Beginner's Guide: How to Safely Unhook a Fish

How to Safely Unhook a Fish

It's important that you learn how to safely unhook a fish. You're going to catch some fish that have very sharp, spiky fins on their back called the dorsal fin. If you don’t know how to handle these fish properly, their spikes will stab you, and it’s really gonna hurt. If the fish is small enough to fit in your hand while taking the hook out, follow the steps below to avoid getting stabbed while holding it. You want to push the dorsal fin down along the fish’s back, starting from the top of the fish’s head:

Step 1: Make sure whatever hand you’re going to hold the fish with, the outside of your pinky finger is in front of the first spike of the dorsal fin.

Step 2: With your hand over top of the upper back and/or head of the fish, and your pinky finger touching the bottom of the first spike on the dorsal fin, slide your hand back towards the tail of the fish. This will cause the dorsal fin to fold down underneath your hand, allowing you to safely hold the fish.

Step 3: Once you have a good grip of the fish, remove the hook. You can either use your fingers or the pliers in your tackle box. If the fish has teeth then you should probably just use the pliers.

Note: Sometimes the hook can be in there really good. You may have to apply more force and pull harder than you’d think. Don't be afraid of hurting the fish. Simply make sure you’re pulling the hook out the same way it went in.

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