Seems to me, if you can remove the hook without doing too much damage, that
would be better than leaving it in and cutting the line.
Once, I hooked a small bass deep in its mouth, near the gills, and that's
how I was finally able to get the hook out. There's always a lot of debate
about whether the hook dissolves or not, whether it's OK to just cut the
line or not. I try to remove the hook, if possible, especially if it's in a
location that could interfere with the fish's ability to eat.

There's my 2 cents...

Bass Wishes from South Florida
Jack
http://www.bassguidesoftware.com

"James Luning" wrote in message
...
Just a question.
Tonight I hooked a 5lb'er. The hook penetrated that area behind the tongue
and removal was impossible. Over the years, when this happens, I've
always cut the line and let the fish go with the hook in.

Tonight I tried something different. I cut the line and pulled the hook
out by pulling the shank out. The hook was a 3/0 offset. So the bend in
the top of the hook caused some resistance.
There appeared to be no damage, but there was a fair amount of blood.

What are the chances of the bass surviving? Just an opinion, of course.

Thanks