What do you guys use for hook extractors (cats)

There are times when that doggone hook is just stuck and it’s not coming out by using your fingers.

I bought a long handle needle nose pliers that has an angle at the tip. The angle piece wasn’t such a good idea as the pliers needs to be just at the right angle to put enough pressure on the hook to remove it.

So, I’m looking for the best tool to remove them.

What are you guys using?

I find these to work very well, the tip is alot stronger than a needle nose pliers and holds the hook ALOT tighter allowing me for easy removal.See attached link .. long reach plier available at most Northern Tool stores

Berkley has plenty of good pliers for that job!

http://berkley-fishing.com/products/tools-equipment/286?page=1

That 13″ one looks good. I want to find a pair of good, narrow snips. If a hook is deep, I’d like to cut off the barb when possible before trying to extract the hook.

hook out.

I use a chunk of broom handle. I have bobby sit on thier back,wrap the line and give it a good yank! Works every time

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I use a chunk of broom handle. I have bobby sit on thier back,wrap the line and give it a good yank! Works every time

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That only works on muskies and walleye. Plus, you forgot the step where you anesthetize the fish by clubbing them with the broom handle once or twice.

I usually end up using my leatherman, but lately have been using a Rapala long-nosed pliers that was in the bottom of my dad’s boat. It springs open and has grooves which grip the hook really well – plus it’s about twice as long as the leatherman.

I’m with pug on snipping the hook, but usually if I can see the barb I just pinch it shut and the hook comes out nicely. Hooks are plenty cheap to do that – and it makes a good excuse to change the hook and get a nice fresh one on.

The good old stand by Baker hook out.

I use a Rapala long nose pliers. I’ve also been pinching the barbs down on my hooks since my first trip to Lockport over 10 years ago. I don’t think I’ve lost any cats because of doing that. Even a partial pinch helps a lot. I like the quick release, especially when you hook the accidental snapping turtle like I did yesterday.

I use pliers, the floor of the boat, my leg, the heel of my hand and/or my fingers, depending on what’s available and how stuck is the hook. Often it’s just easiest to line the fish and the hook up so you can push in on the shaft of the hook, for which I use the floor of the boat, my hand or my knee.

Circle hooks seem to come out best by just turning them like you’re trying to unscrew the cap of a bottle.

As for tools all I carry is a few old needle-nose pliers and often a needle-nose vice grip I got at ACE Hardware for $9.99.

Call me a cheapo, but I’ve always used a long pair of locking-forceps with a bent tip… You can usually pick them up for a couple dollars a pair in the bulk bins at hardware stores…

-Mike

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Call me a cheapo, but I’ve always used a long pair of locking-forceps with a bent tip… You can usually pick them up for a couple dollars a pair in the bulk bins at hardware stores…

-Mike

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Cheaper the better – no problem there, but are forceps strong enough with the big hooks and strong jaws involved in flathead fishing? Can’t see them holding up. They’re great with smaller fish, though.

I’m pretty new to flathead fishing, so in about a year I’ll tell you how they’ve worked…

-Mike

The baker pliers work fine for me, whether its crappies or musky’s, cheap yet strong enough to grab a hook tight enough to get it out, plus the longer version works well for toothy critters that you don’t want to stick your hand near their mouth.

Plus even left out to rust they still work well, not so with the needle nosed pliers I’ve used.

Al

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Call me a cheapo, but I’ve always used a long pair of locking-forceps with a bent tip… You can usually pick them up for a couple dollars a pair in the bulk bins at hardware stores…

-Mike

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Cheaper the better – no problem there, but are forceps strong enough with the big hooks and strong jaws involved in flathead fishing? Can’t see them holding up. They’re great with smaller fish, though.

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I agree. Every time I’ve tried to use a forcep on anything tougher than a decent sized bass I end up bending the tips. I have a small pair of angled needle-nose that I got for like 3 bucks up at JR’s in Brooklyn Park that work awesome. Small enough to fit in a jeans pocket, tough enough to get a 14/0 J hook out of a flattie’s jawbone.

I use this for bigger game fish. They are very easy to use and at just shy of 16″ they can get into the hard to reach areas of a fish’s mouth.

Where the h3ll do you get something like that?

I want one!

I think I picked mine up at Thorne Bros. originally for muskies. I don’t know how many times this thing has saved me from a trip to the hospital or a dead fish. It’s easy to use and you can pull or push the hook out. I think it was around 15 bucks.

Just trusty needle nosed pliers for me.

my hand, needle nose pliers, or locking forceps…