[Mr. Sandman]

A few hook stories:

I feel your pain(s)

I did what I call the semi-snatch method last year to a buddy. While on Nantucket my fishing partner and I were into some big bluefish from the beach. It was a blast. During the blitz he called me over to him. He said, I have a little bit of a problem here..." I look down and see he has one of my new tins on his line. He has one of the prototypes that has a 6X treble on there and one of the hooks is in his hand all the way and I mean deep. He said, can you get it out? oh man....I said I don't know. I can't push it through because of a bone is in the way and I think I would do a lot more damage. Further I don't have anything on me (I was not in my truck, I was a guest) that can cut this hook, these are forged and are tough. After taking the lure off the hook I was able to work it a little without killing him and told him...I can get it out but it is going to hurt, or we can go to the hospital and they will numb you up and dig it out...what do you want to do? He said I want to keep fishing, take it out now! OK, and I did it but I didn't YANK anything I just applied pressure and eventually was able to back it out. It blend like a mofo but we wrapped it up with a gauze and tape and he kept fishing and hooked up on the very next cast. He had thick hands and is a tough sombitch. I can tell you it was painful and he didn't flinch much.

For me, lots of minor ones but only two bad ones....

1) no moon at SW point BI all alone 2:00am Nov, cold nw wind, conditions rough standing on slime covered boccie balls waist deep in waves. Long story but ended up with a bottle plug lodged in my face with trebles in my cheek and one in my eye (or so I thought) blood everywhere, line was tight on the plug and I thought if I fell I would rip my eye out and half my face along with it. Could not make it to shore without hurting myself. Cut the line and removed it on the spot. Lots more blood. Hook went through both eyelids and only scratched my eye. The others were in my cheek. Got them out, (it took some cajones let me tell you to remove them while standin in waves) and I was happy I could see out of that eye when I finally got it out. Went to the doc the next day...everything worked out ok.

2) the last time I had a deep hook in my hand I was again by myself on my boat. caught a mid 20's bass, reached down to lip him and the boat took a funny roll in the rip and a hook was deep in my hand with the fish still attached to the other hook. I reached down with my other hand and pulled the fish on board. It was flapping around and causing me great pain with each of his movements. I was telepathically communicating with the fish and I swear the fish told me..."Who's got who now mf?" It was hard to unhook the fish with my left hand but I pinned with my knee and was able to unhook it. I did the push through, cut and back out method (I have HD cutters on-board). I squeezed some antibiotic ointment in the hole until it came out the other side. And took some oral antibiotics when I got home It hurt like a mofo but it healed up.