Honest to God, when fishing salmon in the salt I have found the best hook remover to be a gaff. Slide the gaff down the leader and reverse the position of the hook and the gaff. The hook pops right out and you don't have to struggle trying to reach down with a pair of pliers or hook remover. This way I am able to release a fish when it is a lot hotter. The key is to use heavy enough leader so you do not pop it.