Be Careful Out There Boys/Girls

[5th Tuition]

Well today was nothing to brag about (Monday). Hooked up two nice fish, one boated and one lost boat side (please keep reeling)

The thread title is because a Captain out of Deale saw me out there today (I know several of them very well). He called to ask if I had anything onboard that would cut a 9/0 stinger hook That's not a good call.

His mate had a stinger run through his hand and out the other side!!! I told him that unfortunately, I didn't have anything to help him.

I'll get the details later, but I guess the fish flopped and buried it in his hand. I guess I'll go to Harbor Freight and get a pair of short bolt cutters (8-10 inches). I can spray them with Corrosion X and stick them in a sealed baggie for an emergency.

Who carries a pair, and what size will get through big stinger hooks?

So, we didn't catch many fish (although it was a perfect day for board rods to be popping every 15-20 minutes), but we had a better day than the injured mate

5th

[Chessie27]

I have no experience with said hand problem. My mate used his thumb 2 years ago. I have carried small bolt cutters ever since.
Take a hook with you to be sure they can cut it, I bought a pair that didn't have enough umph to cut thru the hook.

[Mako mike]

Marty as you know with the trade I'm in I am a tool junkie! All the years mating a captaining offshore boats I always insisted that my mates carried a "mate saver". Yes they only cut mono or braid but if they got wrapped up while leadering a tuna or Marlin they could cut the leader and free themselves before the fish sounded and if they were still attached a certain death! If a hook has passed though a hand, finger, etc. it is best to cut the lure off in this case a stinger hook, and tape the lure to whatever extremity you can to secure it from causing more damage to the wound. If you were to have bolt cutters with corrosion x on them chances of contaminating wound is even greater or worse yet making it larger trying to cut hook. If hook is through a artery or vein you will not even know it until hook is cut and pulled out and started bleeding and at that point may not be controllable. Safety at sea is a must attend course that anyone operating a vessel should attend. Yes you are only in the bay, but with a major injury a human being can bleed out in only seconds. And if you still want to purchase bolt cutters for an emergency buy quality ones, not harbor freight and if you store them in ziplock even with corrosion x it will speed up the corrosion process!

[Chessie27]

Originally Posted by Mako mike

Marty as you know with the trade I'm in I am a tool junkie! All the years mating a captaining offshore boats I always insisted that my mates carried a "mate saver". Yes they only cut mono or braid but if they got wrapped up while leadering a tuna or Marlin they could cut the leader and free themselves before the fish sounded and if they were still attached a certain death! If a hook has passed though a hand, finger, etc. it is best to cut the lure off in this case a stinger hook, and tape the lure to whatever extremity you can to secure it from causing more damage to the wound. If you were to have bolt cutters with corrosion x on them chances of contaminating wound is even greater or worse yet making it larger trying to cut hook. If hook is through a artery or vein you will not even know it until hook is cut and pulled out and started bleeding and at that point may not be controllable. Safety at sea is a must attend course that anyone operating a vessel should attend. Yes you are only in the bay, but with a major injury a human being can bleed out in only seconds. And if you still want to purchase bolt cutters for an emergency buy quality ones, not harbor freight and if you store them in ziplock even with corrosion x it will speed up the corrosion process!

Good to know, thanks!

[5th Tuition]

Mike; thanks for the insight. I don't know the exact circumstanse, but I was told the hook (9/0 stinger) went completely through the hand; in one side and out the other.
The way I put my stingers on my lures, I select the smallest eye that will pass over the lure hook. If one of my stingers went through me, it would be very difficult to detach the stinger from the lure.
I could cut it off (just below the eye) and I would leave the hook in the wound because, as you said, excessive bleeding. Who hasn't watched a hospital show where the guy walks in with a spike in his head and the nurses/doctors didn't say "Good thing you didn't pull it out"

Even the hospital does X-rays before extracting the object. I never thought about increasing infection from Corrosion X. I just figured we could always pour some of Jeff's Fireball over the hand and light it to sterilize and cauterize the wound

But seriously, this is something we should all think about. I know a similar thing happened to another Judge owner a couple of years ago

Maybe I'll spring for a good set of bolt cutters from Sears instead of Harbor Freight. You can always take Craftsmen tools back if not satisfied

Thanks,
Marty

[Mako mike]

Thanks guys but what I actually meant was not to cut the stinger from the lure rather cut the lure from leader and secure it to the unfortunate one anyway possible. Until you have tried cutting a quality hook I would not let the first time be while embedded in someone way to much risk of additional wound damage. I know what your thinking who wants to ride back to shore with a 12oz parachute hanging out of them. Well I can tell you first hand , while mating in Florida we had a customer lose balance on a swell and fell back, burying a six foot gaff in the back of his calf. He was only happy to allow me to tape the gaff handle around his leg and waist for the ride back to the barn and off to the hospital. In fact he was so grateful he even stopped down to the dock the next day and returned the gaff. Open wounds are nothing to play with especially with the waters we are subject to!

[5th Tuition]

Originally Posted by Mako mike

Thanks guys but what I actually meant was not to cut the stinger from the lure rather cut the lure from leader and secure it to the unfortunate one anyway possible. Until you have tried cutting a quality hook I would not let the first time be while embedded in someone way to much risk of additional wound damage. I know what your thinking who wants to ride back to shore with a 12oz parachute hanging out of them. Well I can tell you first hand , while mating in Florida we had a customer lose balance on a swell and fell back, burying a six foot gaff in the back of his calf. He was only happy to allow me to tape the gaff handle around his leg and waist for the ride back to the barn and off to the hospital. In fact he was so grateful he even stopped down to the dock the next day and returned the gaff. Open wounds are nothing to play with especially with the waters we are subject to!

Thanks Mike, fortunately, I don't have any experience with this type of accident. What you say makes sense. At least we are all now thinking about how we would handle a situation like this in the future.
5th

[Breakaway]

I know Mike is right for the most part, but I think sometimes it becomes a judgement call. No way my buddy was going to ride around all day with a stingsilver stuck in the palm of his hand, and I guarantee he would have never gone to the hospital to have it removed. We cut it out with my Gerber tool, but it was far from the ideal tool for the job. It's a needle nose plier and the cutter is towards the middle of the tool. It was very tough, and painful (not for me), trying to get the hook up far enough into the tool to cut it. I now have a pair of high leverage cutters that I keep in my boat bag. The bag doesn't stay on the boat so I don't worry about them rusting, and I have a set of these pliers that I use at work and can tell you they will easily cut through any hook I would ever use in the bay. Probably wouldn't work on a gaff though!!

[Mako mike]

Ouch! I just wish I could get a hook in a stripers jaw this year! And yes they would be the correct tool to use and where hook is buried in above picture it's obvious it could be removed while on boat. Lack of blood and very few veins and arteries in Palm, however there is muscle tissue that if damaged could restrict use of thumb. Remember that's what separates us from our nearest relative the primate. All I am trying to prove here it that " when in doubt don't take it out!"
A little common sense and safety goes a long way! Now, how did you get him to sit still and let you take that picture. Reminds me of the puffy shirt episode of Sienfeld when George became a hand model until he had a run in with a hot iron.

[Skip]

I carry very heavy electrical pliers ( dykes ) and a small hack saw blade on a handle. Used by plumbers in tight spaces.

It is on the boat intended for cutting things underwater ( fouled crab trap , etc ) but will cut through heavy hooks if needed.


In the million ways to get hurt fishing - heard of a guy losing two front teeth - big Blue spit a Tony # 21 at boat and lure smacked him right in mouth.