Fish hook in the finger

Well, it was bound to happen. I was trying to dislodge a Chubby Darter from my Rod Locker when it jumped up and embedded itself in my left pointer finger. I tried to remove the hook myself but the pain was too great. So it was necessary to make a trip to Urgent Care where they dug out the small hook and put a single stitch in my finger.

Lessons learned:
– Know where your fingers are at all times
– Don’t snip off the hook unless you know what you are doing.
– A shot of Lidocaine hurts worse then the hook
– Watching the doctor dig out the hook is pretty cool to watch
– The Urgent Care doctors are pretty good in Red Wing

The finger is fine today.

Big Mike

It happens to he best of us… well not me yet, knock on wood. At the ER in Alexandria they have an outline of a body on the wall and mark every spot where they have removed hooks from people. It gets pretty funny by the end of the year.
DT

Quote:

---

It happens to he best of us… well not me yet, knock on wood. At the ER in Alexandria they have an outline of a body on the wall and mark every spot where they have removed hooks from people. It gets pretty funny by the end of the year.
DT

---

It would be interesting to see the chart.

Nuts.

I would have taken it out for free…well, just for the look of pain in your face.

They actually come out pretty easy, and painlessly if they aren’t cut and by using a heavier fishing line. But you would need two people unless you can pull quick and hard with your free hand.

The only time I wouldn’t try the fishing line method is if the hook is close to a tendon. Then it’s up to the experts.

i cringe every time i see this! I have had a few in my hand along with the fish attached, and that hurts! those smithwick rogues have some gnarly hooks on em too! I went to the er too, and the doc couldnt get it out so i ended up pulling it out myself in the hospital room lol

crimp your barbs, problem solved, no barb nothing to lodge in place when you pull the hook back out.

Hook Removal

I’ve printed an article like this and laminated it for my boat. Had to use it to, it works pretty well.

Quote:

---

crimp your barbs, problem solved, no barb nothing to lodge in place when you pull the hook back out.

---

Isn’t there a greater chance of hook coming out of the fish?

Barbless hooks should not come out of the fish as long as you keep proper pressure on it. Some states require barbless hooks for various applications.

I buried two of three hooks from a rapala in my hand once while fishing a tournament. I just manned up and removed them after I got the fish off the other hook. I didn’t want to waste the couple hours it would have taken to go to a hospital and get them removed. Bled quite a bit, but nothing a little super glue and reel tape couldn’t stop.

A good friend of mine tried to hand land a mid 40s musky as he forgot his net in the truck, and when the fish spooked, he ended up with the tail hook of a Suick in his forearm while the front ones were still in the ski that was trying to dislodge him from the boat. Now THAT left a mark!

Haystack two springs ago, hooked my anchor rope with a firetiger blade bait. I started to pull up my anchor rope to retrieve the lure. Opps, buried the treble hook past the barb in my middle finger knuckle. Not knowing what to do (thinking of trying to even get the boat loaded without the use of my hand) still in shock, I twisted the hook 180 degrees and pulled backward really fast and out she came. barely even a drop of blood. Extremely lucky, and still makes me quiver thinking about it.

The last time I got hooked by a treble in the finger I had snipped it, then needle nose plier and forced the point out. That took quite some effort but still a lot less then me trying to yank it out and failing.

Quote:

---

Nuts.

I would have taken it out for free…well, just for the look of pain in your face.

---

That’s just the kind of guy you are, BK

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

crimp your barbs, problem solved, no barb nothing to lodge in place when you pull the hook back out.

---

Isn’t there a greater chance of hook coming out of the fish?

---

Been using the barb-less hooks musky fishing and I haven’t noticed a greater percentage of fish getting off, like said..keep pressure on the line and you should be ok.

But losing a fish is by far (to me) more acceptable than a trip to the ER to have a hook removed.

Al

This is a longer video, but the guy explains it really well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK25DaDKB_c

Wade,
That is a good video. Thanks for the post.

Big Mike

Just trying to be helpful when I can.

Working at Everts a person becomes an expert at taking out hooks…if the guest will let us.

If you ever happen to see the screen saver photo of a Red Jointed Craw Rap stuck in a hand…that River Rat Randy’s hand before I got to the fun part.

The FW left the bait shop and Randy wanted to leave…but I goterdone! He was only white for a little while.

I did it this last summer with a shad rap and it turned out the person I was guiding turned out to be a nurse. It was out in no time and we were back fishing.

Quote:

---

I buried two of three hooks from a rapala in my hand once while fishing a tournament. I just manned up and removed them after I got the fish off the other hook.

---

Right there is the easiest, quickest solution to the problem. Man up and remove them.

My first hook-in-hand was in a remote lake in Ontario fishing for muskies. A 7/0 treble buried to the bend in the meaty portion of my palm below the thumb. A quick yank with some fish line and it was out…..

After that, normal sized hooks just don’t seem like much of an issue……

T

Whew, I thought your post was going to be about a spear in the finger Timmy.

Not yet…..hopefully not ever!!!

OUCH! My worst (so far) was two years ago trolling for muskie. Wound up with one of the treble-hooks of a super Shad-Rap buried in one hand, with the other buried in the 38″ fish, all wrapped in the net. Was by myself, what a mess! I finally got the fish un-pinned and released with fewere injuries than my own…after a lot of looking around feeling stupid and helpless, I opted for the He-Man route and got a good grip with the pliers and yanked.
It worked, with minimal damage…but I don’t recommend it.
Amazing how fast it happens, huh?
-Rev