Finally joined the club...

[3dkicker]

Mile high club you ask??? No but it's still on the bucket list

AARP??? Nope got a few years. Bama's got me beat

Yep I finally deep hooked myself while fishing. Came real close years ago in a canoe fishing a Rico and hooked a smallie that went crazy in the boat and the tip of the hook buried itself but didn't go in above the barb. In my 17 years of tournament bass fishing I had never stuck myself and that all changed last Sunday.
Fishing the PVA we were in a feeder creek and had hit a quick limit on a RC Wake along a grass edge. The tide changed so we made a run to the back and fished out. I started throwing a floating worm but hit a 3.43 lb snakehead. Since there was a $100 bounty on biggest snakehead I switched back to the Wakebait thinking I'd catch a couple more bass and a good snakehead on it. Hooked up with another smaller snakehead and swung him into the boat. As the fish began it's dance, think Tazmanian Devil on crack, I thought to myself that I might want to get my leg away from the fish.....Too Late!!! Front hook grazed my shin and drew blood but the back hook dug in. Now I had the #2 buried in my shin and the 2.5lb snakehead hanging from the front hook . After a few painful seconds I got hold of the fish and removed the hook from it's mouth. I then took the back trailer hook off the Wakebait leaving it in my leg. Pulled out a towel and wiped off the blood from both wounds. My partner tried the string method to remove the treble hook using 30lb Power Pro but found that all it did was lift my leg when he yanked. I attempted to work the bait out myself using the string method but because the eye was pinned against my shin bone I couldn't get the barb back enough and it just dug deeper into my leg . Now I had to make a decision. Call it a day with the 10lb limit of fish and head in to get it removed or suck it up and fish. Since I was fishing with a Veteran I said screw it and found another LC bait with similar sized hooks, put the new hook on the RC, and kept on fishing. I caught two more snakeheads, one of which straightened out the front split ring, on the Wakebait but never could find a big one that would hit it. Still we culled our first limit and picked up some nice specks and had a great day fishing.
Went through weigh in and got a few comments along the way. Unloaded the boat and did the normal conversations with other participants and a few people noticed but some did not. As I walked over to the picnic area and a guy looked at my leg, walked over to me, and asked pointing at my leg and asked "Is that real?" I waited to see how we did at the weigh in tent, grabbed a bite to eat, and then afterward packed up and headed down the road to the local hospital to get it taken out.
Didn't take too long and got an experienced PA who cut the hook and pushed the point through. Glad he decided to use some Novocaine first because it took 3 or 4 attempts for him to get it through commenting "You've got some tough skin."

Yep! I'm a proud member!!!!

PS the Tetnus shot stings a little when you get it but that SOB hurts about 8 hours later!!

For those who faint at the sight of blood look away now...



For a closer view "Lookah Here!!".....I love Bill Dance.



And post procedure view

[66KingFisher]

Ouch......

[bamabassman]

THAR IT IS!!!! welcome to the "club" smitty. yeah, them shots do hurt a little. mine hurt for about 4 hrs later on, more like sore as all get out. but it didn't hurt near as much as my ol foot did. still got a little knot too.
glad oyu are ok for real man. that went in deep buddy.

[3dkicker]

Took me a while but finally got to post them.

Posted a few more pics on the PVA thread back on the Bragging page with a nice bass and speck if you haven't seen them.

[keithdog]

Man, that looks nasty. So far, knock on wood I havn't joined that club and I hope to be saying that when I finally make my last cast. Hopfully that the last time you will experience that!

[Embrey]

i usually just take another hook and straighten it, then poke down where the barb is and peel the meat back,then just pull it out. works pretty good.

[carolina-rig-01]

I stuck one in my shin in the exact same area last year in a big money tournament at about 9:00 in the morning. I went to the E.R. to get it removed but not until after the weigh in that day and because I waited so long I got to take some antibiotics for a week or so.

Sorry about your leg, hope it heals soon.

[bcklash]

I'm a 2 time member The string method worked both times. But niether one of mine looked that bad Smitty, OUCH.

[3dkicker]

Originally Posted by carolina-rig-01

I waited so long I got to take some antibiotics for a week or so.

Luckily no infection in mine. Got the script for anti's but ended up that I didn't need them. Actually I left MD and drove home to VA to change vehicles to head to another part of the state to work away from home at a camp for 4 days. Forgot the paperwork in the tow vehicle....

[keithdog]

Originally Posted by Embrey

i usually just take another hook and straighten it, then poke down where the barb is and peel the meat back,then just pull it out. works pretty good.

USUALLY??? How often do you do this???

[Bubba_Bruiser]

Originally Posted by keithdog

USUALLY??? How often do you do this???

Got a chuckle off of that one KD.

Man, I hope that is one club I never join. Been close a few times, but no cigars...yet.

[rrw4258]

Welcome to the club... I got one last year, right in my finger. I just had a buddy yank on it few times, and it came right out with some meat on the hook. I did have a few choice words for him though, while he was yanking it out!

Ryan

[Embrey]

Originally Posted by keithdog

USUALLY??? How often do you do this???

well ive personall never done it,lol.at least not to the barb. but ive taken a few out of other people on the boat.(and no i didnt hook them,lol.)

[Old Hooker]

I joined the club in April of this year. Caught a 2.5 lb Largemouth on a Bomber Fat Free Shad crankbait with the T3 hooks. About the time I lipped him he shook his head and buried the rear treble in the index finger of my right hand. I had a hellava time getting the hook out of his mouth and getting him to hold still at the same time. I was alone in the boat so I used the pliers in my tackle box to turn and push it through my finger and cut off the end and pull it out. Yes it hurt like he!!, but I couldn't imagine trailering my boat by myself with that hook in my hand and driving to the ER. I could post a pic if I could figure out how to get it from my phone. I don't recommend anyone join this club unless you ain't wrapped real tight in the first place.

[Bassboss]

Son of a B that looks like it hurt! First thing when I saw the pic I though was in the bone and didn't think the line trick would work. Musta sucked getting it yanked around like that, lol. Call me a stupid kid, but I can't wait to be parta the club... I wanna try the line trick. Heck, I've considered jamming one in my leg just to see if I can get it out like that... lmao.

Good job ballsin' it out though, lol.

[3dkicker]

Once I got the fish off the crankbait the pain dropped off quite a bit. At one point during the day my partner got his bait stuck in the pads and I was happy to crawl down and grab it out......yeah that hurt a little. By weigh in time it didn't hurt at all and was mostly numb.

When you fish with a guy who doesn't have use of both of his legs you kind of put things in perspective......what's a little hook in the leg compared to what he deals with on a daily basis?