How to Remove a Barbed Fishing Hook From Your Skin

Most anglers who fish long enough will eventually find some way to impale themselves on a fish hook. Barbless hooks are easily removed, but a barbed hook presents a more difficult problem. The approach described below seems to work well on smaller hooks. I have never tried it with a larger hook and would suggest seeking medical attention for anything bigger than a size 12 hook. Also seek medical attention whenever a hook is lodged in or near vital tissue.

Things You'll Need

• Cloth (with soap or disinfectant)
• Heavy Monofilament Fishing Line
• Another Person

Instructions

1. Use the cloth and disinfectant to clean the area surrounding the embedded hook.

2. Have another person slide the fishing line around the bend of the hook and then hold both ends of the line in one hand to create a loop of fishing line around the hook bend.

3. Have the other person use his free hand to press downward on the eye of the hook. The goal is to use the metal hook bend to block the barb of the hook and prevent the barb from sinking into the flesh as the hook is removed.

4. The other person, while exerting pressure against the eye of the hook, gives a sharp jerk on the fishing line wrapped around the bend of the hook. This sharp motion will pop the hook out of the skin and the hook bend will act as a barrier that prevents the barb from unduly tearing the surrounding flesh upon removal.

5. Clean the area surrounding the injury and apply pressure or a bandage as needed.

Tips & Warnings

• Fish with barbless hooks. In this instance, an ounce of prevention is certainly worth a pound of cure. If the embedded hook has more than one hook point (for example, a treble hook) use wirecutters to cut off the other hook points before attempting to remove the hook.

• While this method of removing hooks is effective, it will still hurt a bit. Use good judgment in determining whether you can remove the hook without professional assistance. If you have any doubts, seek out a medical professional.

References

• Fishhook Removal (the American Family Physician)