Hook removal

This video saved me on a trip this last year way out in the bush. Worked like a charm! Watch and utilize as needed (Hopefully you don't need it but I am extremely grateful I had watched and remembered this trick.

I just use pliers pulling at the same angle as the video.

This well-known techique is a "must learn" for all fishermen.

Thanks for sharing.

I used a modified version just last week ice-fishing. Setting my jaw-jacker and impaled my palm.

This is how the urgent care doc removed mine. I was solo on the miss river when it happened and couldn’t do it with one hand, had to run my boat back 10 miles with a tiller and get the boat on the trailer solo as well. It sucked.

Last summer on Sag my old man took a treble to the forearm. In this case we pushed the barb through, clipped it off, and then backed it out. I explained both options to him and that’s what he chose. I was in pain just watching it but he’s a tough dude. Was biting the handle of a fillet knife through the operation hahaha.

I agree with most of this video but one important step. The video guy forgot to cut off the other 2 hooks before extracting the main hook.

It’s good to know for sure. Also why I pinch my barbs down…

It seems one of the risks of this method is being half-hearted or timid about doing it. I leaned it from an MD years ago who had us practice using a hook impaled on the foamy part of a pair of crutches. Practicing with similar foam, or perhaps better, buying a pigs foot or similar chuck of meat might help get people be confident in doing this.

Personally, I grind my barbs off with a Dremel tool so hope I never have to do this, but I'm glad to know it in case I have to do it on one of you!

I have performed this hook removal method twice. It worked flawlessly. Glad I had some 30 lb. braid available to pull the hooks out. Oh and a little bourbon for the patient helps to calm their nerves before the operation.

On 3
1...PULL

AmarilloJim: "On 3
1...PULL"

exactly ;)

I had to yank the hook out of my son's thumb. Not a fun experience. I had watched a similar video previously and my brother had an incident a few years prior where the doctor did the same thing, so I knew what to do.

It saved my son and I a trip to the emergency room and we were able to get the hook out within a couple minutes instead of needing to drive 45 minutes to the hospital and waiting who knows how long to be seen. This is something that everyone should be aware of. You want to get that hook out ASAP and without aggravating the wound any more than you have to.

Great share. Everyone should know this technique. Treble hooks are kinda like riding a motorcycle…there’s two types of riders…those who have laid it down and those who will lay it down. At some point, if you fish plugs, you will have a treble in you.

Jaywalker: "It seems one of the risks of this method is being half-hearted or timid about doing it. I leaned it from an MD years ago who had us practice using a hook impaled on the foamy part of a pair of crutches. Practicing with similar foam, or perhaps better, buying a pigs foot or similar chuck of meat might help get people be confident in doing this.


Personally, I grind my barbs off with a Dremel tool so hope I never have to do this, but I'm glad to know it in case I have to do it on one of you!"

Agreed! You can't be half hearted about it. Important to have the knot clinched down good so it doesn't slip but you do have to do it like you mean it for sure. Quick jerk at the right angle.

This is a great technique that I have used a number of times, always with success. One part that is under emphasized is to have firm downward pressure on the hook shank as this is what stretches the hole out which helps to make room for the barb. It also keeps the barb lined up with the shape of the hole. You need to do this with some force, you can't be tentative about it, so use some strong line (or double weaker line) and use a quick firm snap.