How To Unhook A Carp Correctly

For those who are inexperienced or worried about causing mouth damage, the best piece of advice we can give is to use barbless hooks. The long-running ‘Barbed vs. Barbless’ debate—often wheeled out on social media to stir up engagement—will no doubt rage on for decades, but that’s not a discussion for now. The simple truth is this: barbless hooks are far easier for anglers to remove. We’ve put together a 10-point guide on how to boost the holding power of a barbless hook [link here], but right now we’re focusing on how to reduce the risk of mouth damage when using a barbed hook. Because if the unhooking process is handled carelessly, it can cause real harm—here’s how to avoid that.

1. Pop it out
The correct way to unhook a carp is to simply ‘pop’ the hook out by applying steady thumb pressure to the eye of the hook, pushing down the shank in the opposite direction to which the point entered.

2. Guide it out
While applying pressure with your thumb, use your forefinger and middle finger to keep the hook straight, preventing it from moving side to side.

3. Use forceps
If you’re really struggling to remove the hook, a pair of forceps will make the job much easier. Grip the shank with the forceps and apply steady downward pressure to ease the hook out.

4. Snip the point off
If the hook point has gone in and come back out of the flesh, don’t try to pass it back through, as this can cause serious damage to the carp’s mouth. Instead, snip off the point and barb, then gently pass the rest of the hook back through.

3 Must-Have Unhooking Tools

Carp Care Kit
This should be as essential to you as your Scope rods and Baitrunners. It’s a must-have product. There are various versions available, all designed to do a similar job: disinfect and protect the fish’s mouth (or lifted scales) after unhooking.

Forceps
A decent set of forceps makes removing a well-embedded hook far easier. Go for short-arm versions, as they offer much greater control and precision.

Pliers
A pair of pliers is another essential item. If you find yourself in the unfortunate position where the hook has gone through and back out of the skin, you’ll need to snip off the point and barb cleanly to avoid causing further damage.