Gettin' Hooked!

[Apex]

I was out musky fishing last night on my buddies bass boat. We were fishing with three people, which I hate doing for one reason. The night was nearing an end and we decided to fish one last spot, on our unsuccessful night, before it got dark. I made about two casts as well as my buddy when he finally hooked in to something.....ME!!. He lodged a topraider right in the middle of my right shoulder blade muscle. Being hooked before, and knowing he was going to get a lot of greif the rest of his life, I held in my right hook to his face and throwing him off of his boat. After going to the urgent care and them sending me to the ER, 5 hours later we finally got the full hook out. It took 3 stitches and me almost passing out to get me on my way. Any of you guys have any better stories than this????I hope so......

[Mike Wallace]

Don't think it is better, but I had a small pike last year pin my first two fingers together with the same treble hook on a suick.

Fortunately, I pinch down all the barbs just for that reason. I was able to back the hook out, superglue the wounds, and keep fishing.

#1 reason to go barbless - easy to unhook yourself!

[Musky_Madness]

My father in law was backing the boat out of the boat lift when one of my rods was sticking out over the side and I went to grab it as it snagged on the side supports of the boat lift that hold up the lift cover. As I grabbed it, the pole bent, loaded up, and unloaded the small crank bait out of the hook keeper and into my left hand pointer finger, 2nd joint (up from knuckle). After turning white as a ghost when attempting the pliers and hurting like a SOB, I too headed to the ER 30 mins away and had some X-Rays done because they thought it might be lodged in my joint and may have to be surgically removed. Luckily it wasn't and some teamwork of the nurse and doctor, a quick pop of some string, and a grunt by me and it was out. Lesson learned: hooks are always removed before heading back to shore regardless. Plus it keeps a tidier boat as well.

[copterjohn]

Solo musky fishing and reaching into the net, even with 14" long nose pliers has not been the best for me. Thank goodness of knipex, was able to keep fishing for awhile until the bite cooled off. Great fun to have a big fish driving the hook deeper and deeper with every thrash.

[urban cowboy]

I hope this never happens to me.. That looks painfull bro.

[Cold Front Pooch]

When I was a kid my brother was "attempting to fly fish" (He was 7 I was 9) he had his rod with a daredevle on it and he was just slapping it into the water and coming way back on the backswing... well he got me in the lip with the daredevle... There I went into the Moose Lake hospital for hook removal... from my lip.... (Hurt like a bich)

[jda53]

I took out rookie and we were using his boat-he said he had a large net, but it ended up being a small net. He ended up hooking into a 37" pike. I wanted to just let it go boatside after it clearly would not fit in his dinky net. He had never caught a fish this big and dearly wanted a picture with his "trophy". So I tried to grab it by its gill plate and pull it in the boat. Needless to say all I got was his Lil Erine hooks. The fish had 1 last run in her and deeply imbeded the hooks into my ring finger. I ended up having to use a pliers and push the hook through my finger and cut the hook. A little toilet paper and duct tape and I was back fishing. I have never tried to hand land a large fish since, and bought the biggest Beckman they sell that goes with me now everytime I fish. Lesson learned. 1 giant Beckman net is alot cheaper than an ER visit.

[CrowRiverRat83]

Ouch. I will NEVER grab a pike with multiple hooks in it. Even the little snakes are just too hyper. Good call on netting and using a pliers for hook removal. Than you can handle em all you want.

[mainbutter]

I have never tried to hand land a large fish since

It's a skill that takes practice.. and that practice can be dangerous!

[TylerS]

When my little sister was in diapers, my dad decided it was a good time for her to try fishing. So, we gave her a little Snoopy pole. Mom said just to put a plain bobber on because sis wouldn't know the difference being as she was so little and had the attention span of a gnat.

Of course, that wasn't good enough for pop. So he rigged up the pole with a bobber, small jig and worm. Sis, who having watched big bro fish for so long, screamed bloody murder when dad tried giving her a quick casting lesson. So dad backed off. The small, diapered-one wrinkled her brow, pursed her lips and went to the back swing.

God hit time's slow-mo button. The bobber looped in front of pop, trailing a leeder and the small jig, worms flailing in the breeze, leaving a trail of dirt clumps like some slimy, pink comet. Out of the corner of my eye I see the projectile, but am frozen in fear. The rig scoots behind my head...I can feel the 8 pound Trilene brush across the top of my scalp.

Than, as if by some miraculous combination of karma, planet alignment and my s**tty a$$ luck, sis flings the rod forward with all the might her small sausage baby fat arms can muster...firmly lodging the hook into my left earlobe.

The family crowded around us gasps in unison, sounding like someone pried the lid off a giant tupperware container full of overripe tomatoes.

"Huh," sis wonders, "wonder why that didn't work?" And before dad or I can react, potty-trainer in progress is jerking the Snoopy pole with all her might in an attempt to dislodge her lure from whatever is behind her...namely me.

Dad grabs sis, grandpa grabs the rod and I'm grabbing my ear. After several failed attempts at hook removal (hook didn't pass through and backing out is not an option) we decide to jump in the truck and head to the ER.

In retrospect, I wish I had a picture, because you should have seen the looks I got sitting in the waiting room. I figured it must have looked like I just put my earing in backwards, the yellow dangling jig sticking out the back instead of the front. It wasn't until later that I realized what they actually were staring at: the worms wriggling around, stuck between my ear and the jig.

Sis is a lot older now and has become quite the fisherwoman, but to this day, she still tells everyone how I'm her "biggest fish she's ever caught."

[sbro73]

That's when the 50 bucks, you payed for a pair of Knipex, makes the investment so worth it!!!