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Reply With QuoteNeat little tool
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Slabmaster
This is not my design. I had one of these that I bought from a tackle store roughly 30 years ago. It wound up at the bottom of a river last year & couldn't find another one like it anywhere. I can't live without it for removing popper flies from bluegills, since a popper can nearly fill the entire mouth making most other tools useless even though I flatten the barbs, but it also comes in handy for species with bigger mouths when hooked fairly deep.
I got the steel stock from Tractor Supply for about $5 for a 4 foot length at the time. The wooden dowel was cut from a cheap plant stake I had lying around. Steel goes into a bench vice for cutting the slot with a dremel tool. Heat the tip with a torch & bend one side of the slot back with needle nose pliers. Let it cool, then turn it upside down in the vice. Drill a hole in the dowel that's slightly smaller than the diameter of the steel stock & tap it on to the steel with a hammer.
I hold the fish with one hand, rod between my knees while keeping a bit of tension on the line, push down on the hook shank with the slotted tool until free, then back it out with the tool using the line tension. (Same as most of us do with our fingers when possible.) I don't think I've ever used the "hooked" portion of the tool for any extractions, but I think it makes fitting the hook shank into the slot easier than if one side wasn't bent back.
I had enough material to make several. I kept 2 & gave the rest away to friends. They make great gifts for brim fishing folks in particular.
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Neat little tool
The love for fishing is one of the best gifts you can pass along
Crappie.com Legend
I’ve been using these for twenty-five years:
https://www.amazon.com/Assorted-Disg...x=disgo&sr=8-6
Alphahawk LIKED above post
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Looks like that would work well also
The love for fishing is one of the best gifts you can pass along
Crappie Wall Hanger II
Deep jigs, I typically keep the line tight, push the jig head in and toward the barb with my other finger. If it's really deep, hemostats for the win. I'm going to buy a pack of those that deathb4disco shared. My GF can make a mess of a fish who was hooked deep.
Anthony
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FISHING is my PASSION!
Crappie.com Legend
Video here on how to use:Originally Posted by TheRo0sTer
https://www.crappie.com/crappie/panf...p-hooked-fish/
Crappie Wall Hanger II
Similar to those sold by EagleClaw back in the day. Anything that prevents me from having to put my rod down and take hooks out. Is a tool I need on my boat.
Anthony
_______________________
FISHING is my PASSION!
Slabmaster II
2X on the cold snap.
Crappie.com 2K Star General
If jig hook is deep, wider needle nose works if I clamp them on to the lead head and push down; most times to the curve of the hook. Haven't left jigs in any of the 100 fish I've caught in the last three days or given them anything but a sore throat if gullet hooked.
