Proper way to unhook a pike?

[gwright]

So I'm out with 3 other kayakers yesterday and I land among other things 2 nice size pike. These pike while not monsters were larger than I normally catch so when they came in still full of fight I'm a bit embarrassed to say, I wasn't sure of the best way of handling them to get the hook out. As this was strictly catch and release, I didn't want to let them run longer and tire themselves out. So what would be the proper way of holding the fish while taking the hook out?

It looked like Tip-up in a recent post held his pike by grasping the cartilage in the bottom of its mouth/throat.

For the record, both fish took off immediately when released. They didn't need any nursing.

[Gord]

[joco]

hi gwright


you can use long nose and just onhook the hook right in the water IF the hook is at the right place...if not...you sher need those pliers like the one bowzog did show.

I was think the same thing a cople weeks ago and a bit more wen i got those musky and pike frome the yak.. ..


the best tools is the bogagrip...(expensive).

that one frome rappala you see.is a great tool,,but people are saying there realy hard on the fish...the way there made with the teeth on those thing that goes on there lips...do hurt them more..

the guys (mosly) say the simple clip without teeth is better.(for the fish)




I got myslef a pair off vise grip plyers(there more a clap pliyers)....realy nice,,wir rubber tip,,almost made for that job. and in special at canadian tire,,this week 10$ insted off 30$.(aprox) and there just great for the job and they sher wont hurt the fish.

and one more thing that is realy usefull.....a cuting pliers....cuters.

I did got a cople musky that the hook was to bad to get out...so i just cut the hook right there in the water...a lot better then try to get it out sometime.(if its a troble hook....usely you can cut only one part off it etc)...and the part off the hook will desolve,(wit there acide).

and that cuter could be in great help if you or somebody fishing wit you get a hook into is hand,, ...that way you can cut it....faster before the pike or musky get to smash around to mutch.. .

and there always some GREAT pair off glove..industrial glove.

you can get some in rubber and wet them before you toutch the fish(not to get there slime off) and it could save you frome a cople off scare,, .


by the way report/picture frome that little kayak outhing..?


joco.

[dana]

Grab pikebehind thegills..
USE a jaw spreader or you will not get in the pikes mouth for long if he/she wants to close mouth..
use exteneded handle mechanical fish hook disgorger with the
little jaws on the end that open and close...
you can use good pliers etc but IMHO
the jaw spreaders are mandatory

[Noodle]

Got a trailing hook in my hand when trying to unhook a pike right in the water off my canoe last weekend. It wasn't a very big one so I didn't expect him to jump that much when I try to unhook bare handed.

I guess it is always better to hold the fish while unhooking. I'm bringing my rubber glove next time!

The excitement of catching something eased the pain though. Good thing I didn't have to use the cutter. Maybe I should check if the cutter on my plier works on bigger hooks!

[Sof]

I normally net them, keep them in the net for 1min or so to tire them out. Then grab them under the gill plate, be very careful not to touch the gills, just keep your finger on the inside of the gill plate until you reach the part were you can hold em with your finger. Then I use my hand or pliers depending on how its hooked.

[joco]

hi sof.

its is a great way to handle a pike...but usely kayakers dont have a net.

plus i did that a cople off time..and my finger went a bit to far and got scare pretty bad frome there inside teeth...but it is a way to do it.




joco

[Todd B.]

If you're a catch and release fisherman you should be pinching down all your barbs like the majority of the flyfisherman. You might lose the occasional fish but the hooks come right out.

[joco]

here some off tools i use....(the cuter is not there but usely i have it),in case we get a hook in our hands.



those pliers you see are not made for fishing.but they sher make a great job and dont hurt the fish(and now i got 2 ruber that protect frome the metal inside the jaws.


joco.

[gwright]

Thanks for the replies.
Most of may tackle is barbless. I always try and unhook in the water. In this case when I put the pliers on the hook shaft the pike thrashed around so hard smashing into the side of the boat. My goal was to minimize any further injury to the fish. In this case I felt I needed to restrain it while removing the hook to prevent further injury.

I guess I should get a pair of gloves like Joco's. I have paddling gloves but if you're not wearing them when you land a fish , its too late. Your gloves Joco look easy to slip on. I'll also pick up a pair of cutters.

[wolfe]

Something that doesn't take up much room and that we go to when we have a very boisterous pike in the boat is a WET hand towel. It helps subdue the fish and gives you just a bit of a better grip than a bare hand. We just slosh it in the lake and lay it over the pike from back/above, just behind the head. It might not be the optimum method, but it is preferable over letting the fish brain itself senseless in the boat or get tangled in the net and rip its mouth.

I agree that long-nosed pliers are a must and a jaw spreader sure helps when they decide to clamp down tight.

Remember as the water warms up this time of year and into summer, not to play the fish too long if you're releasing them.

W.

[YakAttack]

can you use those lip-grippers/vice grip things on cats as well? I caught a nice channel cat (my scale said 3.5 lbs, but I need to calibrate it to see what the actual weight was) on the weekend (I was with gwright's group of yakkers ) and damn if pike make me nervous then cats make me sweat (teeth I understand - spikey fin-things I don't).

I was holding it under the chin (first time I've tried that - damn it's weird in there - I wish somebody was around to show me how to do this properly) - as I was getting my camera out, the thing thrashed and escaped my timid grip.

I was using a 5" sinking hard jerkbait - damn thing chased it down! Fought like stink but fun like heck! (ok, this was my first channel cat)

I have a net on the yak - I use one of those things you use to mount brooms to your wall - mounted to my cargo bin thing. I also keep a first aid kit with me

[wolfe]

I'm not sure if you'd want to use a metal gripper on a catfish. I believe they have a "soft mouth", comparitively speaking, vs. a pike. I suppose if you were keeping the fish for eating, it wouldn't matter a whole lot, though. Maybe someone else has an opinion on this, but I think a catfish might have a lot more blood vessels / soft tissue in its mouth to be hanging by a metal grip.

???

W.

[joco]

hi yakattack

for cats just use yourhand 2 finger over the dart and the other under the dart,,mmmmm easy to say frome here,,i would have to shoe you live......wen we will get together for some yaking..but myself would not use those plyers for cats....just hand or gloves..watch out for those cats those dart on the side are realy bad,,,, .


joco.