10 minutes ago, J Francho said:

 

So much optimism! LOL.

Compared to you guys, I haven't been fishing very long and I've already buried one hook in my thumb.  Of course it couldn't be a little Ned rig hook, it had to be a heavy wire trokar with a big barb on it.  Buried it deep into the joint of my thumb, I couldn't pull it out so I had to go to the hospital to get it removed.  The hook had managed to get between the two finger bones inside the joint, yet somehow didn't cut any tendons. Had to cut the thumb down to the barb and pull it out that way.

My dog got a hook in her nose once while jumping up to check out the bait, that wasn't any fun to take out.  She doesn't come fishing anymore after that.

25 minutes ago, J Francho said:

 

So much optimism! LOL.

 

I went over 20 years with nothing more than a single micro barb embedded in a finger, but have put two fully barbed hooks into my hand the past two years, both while fishing alone...so yes, I've become a bit more pessimistic in my overall outlook ?

I think it maybe four or five years ago, I put three Owner Cutting point trebles into my shin and calf.  They were attached to an OG HPH I had Randall make me.  Fish spit the bait, didn't feel them going in.  I sure felt them coming out, though.  That was my first real hooking, though I stuck myself a few times here an there over the years.

I have a buzz bait that I pinched the barb down on for throwing in one of the two local ponds that require barbless, I haven't noticed any reduction in landing fish on it... Maybe because I forgot to pinch down the trailer hook lol 

I'll pinch the barbs down if we're catching them like crazy with treble hooked lures.

 

We'll pinch the barbs on wacky hooks also when we've got inexperienced folks fishing with us. Not just to save the fish from a gut hook, but to make it easier to remove the hook from flesh.