So I'm out on the lake....

Hi everyone. I have been absent for a long while now, and just popped in to
check out a few bassing posts.

This one reminded me of my self hooking achievements which I thought I would
also contribute.

A couple of years ago I hooked a 4 pound largemouth on a rapala minnow from
the shore.

As I lip landed it, it gave one last thrash and proceeded to drive a hook
(three trebbles on this rapala) through my right middle finger nail, past
the barb. I had this struggling fish firmly hooked to to my bait and my bait
firmly hooked to my finger, and only my left hand to help out! I am right
handed too, which is why I was hooked in my right hand.

Like you I unhooked the fish and released him first, but was left with the
bait still through my nail, past the barb.

I was an hour from the nearest emergency room, and I did not want to miss
out on the evening bite, so I grabbed my pliers, painfully realigned the
hook so the barb was the same way that it entered, closed my eyes and
prepared for more pain.

Holding the pliers still, I went for broke and just pulled in roughly the
same direction that the hook entered. I remember, after the pain had
subsided, that I was surprised at how hard I had to pull to get my finger
free. The amount of blood also surprised me.

I will always use Gamakatsu hooks these days. The ease with which that hook
went through my nail is testament to how sharp they are. It amazes me that a
bass can inhail a crank and spit it out without hooking up sometimes.

For a month I had a hole in my nail that hooked absolutely everything that
was remotely material related. When it finally grew out I was so happy.

Anyway. Back to lurk mode.

Ciao.

I wish people wouldn't tell stories like this...my finger still hurts
just reading it!

As years go by I'm annually amazed at the fact that I've been able to avoid
being hooked (past the barb at least). Come to think of it, I've still yet
to fall overboard as well!

Talk about the Kiss of Death...

Happy Holidays Everybody!

Warren
--
http://www.warrenwolk.com


"John Kerr" wrote in message
...
I wish people wouldn't tell stories like this...my finger still hurts
just reading it!

"go-bassn" wrote in message
...
As years go by I'm annually amazed at the fact that I've been able to
avoid
being hooked (past the barb at least). Come to think of it, I've still
yet
to fall overboard as well!

So far I've had only minor hook injuries, mostly to my clothes. I have
managed to fall out of a canoe once. Actually I chose to fall out rather
than try to stay in and risk taking the kids with me.

--
Bob La Londe
http://www.YumaBassMan.com

I fell on a Husky jerk and had a treble all the way in the fat part of my
knee while fishing a tournament.
"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...

"go-bassn" wrote in message
...
As years go by I'm annually amazed at the fact that I've been able to
avoid
being hooked (past the barb at least). Come to think of it, I've still
yet
to fall overboard as well!

So far I've had only minor hook injuries, mostly to my clothes. I have
managed to fall out of a canoe once. Actually I chose to fall out rather
than try to stay in and risk taking the kids with me.

--
Bob La Londe
http://www.YumaBassMan.com

Bass_Mr. wrote:
I fell on a Husky jerk and had a treble all the way in the fat part of my
knee while fishing a tournament.

Wow, subsisting on crackers and water in a cold, raging gale
while bleeding profusely from the leg.

I'm willing to concede that for you tournament fishing is a
sport. ;-)

An interesting aside:

http://www.theknese.com/pages/Hemingway.htm

--
Ken Fortenberry

Oh yeah, Baby! I been there.

Bomber 6A and a 2.5 lb bass. My left hand. Hooks went in and ripped
out in three places. Two stuck. One in my thumb and the other in the
side of my middle finger. I slammed the whole bloody mess to the deck
of my Champion and prayed that damn fish would hold still for a few
seconds to let me see the damage and figure out a way to get rid of him.
Every wiggle hurt like hell. I finally got my thumb free and grabbed
the bait and hook, held them steady so I could shake the fish off the
hook that had him.

What a relief to get rid of that fish! Another fellow passing by came
over and I enlisted his aide. But he wasn't able to back the hook out
and didn't want to punch it thru the rest of the way.The barb appeared
to be hung up where your finger bone turns to cartiledge in the tip.
Ended up motoring in, tying up to the Marina dock. Locking all the
compartments. Traveling to downtown Golconda, IL only to find a nice
lady behind a desk at the local medical center.

"No Doctor in Pope County." "Only comes to town once a week." You're
gonna have to go to Rosiclare."

Rosiclare is the nearest hospital and doctor's office and it's in the
next county. Trip over and back, $100 deductible on my insurance,
bandaged finger and a prescription for antibiotics. What fun that was.
He used his biggest hemostat to grab the thing and on the third try it
pulled back out. He said if it had not come out then, he was gonna have
to lay the finger open with a scalpel.

Yeah, I had tried with my needle nose and couldn't move it. That other
guy had tried and said he was afraid I might pass out, but gave it a
good go. I love fishing crank baits, but I am real careful nowadays.

Consider yourself fortunate. I've been hooked past the barb about 10 times.
A few times I've been "lucky" when a thrashing pike gave the hook right back
to me, but it went in and through the flesh and came out past the barb. Then
I just used a cutting pliers to cut off the barb and back out the hook. A
few other times, I've been able to back the thing out myself and three times
I've been to the ER, most recently this August. I've finally learned to be a
little more careful.

"go-bassn" wrote in message
...
As years go by I'm annually amazed at the fact that I've been able to
avoid
being hooked (past the barb at least). Come to think of it, I've still
yet
to fall overboard as well!

Talk about the Kiss of Death...

Happy Holidays Everybody!

Warren
--
http://www.warrenwolk.com


"John Kerr" wrote in message
...
I wish people wouldn't tell stories like this...my finger still hurts
just reading it!