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