Removing a fish hook from your hand (or body!)

Firstly I must apologize because this blog has been completely untouched for about a month now after a 90% drop in visitors overnight which I have been trying to solve for a while. Today the search numbers are back up a little so hopefully things are going in the right direction (fingers crossed). Enough of that boring stuff though!

As an angler you have probably had a hook stuck somewhere in you at some point during your adventures. Many anglers visit the hospital to get the hook removed, but sometimes our fishing adventures take us far from the hospital and we need to remove the hook ourselves! This little technique is one every angler should know, but I am unsure if sticking the hook in your arm to practice (or demonstrate on video) is a great idea. I advise people to always keep a pair of these clamps in your tackle box, but this method can also be used with string or fishing line to pull on the hook.

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Fishing Horror Stories - Ice fishing safety

I came across this post in one of my favorite fishing forums. I hope the original author (GraphixDude) doesn't mind me posting it here, but I thought it was a good reminder of ice fishing safety (of which I know nothing about - being from the tropics of Australia).

Ice fishing in Michigan.

Since I was a little kid, my uncle has taken me ice fishing every winter. Usually we go to remote lakes in the Allegan County area, and my uncle has a history of fearlessly fishing on thin ice either late or early in the season. This always made my mom nervous about letting me go with him.

I was about 12 or 13 years old, and we were fishing on a lake called "Hodge Lake"...a very deep lake with natural springs that feed it. There are spots in that lake where the ice is black in huge areas and it usually indicates thin ice.

There was a dusting of snow covering the whole lake and the ice was VERY smooth and slippery. The temperature was FREEZING cold with a very low wind chill. I was setting up tip ups in one section and my Uncle was setting some up in another area. For those that don't know these are devices made of 3 sticks - 2 that cross each other and one that goes verticle into the hole with the cross as a stand to hold it up. On the bottom is a spool of line and on the top is a little orange flag. You put a minnow on the hook hanging from the line, and when a fish bites, the little orange flag "tips" straight up so you know you have a fish. You usually catch big bass and northern pike on these.

After setting the tip ups, we got close to each other and started to fish with regular ice fishing rods....tearing the blue gills and perch up. Suddenly far on the other side of us one of the little flags popped and my uncle ran over to check it. About 35 yards from the flag (in a spot we hadn't yet walked) my uncle suddenly disappeared with a loud crack in the ice that vibrated the ice all the way where I was standing. Immediately my uncle surfaced and started to yell and claw for the edge of the ice. It kept breaking as he tried to pull himself up. I grabbed a long nylon rope from the sled we use to pull our stuff out and threw him the rope then walked backward to the edge of the lake to a tree....tied the rope then tried to get close to him. My uncle had the rope, but he was getting weak so I tried to get closer to him to help him. Just as my uncle was yelling at me to get back away CRACK - I went in too. Fortunately I had the rope in my hand still when I dropped into the cold water. I only fell in to about my armpits and relatively easily pulled myself back out.

Just like an Angel, all of a sudden this guy with a big ol beard appeared on the edge of the lake (to go fishing also) and saw the problem going on. He carefully made his way out on the ice a little ways and pulled my uncle out of the water with the rope.

Finally my uncle was out and we were all on the shore. I was wet and Freezing my butt off but unharmed....uncle was shaking like crazy and cold. The guy that helped us decided not to fish there on that lake needless to say. We had to leave our tip ups and the fish we had caught for fear of the ice breaking if we went out to collect them. We got in the truck after a million thanks to the guy that helped us out and drove the 10 miles from the lake to my Grandfathers house. There my uncle got his butt chewed out by my grandpa and my grandma made a big fuss over me. I will never forget the Chocolate chip cookies she made me that day!

I guess that is the most horrific thing that has ever happened to me while fishing though. I was pretty scared.

It took a lot of convincing for my mom to let me go fishin with Unc again, but over the years we have caught a ton of fish through the ice. Ice fishing is my favorite way to fish but you have to be very careful. Now we go every year to Saginaw Bay and catch walleyes a mile out on the ice.

I take no credit for this post

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Rock fishing safety

In Australia (and probably other places as well) people are killed every year rock fishing in dangerous conditions. We can limit these tragedies by following some simple safety rules:

Thanks for the NSW department of primary industries for these great safety tips.

• Never fish by yourself: fish in a group of at least three people and within sight of each other. If someone is washed in, one person can stay and help while the other alerts emergency services.
  
• Inform others of your plans: always let friends or family know where you are going and when you will be back.
• Wear light clothing: light clothing such as shorts and a spray jacket will let you swim easily if you are washed in. Jumpers may be heavy and difficult to take off.
• Wear appropriate footwear: cleats, sandals and sandshoes with non slip soles suit different surfaces. Use the appropriate shoes for the conditions.


Fisher wearing a life jacket

• Carry safety gear: wear a life jacket or buoyancy vest. Also bring something buoyant that can be easily thrown and held onto, to help you stay afloat. Carry ropes and torches.
• Never fish in exposed areas during rough or large seas: make sure you are aware of local weather, swell and tidal conditions before going fishing. Listen to weather forecasts or call a weather information line. Be aware that conditions may change dramatically in a short period of time.
• Observe first, fish later: spend some time (at least 30 minutes) watching your intended spot before fishing to get an idea of the conditions over a full swell/wave cycle. Wave conditions can get worse as the tide changes - you should know whether the tides are high or low and coming in or going out.
• Plan an escape route in case you are washed in: stay calm - If you are washed in, swim away from the rocks and look for a safe place to come ashore or stay afloat and wait for help to arrive.
• Stay alert. Don't ever turn your back on the sea: if the waves, weather or swell threaten your fishing spot then leave immediately.
• Ask for advice from locals who know the area: they can advise you of good, safe fishing locations.

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