What To Do If You Get a Fish Hook Stuck in the Skin

One of the most common accidents that occur in fishing trips is in the condition where a fish hook becomes stuck in the skin. Almost every fisherman has a story or two about these kinds of situations and they run the gamut from the simple to the very dangerous. There are methods of removing a fish hook that can address the reduction of pain as well as the safety factor to reduce the opportunity for infection.

Fish hooks are not clean and in many cases they have touched bacteria ridden water and even fish that carry diseases that we are not equipped to deal with. Examining the location of the fish hook incident is the first key element. If it is near a joint, tendon, eye, or artery, do not try to remove it. Instead, contact emergency medical for removal.

If the fish hook barb is only lightly within the skin area you can pull the hook out using an opposite direction pull from the direction that it went in. There are two ways to accomplish this:

*Washing hands with soap and water as well as the skin around the hook. If you don’t have soap and water, use a disinfecting solution.

*Place a loop of the fishing line through the fishhook bend so that you can apply a quick jerk and the hook will be pulled out directly in line with the hook shaft.

*Hold onto the hook shaft, push the hook slightly inwards and downwards (away from the hook barb) so that it disengages the barb. Holding a constant pressure to maintain the barb as disengaged, quickly jerk the fishing line and the hook should pop out.

*Thoroughly wash the wound with soap and water and a disinfecting solution. Apply a sterile loose dressing but don’t close the wound with any tape or antibiotic ointment as this might increase the chances of infection. Be on the lookout for any symptoms of infection such as swelling, pain, redness or drainage.

*Washing hands with soap and water as well as the skin around the hook. If you don’t have soap and water, use a disinfecting solution.

*While pulling on the hook, apply a gentle pressure along the curve of the hook. If the hook tip is near the skin surface, you can push the tip through the skin and then cut it off using wire cutters just behind the barb.

*Remove the balance of the hook by pulling it back through the way that it entered the skin.

*Thoroughly wash the wound with soap and water and a disinfecting solution. Apply a sterile loose dressing but don’t close the wound with any tape or antibiotic ointment as this might increase the chances of infection. Be on the lookout for any symptoms of infection such as swelling, pain, redness or drainage.