How to Unhook Fish Safely: Tips for Catch and Release Success

Learn the safest, most effective ways to remove hooks from fish, reduce injury, and improve survival rates.

Sometimes unhooking fish is easy. Other times you may need a pliers or other special tools or techniques to remove the hook. | Joe Shead

Why Safe Hook Removal Matters for Catch and Release

After you've landed your fish, you need to get the hook out. Most of the time it's a simply matter. Just grasp the hook or lure, push back against the direction the hook penetrated and you're done.

But sometimes it gets a bit tricky. Using multiple hooks complicates the issue, and sometimes you'll have a hook or two in the fish and another in the net, making it quite an operation.

Take your time and be careful because the health of the fish depends on it, if you plan to release the fish. Here are some tips on how to unhook fish and how to make it easier.

The Best Tools to Help You Unhook Fish Easily

If the fish has a small mouth and you can't get your fingers on the hook (as in the case of panfish) or if the hook is deep inside the fish's mouth, use a pair of needle-nosed plier, a hemostat or a hook disgorger, which is just a slotted apparatus to push against the hook with. These tools make unhooking easier.

Needle-nosed pliers and hemostats are great tools for unhooking fish. | Joe Shead

How to Remove a Hook from a Deeply Hooked Fish

Sometimes on certain occasions, a fish will swallow a hook and it ends up at the back of the mouth near the gills. Sometimes it is actually easier to retrieve the hook through the gill plate. But be careful if you go this route. The gills are very sensitive and you should avoid touching them. Try to get the lure out between the gill cover and the gills themselves. Cut the line first and then pull the lure carefully out the gill cover. If the fish is bleeding in the gills, it will likely die. If the fish can legally be kept, you probably should keep it.

When Should You Cut the Line or Try to Remove the Hook?

Sometimes a fish really swallows it, especially in the case of bluegills when using a worm on a hook. The hook may be in the stomach and pretty much irretrievable, and doing so would certainly kill the fish.

In this case, cut the line and release the fish (or, the best case would probably be to harvest the fish if you can). The old myth is that the hook will dissolve. That's probably not accurate. But fish can often survive with a hook in them. Studies have shown that sometimes they are able to dislodge the hook themselves. But more often, they may have to live with a hook in them for a while, which is actually quite feasible.

Fish do sustain punctures when eating all the time: think of a bass eating a bluegill and how spiny the bluegill's dorsal fins are. When all else fails, cut the line and give the fish a fighting chance.

Circle hooks are designed to catch in the side of a fish's mouth, reducing the chance of a fish swallowing a hook. | Joe Shead

How to Prevent Deep Hooking with Smarter Gear Choices

There are things you can do to keep from deeply hooking fish.

• Pinch the barb (or use barbless hooks). This makes fish much easier to unhook.
• Consider using offset circle hooks in live bait applications. The round nature keeps the hook from becoming lodged deep in a fish. Rather than set the hook, you simply tighten your line and start reeling. The hook usually lodges sideways in the corner of the fish's mouth.
• Use a larger hook or a jig instead of a plain hook if fish are constantly swallowing your hook. This can make it harder for a fish to take your bait deep.
• Also try setting the hook sooner. 

Respect the Fish and Give Them the Best Chance for Survival

It’s your responsibility as an angler to learn the best tools and methods to unhook fish quickly and carefully to ensure a successful release and support a sustainable fishery. Protect the fish we all enjoy catching and keep your fishing experiences positive, ethical and fun.