Big Hooks + Mad Fish = Ouch

**chad** · #1 08-21-2009, 07:43 AM

I don't post things I receive in emails, but this looks real and sounds like it happened in the GOM. I hope this is not a repost...I have not seen it before anyway.

All I can say is "OUCH".

Here is the STORY....

We started fishing marlin at sunrise on the first morning. For the first couple of hours it was uneventful. Finally we get a bite that turns out to be a "trophy" barracuda. Jeff, our mate leaders the fish and as usual lifts the fish up, grabs it under its gills/throat area for a firm hand hold with one hand to dislodge the 12/0 hook with the other hand. This goes well as usual until the hook is out and cuda starts to flop violently at the same time. Jeff has dropped the hook at the precise time the cuda starts to flop. The cudas tail smacks the hook and flips upward. Jeff's reaction is to shove his forearm forward and drop the cuda at the same time. Some how...... this move flips the hook high above his head and the hook lands with the business end down upon his cheek. The cuda falling back into the water lands across the leader and sets the hook into Jeff.

I only hear "KENNETH" yelled a couple of times loudly before I look back to see what is happening. I see Jeff with the 12/0 hook set hanging out of his cheek and my heart just sinks.
I ask Kevin to drive the boat and I scurry down the ladder to take a look. The crew has already cut the leader off the hook and everyone in the cockpit has vanished it seems. Randy is already looking through the first aid kit in the salon with the door locked.
The first thing you think of is " has it gone past the barb"? Upon inspection I can report the stainless mustad 7731 12/0 hook with the 1 inch point had in fact gone into Jeff's cheek "past the barb".
I think this was known already to the whole crew except me, that is why they vacated the cockpit like Jeff had leprosy.
The next thing you think of.....and I feel bad about this is..."I wonder if we are going to have to stop fishing".
Jeff is trembling fairly good, I tremble all the time anyway and I am not sure I'm the best person for this job. Seeing no "volunteers" any where closer than the very top tuna tower or in the salon with the door locked, I resign myself to the task or removing the hook.
I was not sure if I was going to throw up or just faint. I considered faking fainting but decide against it.
Jeff asks me to just "rip it out" and my knees start to buckle and my head gets light at the thought of a 12/0 being ripped through his cheek. I calmly reply to Jeff in my best authoritative voice that sounds more like a scarred ghost "HHHHELL NNNO". To ease Jeff's trembling and my own as well I get Jeff seated on the transom with his feet resting on the fighting chair. This seems to calm him down but does nothing for me.
If I can get something over the barb of the hook I can just slide it out the way it went in. With this in mind I grab one of our ballyhoo rigging tubes. These tubes are 1/8" in dia. and of very thin brass and are rigorously sanitized after every rigging session of all the ballyhoo poo. Right. I check to see if the tube will work, It will not.
Jeff says "Just push it through and cut it off" and my head gets light again. I feel for where the point of the hook is. It is fairly close to the bottom of his cheek, almost to bottom of his chin bone. When considering such a move, you wonder are there any major arteries in this area. I am no doctor, but with some college anatomy still in my mind, I decide that we may be okay with this....if not, we are close to a rig with an Air Logistics helicopter on it.
Okay, we going to push it through and cut off the barb and slide it back out. Randy has joined everyone else on the bridge and I ask him to point the boat down sea to minimize my shaking.
I push the hook down a bit against my index finger and Jeff does not even flinch. I push down again and feel the hook moving closer to my finger, Jeff does not flinch. I push the hook again and feel the tip just on my finger. I pinch the area around the point and push the 2 inches of hook out the bottom part of Jeff's cheek between my fingers. Strange as it seems I think everyone on the boat is some what relieved that the hook is now poking out past the barb.
Now to get the bolt cutters and just cut it off. This is the point the pics were taken I believe. A panicked search of the Papara Rey reveals no bolt cutters. I try to cut the stainless 12/0 with a big pair of dikes, the hook just laughs at the dikes. I get some assistance from one of the crew...I don't remember who, to try to cut the hook again. Again the hook laughs at the dikes. ****.
I use the dikes to bend down the barb of the hook. It feels good to me. Jeff feels of it and thinks its going to hurt like hell. I wonder if this guy has any feeling at all. Not once has he complained about pain, he is a bit worried though. I can't figure out why he is worried. He is in good hands. Even if they are shaking like a maple leaf in a blue norther.
I prepare to try to remove the hook from Jeff's cheek. I give it just a little pull and it is out. I take another look to be sure it is out and it is.

I say you're okay, get some antibiotics on it and clean it up.
Jeff goes into the salon to treat his war wound. I go up to bridge to the wheel. I grap the wheel with both hands so that no one can see how much I am shaking.

Over the next two days I am happy to report that not once did Jeff say he felt any discomfort at all period. His exact words are "it is like it never happened".
Well it did happen, we got the pics.

PS:
There may be some dispute from a mutinous crew about the actual sequence of events and the heroic efforts of the captain. I can only say...." That is my story and I am sticking to it".

**Spots and Dots** · #2 08-21-2009, 08:00 AM

ouch!

I saw a salty decky come in during Poco a few years ago that had a lure catch in his forearm on Friday morning. When I saw him it was Sat afternoon, and the were just getting him back to the dock.

The red streak up his arm were very pretty, and the ambulance guys excited to see him.

UGH!

**bwguardian** · #3 08-21-2009, 08:01 AM

I believe that Captain posts on here every so often.

**adamssportfishing** · #4 08-21-2009, 08:11 AM

I have had one large hook in my hand before.It had to be surgicaly removed,it was no fun.Ever since Ihave carried a pair of 10 inch bolt cutt ers that I bought from Gurards,vacum sealed,just for that purpose.

P.S. glad all turned out well

**chad** · #5 08-21-2009, 08:17 AM

After having to remove a 7/0 snapper hook from the palm of my wife's hand with a dull pair of dykes 7 years ago we now carry the most awesome powerful set of small bolt cutters known to man. Fortunately we have not had to use them yet.