What do you do when...

[Wulfonce]

...a fish swallows a hook so far that it cant be retrieved even with needle nose pliers?

I went fishing yesterday and it happened twice. I ended up cutting off their heads and keeping the meat.

Was that the right thing to do? I don't feel to good about it.

 

[cichlidfinder]

If your commited to releasing the fish the general consensus is cut the line as closely to the hook as possiable and release the fish. It's a crap shoot if the fish will survive though.

 

[Tstove15]

kind of controversial subject....atleast you made a pretty quick death and used the fish for good reasons so no problem with that

 

[L021]

I cut the line close as possible, i've seen fsh survive it.

 

[Wulfonce]

I cut the line close as possible, i've seen fsh survive it.

I have caught a fish with a hook already in its mouth. So I guess they can survive it but who knows if its painful or not?

 

[gt1009]

Most hooks are designed to corrode within a few days, so I'm guessing the fish has a chance of surviving.

 

[phillydog1958]

You feel guilty about cutting off the heads of fish that swallowed hooks? Why fish? Things happen. . . It's OK. Enjoy the meal.

 

[cichlidfinder]

I found this link on total accident while browsing another fishing forum. A similar post was made and I thought wow what are the chances.

This link is for largemouth bass. I don't know if it helps your situation or not but you can give it a try

http://www.a-guide-to-florida-bass-fishing.com/gut-hook.html

 

[Skunkape78]

If it's a saltwater fish, the hooks should deteriorate rather quickly. In fresh, it shouldn't take much longer... I've started using circle hooks due to that issue, less gut hooking... In Florida, you must land most of the fish whole... They'll ticket you in a heartbeat if you fillet or cut the head off before you get to the doc...

 

[Thalan]

I found this link on total accident while browsing another fishing forum. A similar post was made and I thought wow what are the chances.

This link is for largemouth bass. I don't know if it helps your situation or not but you can give it a try

http://www.a-guide-to-florida-bass-fishing.com/gut-hook.html

I had to something like that the other day on a tiny bluegill. I ended up pulling the hook out from under his gill cover and cutting the line.