Leaving the hook to save the fish

[r!der]

When it is better to leave the hook and cut the line? I know when saltwater fishing, if the fish you intended to release swallows the hook or it's too deep it's better to cut the line. (since hooks will eventually rust away in saltwater) What about when fresh water fishing? Do you ever leave the hook in?

[DarkShadow]

I crimp all my barbs, so I've never left a hook inside a fish ever since I started doing that.

Dunno the survival rate in freshwater, as I know I've caught fish with hooks in them that look to be made in the turn of the last century.

[INDOANGLER2]

Yes, cutting the hook is a lot better than trying to yank it out. Even if the hook doen't come out, the'll survive, I caught a lot of fish with hooks in the mouth. I've caught a fish with 3 hooks once. They'll keep eating.

[fish_sauce]

i carry with me a pair of long handled Snap-On cutters when the fish are gut-hooked or tongue-hooked. The hooks could be easily snipped into two and removed with a needlenose without drawing blood or doing much harm to the fish. If the hook barb/tip is too deeply embedded inside the tissue, at least you could remove a good part of the hook shank from the fish without doing further damage to that area.

While removing the hook, i try to keep the fish in the water and/or on a wet surface...and then move it back and forth in the water for oxygenated water to pass through its gills. Eversince i've been doing that, my successful release rate of gut hooked fish has improved dramatically.

people say that hooks rust withing weeks or so...but there's been instances where i've caught and released the same bass (identified by a missing left gill plate and deformed fin) multiple times over the course of two years (fishing the same spot in the bay at newport) and a hook (looks like an owners) remains lodged in its mouth cavity. Those things take forever to break down and deteriorate!

[trashetanush]

i carry with me a pair of long handled Snap-On cutters when the fish are gut-hooked or tongue-hooked. The hooks could be easily snipped into two and removed with a needlenose without drawing blood or doing much harm to the fish. If the hook barb/tip is too deeply embedded inside the tissue, at least you could remove a good part of the hook shank from the fish without doing further damage to that area.

While removing the hook, i try to keep the fish in the water and/or on a wet surface...and then move it back and forth in the water for oxygenated water to pass through its gills. Eversince i've been doing that, my successful release rate of gut hooked fish has improved dramatically.

people say that hooks rust withing weeks or so...but there's been instances where i've caught and released the same bass (identified by a missing left gill plate and deformed fin) multiple times over the course of two years (fishing the same spot in the bay at newport) and a hook (looks like an owners) remains lodged in its mouth cavity. Those things take forever to break down and deteriorate!

What he said. +1

[fishincrave]

i just cut the line as short as possible and let the fish swim back without any extra stress.
i've caught trout with hooks in them many times even caught trout with a hook and a senko with a hook on it still , that fish deserved to live another day lol.