I can't be the only one....catching fish with a hook!

Sump Crab · May 10, 2018

Who has used a fishing hook to remove an unwanted fish. One time I had a damsel fish from hell and I simply could not catch him. I did not want to take apart my tank to catch him so I employed my favorite hobby, fishing. I reached into my tackle and found the smallest hook I owned, debarbed it, then baited it. I waited for the damsel to swim where I wanted and lowered the bait to him. He ate it and then I caught him. I took him to the LFS for credit and that was the end of that.

Greybeard · May 10, 2018

Net, fish trap, but never a hook.

I don't see a reason not to, just never considered it

nautical_nathaniel · May 10, 2018

That's actually a pretty common method for some really hard to catch fish, I've almost had to resort to using it myself but thankfully I only have ~20 gallons to fish around in so my fish don't have many places to hide haha

Scurvy · May 10, 2018

Ive seen others mention using a hook but I've never needed to. I've always used a simple two liter bottle DIY trap. It's worked great for me so far.

chris85 · May 10, 2018

You are definitely not the only one.... I have hooked a few damsels, some local fish that I keep, and even a crab. It works great.

Halal Hotdog · May 10, 2018

Very interesting. So how are you guys mitigating harm/damage to the fish with using a hook? Personally I would probably try a fish trap first, but if this works and is relatively harmless to the fish then why not?

AlexStinson · May 10, 2018

Halal Hotdog said:
Very interesting. So how are you guys mitigating harm/damage to the fish with using a hook? Personally I would probably try a fish trap first, but if this works and is relatively harmless to the fish then why not?

By using a barbless hook, then it isn't tearing flesh on the way back out.

chris85 · May 10, 2018

Keep the line tight and as soon as they bite you pull. I usually put a peice of bait big enough so they cant swallow it on the first try.

Halal Hotdog · May 10, 2018

AlexStinson said:
By using a barbless hook, then it isn't tearing flesh on the way back out.

I have fished maybe twice in my lifetime, so my knowledge of hooks is limited. Is the initial puncture something to be concerned about, or does it heal without issue? If they swallow and it goes past the mouth, then is there concern that it will cause severe trauma to the GI tract?

chris85 · May 10, 2018

The hook usually goes through the lip of the fish when you pull. It does make a small hole but heals pretty quick on a healthy fish.

If they do happen to swallow it... yes it can fatally injure the fish. In fact if that does happen it is better to just cut the line for survival purposes

Halal Hotdog · May 10, 2018

Very interesting. If anyone is attempting to do this, would be great if you could make a video. Please do not do this purely to make a video.

MTBake · May 10, 2018

I fished out a chromis years ago using a hook and line. Worked great actually.

revhtree · May 10, 2018

Me and my buddy caught a zoa eating fish on a tiny barb-less hook. Fish was fine and went to a new home. Caught him in 30 seconds. Just had to keep all the other fish off the hook!

revhtree · May 10, 2018

Hope you don't mind but added a poll. @dbl

chris85 · May 10, 2018

revhtree said:
Me and my buddy caught a zoa eating fish on a tiny barb-less hook. Fish was fine and went to a new home. Caught him in 30 seconds. Just had to keep all the other fish off the hook!

What did you use for bait!?! Hopefully it was a cheap zoa.

Vincent100 · May 10, 2018

Yep blue tang that started nipping LPS , was the only way
Lived in my sump for a week than my 170 in the garage and than swapped at my LFS
He was sold to regular customer that has a 6 foot tank and by all accounts he's doing well

revhtree · May 10, 2018

chris85 said:
What did you use for bait!?! Hopefully it was a cheap zoa.

Just frozen food!

Sump Crab · May 10, 2018

Glad to see that I am not the only one who has taken advantage of this tactic. Whats funny is that I do not remember ever reading or seeing anyone mention this as a legit option to remove a nuisance fish.

For those willing to try I obviously recommend an appropriately sized and de-barbed hook. Present the bait in a way that only the fish you want will eat it and once he does snatch him - FAST. Snatching him as soon as he has the bait fully in his mouth will help ensure that you do not hook him too deep. Have a pair of hemostats on hand to remove the hook. This technique is obviously best when targeting an aggressive feeder. Good Luck!

JHuneke · May 10, 2018

I can see this being useful for those trap proof bandits .. but with my luck I’d hook every OTHER fish in my tank first. I imagine all my fish freaking out from their ‘release’ and everybody with a lip piercing [emoji21]