Tom Rowland | How to Remove ANY Fish Hook from Your Hand | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 858

Tom Rowland, professional fishing guide and host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, demonstrates the critical technique for safely removing fish hooks from hands after getting hooked while bonefish guiding. When a hook goes through your hand, the method you choose matters—and having the right tools makes all the difference. In this How To Tuesday episode, Tom reveals why standard needle nose pliers won't work on hardened chemically-sharpened hooks, the specific technique he used to remove a hook from his own thumb, and the one tool every angler should carry in their fishing bag. If you've ever wondered what to do when you or your fishing partner gets hooked, this episode could save you from making a painful situation worse.

Why 130 Comments Said "Just Cut the Hook"

After Tom posted a video of a hook going through his hand during a bonefish trip, nearly every one of the 130 comments offered the same advice: just cut the hook. It sounds simple enough—snip the hook below the barb and slide it out. But there's a critical problem most anglers don't realize until they're in that situation. The way the hook entered Tom's thumb made it nearly impossible to get any pliers close enough to make the cut. Hardware store needle nose pliers won't cut hardened, chemically-sharpened hooks no matter how hard you squeeze. Tom explains exactly why the "just cut it" solution isn't always an option and what he had to do instead. The full explanation of why cutting didn't work starts at 1:36.

The Bend-and-Push Method Tom Used on His Own Thumb

When Tom couldn't cut the hook, he had one option left: bend the barb down and push the hook back through. Using a piece of celery as a demonstration stand-in for his thumb, Tom walks through the technique step by step. The hook had already gone completely through his hand, which gave him a chance to work with it differently than if it had only partially penetrated. This method requires the hook to have passed through far enough to access the barb from the other side. Tom details the exact process he used, the risks involved, and why this was his first hook-in-hand experience after years of guiding. Tom demonstrates the bend-and-push technique starting at 2:08.

The One Tool Tom Now Carries in Every Fishing Bag

After this experience, Tom made a decision that every serious angler should consider. He bought three or four pairs of Danco Lunar hook and wire cutters and placed them in every fishing bag across all his different boats. These aren't regular pliers—they're specifically designed to cut hardened fishing hooks and wire with ease. Tom demonstrates the dramatic difference between trying to cut a chemically-sharpened hook with hardware store needle nose pliers versus the Danco Lunar cutters. One fails completely; the other cuts through effortlessly. If you fish with treble hooks, this tool becomes even more critical because there may be only one way to remove a treble hook safely. Tom shows the side-by-side comparison of pliers at 2:21 and demonstrates the Danco cutters at 3:03.

Safety Precautions and What to Do with Treble Hooks

Tom emphasizes wearing safety glasses when cutting hooks because of what happens when the hook snaps. The cut piece can fly unpredictably, and if you're dealing with a hook that was just in your hand, having it bounce into your eye creates a new emergency. Tom also addresses the treble hook scenario—arguably the most dangerous hook situation for anglers. Sometimes luck isn't on your side and the hook doesn't go all the way through. Sometimes you can't bend the barb down. In those cases, cutting is the only option, and you need to get right below the barb. Tom walks through proper cutting technique, where to position the Danco pliers, and what happens once you make the cut. The safety and treble hook discussion begins at 3:10.

Final Thoughts from Tom

This was my first time getting a hook in my hand after years of guiding, and it taught me something important about preparation. I thought I had all the tools I needed until I actually needed them. The difference between the right tool and the wrong tool isn't just convenience—it's the difference between removing a hook safely and making a bad situation worse.

What surprised me most were the comments. Everyone said "just cut it," but they didn't understand why I couldn't. The hook placement, the type of pliers I had at the moment, the hardness of the hook—all these factors matter. I demonstrated both methods in this video so you can see exactly what works and what doesn't when you're dealing with hardened hooks.

If you fish regularly, especially with treble hooks, you need to watch this. The demonstration with the celery and the side-by-side plier comparison shows you exactly what to expect. And hopefully, you'll add the Danco Lunar cutters to your kit before you need them, not after. This one's short but could save you a trip to the ER.