Abstract: A remotely operable downhole basket for use at the bottom of a fishing string in a well bore has a tubular body. Inside the tubular body is a tubular finger basket having a plurality of slots in which fingers are pivotally mounted. The fingers are normally biased out of the slots into horizontal positions. At the bottom of the tubular body is a tubular opener. The outer side of the tubular opener is in a vertically sliding relationship with the inside wall of the tubular body. The opener is configured at its upper end to push the fingers into their respective slots. The tubular opener has an actuator shoe at the lower end of the tubular opener. The top end of the actuator shoe is adapted to abut against the lower end of the tubular body to stop upward travel of the opener relative to the tubular body. A circular return spring is positioned between the outer side of the tubular opener and the inside wall of the tubular body.