Overview

Do not try to remove a fish hook (seek medical care instead) if any of the following are true:

• The fish hook is in or near an eye.
• The fish hook is in a joint, in a bone, or deep in a muscle.
• You are concerned that removing the fish hook may damage nearby blood vessels or nerves.
• The person who is injured is not calm and cannot help.
• You are afraid to remove the fish hook.

If the fish hook is not near an eye, joint, bone, or deep muscle, and you are confident you can remove it, try these steps.

1. First, cut any fishing line, fish, bait, or lure from the fish hook.

   This is best done with sharp, side-cutting pliers.

2. Use ice or cold water for 2 to 3 minutes to numb the area.
3. If the barb of the fish hook has not entered the skin, pull the tip of the hook back out.
4. If the barb is embedded in the skin, first try the string-pull method (Figure 1).
5. If medical help is not available and the fish hook is deeply embedded in the skin, try the advance-and-cut method (Figure 2).

   If medical help is available, have a deeply embedded fish hook removed by a doctor or nurse.

Figure 1 - String-pull method for removing a fish hook

If the fish hook is not deeply embedded, the string-pull method for removing a fish hook may be used. If removal of the fish hook is too painful, seek medical care. If the fish hook has more than one barb, cut all the barbs off or tape the other barbs so you do not get hurt again.

Step A

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Tie a piece of string, dental floss, or fishing line to the hook where it enters the skin.

Illustration copyright 2000 Nucleus Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.nucleusinc.com

Step B

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Hold the hook with your fingers slightly above where you tied the string. Press down gently about 0.3 cm (0.13 in.) to loosen the barb.

Illustration copyright 2000 Nucleus Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.nucleusinc.com

Step C

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While still pressing the hook down (barb loosened), jerk the string so that the hook shaft pulls the barb out of the skin. When the fish hook comes out of the skin, it may fly or flip out. Take care not to hurt yourself or a bystander with the loose fish hook.

Be sure to clean the wound to prevent infection.

Current as of: July 31, 2024

Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff
Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

Figure 2 - How to remove a fish hook using the advance-and-cut method

If medical help is not available to remove a fish hook, this method is an option. If removal of the fish hook is too painful, seek medical care.

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1. Determine that the fish hook is deeply embedded and cannot be removed by the string-pull method. Use ice or cold water to numb the area.

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2. Push the hook the rest of the way through the skin so the barb comes out through the skin.

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3. Carefully cut off the barb. Wire cutters work.

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4. Remove the rest of the hook by pulling it back out from where it entered the skin. Be sure to clean the wound to prevent infection.

Current as of: July 31, 2024

Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff
Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.