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Before covering the subject of unhooking deeply hooked pike, it is so important to remind each of you that the matter can be avoided in 99% of cases by correctly tackling up. This takes into account the tackle you will be using for either live or dead bait fishing by using good bite indication either from a float or by good visual and audible bite indicators if legering or using sunken float rigs. The way you hook your baits will have a significant effect on avoiding deep hooking, so if in doubt take a look at the pages (1) (2) related to mounting baits as this will further protect the pike and you from deep hooking.

Deep hooking and swallowed baits has affected or will affect every pike angler at some point in their pike fishing. So if it happens or has happened to you, you are not alone. The way some pike take a bait can sometimes create the situation without warning despite every effort we as anglers make to avoid it!

An example of this is sometimes seen with pike on trout reservoirs in the way they deal with baits once taken. I can recall a pike a friend hooked on Ardleigh Reservoir some years ago that taught us both a valuable lesson it pike habits. My friend was float legering dead baits from a boat and after a long period of inactivity he observed the float disappear slowly and then realize the float had not gone off on a conventional run, but was in fact now 2 to 3 inches below the surface and not moving. The dilemma in such situations is whether to strike or not. There should be no doubt normally you should always strike as soon as you are aware your bait has been taken, however the day before we had been chatting to a couple of anglers who fished Ardliegh regularly and they had suggested that if we should get a take or two, that we might like to delay any strike to set the hooks a little! It appears the pike here did not always take off with the bait and early strikes never resulted in a hooked pike!

My friend waited an agonizing ten seconds before winding down to make contact with a pike a couple of ounces over 20lb which was hooked across the mouth, indicating that it had been holding the bait in a position prior to ejection and turning to swallow and could very easily have been missed.

We have now come to understand that these fish clamp on to the bait and 'kill' it before ejecting and turning it for swallowing. This is a phenomena that has been experienced time and again on the trout reservoirs and it relates to them feeding on 1lb or so stock trout, which when seized are capable of escaping if the pike relaxes its grip. So the pike have evolved the method of seizing and holding their prey until they feel it is dead or crippled enough to release and then turn to swallow and not waste energy catching their prey only to see it escape!

What is the relevance of this to deep hooking, well it represents that the pike do not always actually run off after taking a bait and in some circumstances may lay still with the bait in their mouth waiting for a fixed period that is genetically registered in their tiny brain. they then release and turn the bait, swallowing it equally without any further indication to us as anglers. This made all the more easy for it to go unregistered if the float depth setting is not correct or the butt indicator not heavy enough to get the line tight to the bait or any other badly prepared method that gives freedom of movement without registering this at the float or rod.

In contrast there are days when even the most sensitive bite detection can fail us, days when the pike are just ravenous and take the bait without any hesitation and seize and swallow immediately, before even the float has cocked or the drop off indicator attached. In such circumstances there will be nothing we can do, other than have correctly set the hooks in the baits!!!!!

OK, despite all the best efforts you have on the bank a deeply hooked pike. Dependant on the hook trace type and hook spacing you may have one or both hooks down the pikes throat. Whilst some will tell you there is nothing you can do about this and you should just cut the trace and let the pike go, it is important that you do not do this!

So what should you do? If you are a novice with no experience check to see if there are any experienced pike anglers around to help you, if not you should consider trying to unhook the pike yourself. If it is a commercial fishery see if the bailiff or owner can help.

OK you are on your own, if you are correctly equipped you should have a good pair of forceps, of reasonable length in your tackle bag and if you follow the example shown in the picture above you should be able to attempt to unhook your pike. You should start by either lifting the pike up off the ground or by kneeling astride it, holding it up so the head is raised and the mouth open. You will need either a friend to pull the trace or you can do this by gripping the swivel between your teeth. An alternative method is a piece of leather and a hook made from a paper clip for you to hook into the swivel and to hold the leather in your teeth.

The idea here is to pull the hook and throat flesh outwards enough to expose the hook shank, it will come despite appearing impossible, just maintain a firm pull until the hook appears and then insert the forceps carefully through the gill rakers and get a firm hold on the shank if the hook. If you have followed our advice and used semi barbless trebles you will have only one arm of the hook to worry about. Once attached turn the forceps in a clockwise and or anti-clockwise rotation until the barbless hooks are free, then carefully work the barbed hook free and then push the released hook(s) out of harms way and take your forceps out through the gill rakers.

If you are unable to release the barb on any hook, then the other option is cut that hook off the treble with some side cutters, you may have to do this through the gill cover again so be extremely careful. Try to make every effort to avoid wearing any gloves whilst doing this as these can snag up on the rough gill rakers and you could break or tear the rakers when trying to get your glove free, no gloves no problems!

In the event that you fail to release your hooks in any way please do not just cut the wire in an attempt to conceal the deep hooking, it will likely seal the fate of you pike resulting in its death from a sealed throat. Whilst it is a somewhat controversial statement to make, cut the line at the swivel and leave the trace in place, place the fish in a carp/pike sack or tube until you are ready to leave the fishery, someone may come along who can help you later in the day, so keep your eyes open! In the event that you have to leave, then take the pike from the sack and release the fish, it is possible that it will be caught again and the angler who catches it will be able to remove your hooks, many of us have done over the years. We can't do this if you cut the wire!

Finally please consider getting equipped with long forceps, side cutters, handling mats and the leather tag for holding the trace and always ensure you set your tackle up correctly and prepare yourself for the task should you deep hook any pike in the future, it can be done so please do try to learn how. Hopefully the description here will help you take the right steps. If you are able to fish with an experienced pike angler discuss this with them and ask them to show you how to unhook pike safely. Thanks for reading this page!
Good pike fishing.