Got a little fish hook story for you. I don't "lip" fish any more because of a close call with a fishing lure. Some times I net the fish, but mostly just reach down with my Boga-Grip and land them that way. Those Boga -Grip tools and others like it keep the fingers a safe distance from sharp hooks. (they also hold the fish closer to the camera so it looks bigger in your pictures) Now in fly fishing, all my hooks are barbless. Makes it easy to unhook a fish as well as unhooking my hat, shirt, or ear. <grin> I even bent down the barbs on all my bass lures.
Well, the other day my son reached down to "lip" a big peacock bass and got a treble hook through the index finger. The guy fishing with him was able to cut the hook off the crank bait. They then pushed the hook the rest of the way through and cut it so it could pass on through and out. A little alcohol wipe and a band aid.......... he kept on fishing. Thank goodness I had a first aid kit, wire cutters, and a good pair of pliers in the boat.
Needless to say....... for the rest of the day Chris checked every lure and used the pliers to bend down all the barbs on every hook. He then netted the fish, and used the Boga-Grip to hold the fish while he used the "long-nose" pliers to unhook the lure.
"Learn from others mistakes, you'll never live long enough to make them all yourself." LOL
Aloha,
Stan