[6]
UNHOOKING GEAR
Standard unhooking tools are not up to the task
of removing lures from pike. Mostly this is
because of the size of the hooks involved. Even
small lure hooks are larger than those used
for bait fishing, and forceps cannot get a sufficiently
strong grip to lever the hooks, especially if
two points of a treble have taken hold. A pair
of long nosed pliers is a far better bet as
the jaws of these will not twist out of alignment
when you are turning hooks. Buy the best pliers
you can afford, cheap ones have a tendency to
rust and can be made of a very soft metal, little
stronger than forceps. Two pairs are worth having,
one longer than the other. Use the shortest
pair you can get away with as they provide the
greatest leverage. Having two pairs of pliers
also ensures that you have a spare. Deep water
has a magnetic attraction for heavy objects!
I have heard that filing a slot in the jaws
of your pliers improves the grip they offer
on the hook, and intend to try this myself.
One
tool that is well worth investing in, and which
I use more and more frequently is the Baker
Hookout. The trigger operation of the Hookout
gives exceptional grip, and its 10" length and
slim profile make it easy to work inside a pike's
mouth with. A tool that I find little need for
with crushed barb hooks, but carry just in case,
is a pair of sturdy wire cutters. Mine are actually
small bolt croppers, well able to cut through
the thickest hooks if necessary. Buy decent
quality cutters, it is always money well spent.
Cheap cutters are made from inferior materials
and often fail completely to live up to their
name when it comes to the crunch - this is another
lesson that I, and others, have learned the
hard way. I tested my cutters at home on a spare
hook, and didn't wait until the need was urgent
to discover that the cutters wouldn't do the
job. At a pinch you can sometimes use the cutting
part of your unhooking pliers to cut up hooks.
Another case where good quality tools have the
edge over cheaper ones. It is always far better
to cut a hook to free the lure rather than prolong
the unhooking procedure, and there is no excuse
for ripping a hook out of a pike.
My
unhooking tools are carried about my person,
or in one of my lure carriers so they are always
instantly to hand. The Hookout slips nicely
in a tube of a plug pipe. A belt with appropriate
holsters would be a nice idea - fine nosed pliers
soon poke their way through pockets! A protective
case is not a bad consideration for sharp nosed
tools like pliers and scissors.