Deep hooked pike

[Maddison_Twatter]

I was on the bank today talking to a pal and we got onto the subject of pike, more precisely deep hooking.
I told him this had never happened to me but if it were to happen Id cut the trace as far down as possible and let the pike do the rest over time.

He then told me someone had told him they pull the trace until the guts come out its mouth , unhook , then let the pike swallow its guts back down !!
Well my jaw dropped, he told me he had the same reaction.
I just wondered if the technique has any substance or if its just a wind up !!

[barbelblanker]

Check out the PACG website as it's a mine of info on pike handling and does also mentioned deep hooked pike.

[tjnorton]

depending on how deep, placing the pike on its back allows easier unhooking of deep pike.

tj

[Lman]

this info is true and is on the PAC web site.
The pike stomach can be pulled into the throat and the trebles removed
http://www.pacgb.co.uk/tips/deephook.html

I have performed this once on a fish not caught by me but someone fishing near me who was having probs, panicing more than anything. Both trebles removed and the fish swam off strongly after recovering in a tube.
Deep hooking can be easily avoided with correct bite detection and no delay in setting the hooks.

[count zero]

Its all true in fact I had to do it to a fish I caught on sunday that had the end of someone elses trace hanging out of its mouth. The trouble is on my local canal people go fishing for pike without considering what they are going to do if they actually hook one! When they do they panic and I think a lot of them just cut the line and let the fish go, over the last month I have caught three pike with old traces in their mouths/throat including one that was only hooked in the roof of the mouth.