Fish Hook Removal 101 *graphic pics*

[GCD]

I'm posting this here because of a thread on the 'Bama board.

If you spend enough time on the water fishing chances are that you're going to take a hook to the flesh!

Some people prefer to go to the hospital for removal, but this messes up a good day of fishing. Some people just snatch the hook out with a pair of pliers.

I've taken 2 hooks to the flesh in my lifetime, one to the knee and the other to my left pinky finger. I removed both hooks with this method.

Puncture wounds are the easiest and most likely to become infected, and yanking the hook back out with pliers is the worst thing to do because it does a lot more damage.

I took some pics of the pinky incident.

Hook embedded past the barb *insert obscenities here*

You should push the hook through in a rotating upward manner *insert many more obscenities here*


Then cut off the barb and remove the hook the way it went in.


This minimizes damage and gives the puncture wound 2 holes to drain from.

It isn't fun pushing the hook through, but the wound will heal much quicker and is a lot less likely to become infected.

There is another method, but it requires 2 people.. and I'm not sure I like it better than the pushing through method.

YouTube - How to remove a fish hook

[Crappie97]

Ugh, I hate when that happens. I've done it once when a bluegill flipped off the hook as I was lifting out of the water and about to grab it. The hook shot straight into my thumb...deep. I went with the plier method. The absolute most important thing when doing it this way is to be sure to get a good grip on the hook. My first yank was a complete failure, except for showing me how much pain a small hook can inflict. It felt much better when I got it on the second try:D

Grip it and rip it!

[eriksat1]

It happened to me ice fishing this past winter, #10 treble hook in my thumb buried deep. I was by myself and had no insurance so I wasn't going to the doctor. I first tried with a needle nose pliers to back it out while pushing down on the hook away from barb to try and get it out the same hole it went in, no good and very painful. Finally I just did like you, push it all the way up around and back through, not as bad pain as you would think. The one problem I had was the point of the hook didn't want to break through the skin very easy it just pushed the skin up, I had to push down on the skin right near the spot where the hook was trying to come through, once the point of the hook came through it was over, cut off the hook point just past the barb and back it out all the way back through. As bad as it sounds it really wasn't that painful. A $100 plus bill at the emergency room would have been much more painful.

[slabsrus]

Ouch!!!! I had one buried in my earlobe a many years ago thanks to the neighbor kid who was not watching behind him while casting. I just felt a quick tug on my ear, then nothing. I look at my uncle who was basically trying to keep from cracking up as he looked at the jig and micro shad dangling like an ear ring. When the hook went in it turned side ways so the point did not come out. My uncle, being the loving man he is, got out his pliers and said on three. Well he yanked on 2 and laughed. It really was not that bad. Kind of funny now that I think about it.

[Durriken]

I inserted a few obscenities just looking at the pictures! Got show this to my kids so they understand how important it is to be careful with hooks.
Also reminds me that I should make sure my tetanus shots are up to date...
TjD

[Psmith]

Easier for me to use the fishing line trick. Put a double line through that part of the hook thats in your finger, pust down on the hook eye toward your finger in that picture( most important part of the trick) so you are pushing the barb away from the hole and give it a quick jerk and it will pop right out. Its a lot less painfull than pushing it through like that. OH I see thats what they did in that link, it doesn't hurt at all that way

[eriksat1]

Being careful is good, but if you fish long enough it's going to happen sooner or later. Grabbing it with pliers and trying to yank it back out the way it went in is probably the worst and most painful thing you can do.

[eriksat1]

Easier for me to use the fishing line trick. Put a double line through that part of the hook thats in your finger, pust down on the hook eye toward your finger in that picture( most important part of the trick) so you are pushing the barb away from the hole and give it a quick jerk and it will pop right out. Its a lot less painfull than pushing it through like that. OH I see thats what they did in that link, it doesn't hurt at all that way

That is a good way but if you are by yourself you can't do it.

[GCD]

It happened to me ice fishing this past winter, #10 treble hook in my thumb buried deep. I was by myself and had no insurance so I wasn't going to the doctor. I first tried with a needle nose pliers to back it out while pushing down on the hook away from barb to try and get it out the same hole it went in, no good and very painful. Finally I just did like you, push it all the way up around and back through, not as bad pain as you would think. The one problem I had was the point of the hook didn't want to break through the skin very easy it just pushed the skin up, I had to push down on the skin right near the spot where the hook was trying to come through, once the point of the hook came through it was over, cut off the hook point just past the barb and back it out all the way back through. As bad as it sounds it really wasn't that painful. A $100 plus bill at the emergency room would have been much more painful.

Maye it didn't hurt that much because your hands were partially frozen from ice fishin'. It isn't really all that painful, more irritating than anything... but it sure is a relief when you get the barb cut off and the hook comes sliding out!:D

The skin will always want to "tent up" and mashing is required. The only reason I can see to go to the Emergency room other than it being in a vital organ (eye or major artery) would be for a tetnaus shot.

I inserted a few obscenities just looking at the pictures! Got show this to my kids so they understand how important it is to be careful with hooks.
Also reminds me that I should make sure my tetanus shots are up to date...
TjD

Tetnaus shots are good for 10 yrs. now and I keep mine up to date just for stuff like this.

Easier for me to use the fishing line trick. Put a double line through that part of the hook thats in your finger, pust down on the hook eye toward your finger in that picture( most important part of the trick) so you are pushing the barb away from the hole and give it a quick jerk and it will pop right out. Its a lot less painfull than pushing it through like that. OH I see thats what they did in that link, it doesn't hurt at all that way

The reason I don't like the Youtube method is because it leaves a puncture wound with only one hole to drain from. I work construction and have seen and had puncture wounds become infected and they can be big trouble. Most construction companies have made it policy to require medical treatment for all puncture wounds on the job because of the problems they can cause.

[eriksat1]

By the next day my thumb was not even sore, and was totally healed up in a couple of days.