Fishing Accidents and Injuries: How to Prevent Them and Be Prepared

You don’t have to go deep-sea fishing for trophy marlin to concern yourself with the possibility of getting injured while fishing. Fishing accidents can happen even when unhooking the smallest of fish.

Nothing turns a fun day of fishing sour quite like having to make a trip to the hospital—especially when the fish are biting!

So what can you do to help prevent fishing injuries from happening? That’s just the topic that we’re going to dive into today.

Fishhook Injuries

Probably one of the most common fishing accidents is getting snagged by the hook. As embarrassing as it is, getting hooked on a lure or hook is equally painful.

Hooks are sharp and barbed and can easily puncture the skin. Fishhook injuries can happen from mishandling or slipping when trying to hook bait. They also commonly occur while unhooking a caught fish.

Sometimes fishhook injuries aren’t even your fault. There are plenty of stories of a fisherman getting hooked by someone else’s rod, casting, or even just walking around each other in closer quarters—for example—on a small boat.

The best way to prevent hooking your hands is to wear special fishing gloves. Fishing gloves are made to give your hands and fingers the grip and mobility needed for fishing while protecting them at the same time. Also, using fishing pliers while removing hooks will help with preventing fishing injuries.

Eyewear, like sunglasses, will help protect your eyes from not only harmful UV light but hooks as well. While eyes aren’t typically what you think about protecting from hooks, they are probably the most important.

Slipping and Tripping Injuries

When reeling in the big fish of the day, it’s easy to forget about your surroundings. With your focus on landing the fish, you forget about everything else around you.

Slipping on wet decks or tripping over tackle boxes is more common than you might think. That’s why it’s important to make sure the ground around you is dry and clear of any equipment.

Having a buddy or spotter with you can also help, giving you a second pair of eyes. A fishing buddy can warn you when you’re about to trip over that cooler full of beer!

Fish Lash Injuries

A fish’s will to survive never ceases to amaze. Even after a long battle in the water to escape your hook, exhausted and tired, fish can still be hazardous out of water.

Most fish have barbed fins and sharp razor teeth that can slice and pierce hands, ankles, arms—anything that comes in contact with it. When bringing a fish out of the water, it’s important to use a net or gaff to keep a good distance between you and the fish.

Prevent Fishing Accidents

Sometimes a fishing story can be more exciting with a scar to show. However, when it comes down to it, getting injured while fishing isn’t very fun.

Minimize fishing accidents by following these simple tips above. And if you found this article interesting, read our sports blog for other outdoor activity articles.