cleaned it and stopped the bleeding. |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 22 Apr 2021 at 9:19am
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Thats impressive Pcj. An old school 'trick' back in the days of kero lamps camping, 1st world war etc,, and doesnt sting is using kero It stops bleeding, and helps heal faster. I did try out my new bolt cutters on a small hook and they did the trick but wouldn't cut through a larger livebait hook... perhaps a hacksaw for next time Got to the hacksaw part, instant cringe.. even with someone holding the hooks, then throw in the pull back and forth...And try to cut a reasonable quality hook with a hacksaw in the workshop, holding it in your hand.. they dont cut that easy... espec some of the larger dropped forged (usually have flat sides) At lease someone has the curiosity to personally go out to the shed and see exactly what it takes to cut a hook  My bolt cutters will go thru the thicker live bait hook, and thats .. know its going to be a bit of a push before hand, then give it the 'one shot ' heaps |
Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 22 Apr 2021 at 9:30am
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Yep - trying to hacksaw a hook out would be a total non-starter. Might be easier to hacksaw the finger off. Then pour some kero on it. You need some bolt cutters that are at least about 300mm long. Even then they will 'just' do the job on a bigger size hook. Alan
------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: Fishb8
Date Posted: 22 Apr 2021 at 5:05pm
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Which bit are you using the bolt cutters on? If the pointy end is still inside??? Turn it until the hook re-emerges - you may have to twist it a bit if it's against the bone. Flatten the barb then twist out. Trust me (after several self-surgeries, and it takes a bit of fortitude) the pain is minimal and so is the bleeding. Last time, an 8/0 Gamakatsu was embedded below the base of my thumb. My mates started discussing how it should be removed but before they'd finished, I'd re-baited and started fishing. The wound is minimal as is the blood and hand damage. ------------- Be yourself; everyone else is already taken |
Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 22 Apr 2021 at 6:24pm
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Depends on the situation . I had occaision to try and remove a treble from a hand - embedded to the bone. Another treble still swinging on the lure and a fish (big) still attached. Having a bolt cutter to cut everything free then deal with the bit in the hand would have been gratefully received. I have them now. It gives you an option that nothing else does. I had some side cutters in the boat - that never looked like working. Finally manged to free the offending hook via the split ring. Not easy. Alan
------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 23 Apr 2021 at 10:45am
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My mates started discussing how it should be removed but before they'd finished, I'd re-baited and started fishing. The wound is minimal as is the blood and hand damage.
I agree with Alan.. how where Some time back A person put a big hook thru the soft part between the thumb and fore finger... No way was it going to be cut, sawn or barb bent with availbe tools. It was a fishing comp. There was a competition on filleting..time and % usable meat off the frames. He went on to do rather well, may have won...still with the hook thru the hand. I have yet to put a hook right thru..berried a treble beyond the barb.. only hurt if moved. I always carry a very sharp knife, sliced open pulled out...bit of insulation tape around all good. |