Easy way to unhook panfish.

[Stephen lutz]

One day when drift fishing I noticed a fish being put back in the water with a hook still in the fish. The fish died, and a Bald Eagle picked it up.

I decided then and there to make a better version of the stick broke off the tree fish hook remover my partner used for years and never broke a line or left a hook in a fish.

Check this out. I am not trying to sell you anything. If you want one a 1/4 in stick off any tree works fine. This one is a little better and I put a line cutter on it for easy of changing hooks and jigs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_Hfb1DQ8lw

Steve

[Stephen lutz]

David

The tool I called Fishing Buddy, and can be seen at http://www.fishingbuddyunhook.com/.

Send me a email and I will try to give you a great deal on one. I would like to see what you think. [e-mail]

Thanks

Steve

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Im all for using hook disgorgers; I carry one. I hope my comments werent taken the wrong way

I'd like to see it without video - I'm on a small data allowance. What is the name of the tool?

[Stephen lutz]

Trevor

I have probably released over 500 fish that swallowed the hook with this tool and have not killed one.

Using other tools I bet the kill rate was 10%. I have fished for 55 years and believe in catch and release.

You don't want to try it fine. That is your choice. I got 5 emails from guys who use this all the time.

Thanks for looking.

Steve

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Ive made my own from 1/4" tuning for years. Whatever works.

I'm a big believer in proper handling for release, however. It isnt the hook that kills them, unless it gets into and tears up their gills. Rather, it is long "playing" periods and ham-handed manhandling that does them in.

- The stress of catching them is more than we know. We wear them out setting the drag just so, letting OUT line to enjoy the sport longer and so on.

- Then we haul them out of the water, roll them up in a dry, dirty bath towel and commence bare-handed, live surgery to get the hook out.

If at all possible, get the hook out within the time it takes to hold your breath. If it is going to take longer, researchers say to use common thin-wire, steel hooks and just leave the hook in. It will rust away in a few weeks and the fish wont be bothered by it in the meantime.

Stainless and plated hooks are out, in other words. Yep, stop buying the most expensive, space age hooks and use the value-pak ones. Hone the point yourself to break through the lacquer coating, so the hook will start rusting sooner. You'll save money and do the fish a favor.

If you simply must handle the fish to get that hook out, do it with wet hands and IN the water to the greatest degree possible. If you can stand it, wear surgical gloves so your funky, wormed up, biscuit-eatin' hands won't contact the skin of the fish.

Fish are covered in a slime coat that is PROTECTIVE - it keeps bacteria and other microbes from entering their systems. Using rags, dry filthy hands and moth-eaten garden gloves wipes this slime coat off and exposes them to bacterial attack. It wont kill them right away, but it ups the odds of a later death from disease.

SO get em in quick and use plain steel hooks. If you are going to remove the hook, do it in the water, don't take long to do it and if necessary, leave the hook in.

[Joe Angelucci]

If you are going to C&R, the object is to release the fish with minimum trauma as possible. Lots of products on the market with most under $2.00. The object below is  Sensas Disgorger. The tool is great for small and very small fish.

[Trevor]

Your gona kill every fish you catch flinging them around like that