Despite hazards, Guide is hooked on fishing

One wouldn’t think spending the day in a boat with two fishermen could be that hazardous to your health. But think again. When excitement and inexperience are mingled with sharp objects, watch out. Here you’ll find out how one Maine Guide’s day on the water turned into a memorable one…

Last summer, I had the pleasure of guiding two “sports,” a man and his wife from Connecticut on a fishing trip. The Penobscot River is well known for its large and plentiful smallmouth bass population, so the Connecticut couple decided they would take a crack at it. The gentlemen said that he had fished some in the past but that his wife had not. I kind of knew at that point that the day was going to be, well let’s say “challenging.”

I enjoy fly fishing for the smallies but it was obvious that spinning rods would be the weapon of choice today. I gave them both a push-button spinning reel on 6-foot rods. The wind was calm and we had a good hatch going on, so top-water lures it would be.

I like using Rebel Pop-Rs, floating Rapalas and Torpedos when fishing on top. It’s great fun because the fish will break the surface of the water to “attack” the plug and you get a look at the fish before you hook it. When the fish has made good contact with the plug or fly, you then “set the hook” to ensure a good hook-set on the fish.

Paul was fairly good with a spinning rod right away. He seemed to be enjoying himself and was landing fish quite regularly. I would net the fish for him and remove the hooks with a set of long needle-nose pliers. Beth, however, was completely “green” at the art of fishing. Casting was a real problem for her. She couldn’t quite get the concept of the push-button spinning reel.

Don’t get me wrong. These sports are fine, caring human beings who wouldn’t harm a fly. But soon I would find out that when the fish are biting, all bets are off.

Finally, after a few hours of instruction, Beth was getting the knack of casting. Believe me, I was ducking on her every cast. She would whack the motor, whack the boat, whack her husband and then me. Anything within a 20-foot radius didn’t stand a chance when she had that rod in her hand.

Next came the problem of actually catching fish. On several occasions she would get a bite but would either miss the strike or lose the fish moments after hooking it.

I said, “Beth, you’ve got to set the hook when he strikes,” and I would do the motion of snapping the rod back. I was determined to have her land some fish, so for the next two hours, I would repeat, “Beth, set the hook. Set the hook on ’em.”

About midafternoon, Beth got on a really nice one. Three pounds or better, I’d say. The fish strikes at her lure and I see Beth’s arms pull back on the rod.

“Finally,” I say to myself, I think she’ll land this one. She wrestles with the fish for a minute or two. Her husband is yelling at her and she looks like she’s about to give birth or something.

I tell her, “Beth, get the fish beside the boat and I’ll get it in for you.” As the fish gets nearer to the side of the boat, I reach down and get ready to “lip the fish.” That’s when you put your thumb in the mouth of the fish and hold the fish with your thumb and index finger. It kind of immobilizes the fish so that they don’t flop around too much and you can get a nice snapshot of your prize.

Just as I put my thumb in the fish’s mouth, Beth decides she is going to really, really, “set the hook”. The plug, of course, comes flying loose from the fish’s mouth right into my thumb… I let out a “wake-the-dead” ahhhhhhhhh and come up looking like a Christmas tree with a nice new bass ornament.

Naturally, the first thing on an injured person’s mind is damage control. Looking over the Rebel Pop-R lure that was now part of my body, I could tell this wasn’t going to be easy. Four of the six hooks were in so deep that the barbs were beneath the skin and not visible. I knew that neither one of my sports knew how to remove hooks. So I decided at that point to see what I had in my trusty first-aid kit.

To get to the compartment where the kit was located, I had to move my net. The net I use for the bass on the river is made of soft rubber and in my opinion, is better than a conventional net. The rubber is easier on the fish and is less likely to injure the gill plates and eyes of the fish. Anyway, as I’m moving the net, I murmur to myself, “I should have used the net on her fish.” In fact, 99 percent of the fish we bring in the boat is with the net. But as fate would have it, not this one.

To my surprise, I have an Ace bandage in the kit. After finding some wire cutters in my tool box, I clip off the rings that hold the hooks on the lure. With the body of the plug gone, all that remains in my skin are the nasty little hooks. I know that they aren’t coming out soon, so I take the ace bandage and wrap it around my thumb, hooks and all.

It worked pretty well for the remainder of the day but I had to remember not to smack it around. It still throbbed, especially when I forgot about it for a minute and whacked it on something. But, I wasn’t about to let this end the day. We continued to fish and really had a great day. Beth “caught on” so to speak, and landed some nice smallies.

Of course, instead of going home, I went directly to the hospital. They froze my thumb and surgically removed the hooks. The doctor at the ER told me he had done a few fish hooks already that week. It really didn’t make me feel any better.

So, if you are taking someone out that new to the sport next year in your boat, maybe your son, daughter, wife, girlfriend or whoever, here’s a few good basics to bring along. A good net, some long, needle-nose pliers and good canvas gloves. Oh, and don’t forget your hospital card … Happy fishin’.

John Gonya, a master Maine guide, operates Penobscot Guide Service from late May to late September. He can be reached at 207-989-8806 or by e-mail at Penobbyman@cs.com