In forty some years of fishing I've only impaled myself once. Last year at Neah bay we were jigging for bottom fish around Tatoosh island. We were catching a lot of smaller rockfish and I was getting tired of taking so much time getting the hooks out that I stopped and pinched the barbs and when I went to toss the jig over the side I managed to catch the meaty part of my thumb and the palm of my hand. The hook in the thumb went all the way thru along side the nail. Got very lucky cause they came right out but then if I had'nt stopped to pinch I probaly would'nt have impaled myself