Just wanted to highlight a couple of safety points for any beginers with regards to fishing with lures ( It is becoming more popular by day ). I know most of you allready been using these lures & quite familiar with them . It is just a tip for the ones just starting to avoid anything like this picture below :'(.
(http://maltafishingforum.com/talk/gallery/602_03_02_09_6_06_11.jpeg)
Keep lures stored in safe place preferably in a hard plastic case, A must would be to use a pair of long nose pliers to remove the lure from the mouth of the fish as it could seriously hurt you if the fish starts flapping whilst you are holding it.
I taught it would be good to start up a safety related topic ???, Any safety related items should go on one trend so one can view them at one place & make himself aware of what he should look out for. keep safe ;)
In a case like the one above the best thing to do is to cut the barb out with a pair of pliers and then slide the barbless hook out. Wash with water and apply pressure to the holes to stop bleeding. Oh and try not to do it again.
What I would like to add to what Shanook advised is that we keep our tetanus shot updated. Most of the sharp tools we use on the boat are far from sterile, so the risk of infections and the like are greater.