My buddy caught a 15 lb snook one time with a rattletrap and when he was unhooking it one of the hooks embedded in his thumb all the way to the bone in the center joint. That fish started shaking his head and it was all he could do keep from screaming and crying. I guess the barb is still in his thumb today 20 years later. Worst I ever did was a sibiki rig with a ballyhoo flippin' around. It came out pretty easy.
I've personally done the "push it through and cut it off" method on myself and it suuuuuuucks!
I had a buddy bury a lead head jig in the back of my head while we were wade fishing, snagged me while he was casting and it had enough force to break the line. I had to push that dull frickin hook through myself and it sucked, I still have a lump of scar tissue on the back of my head from it. Had another friend bury a 7/0 forged steel tarpon hook in the palm of his hand while fishing off egmont key he had to have surgery to get it out.
a buddy of mine at lake powell casting overhead with both hands buried a hook in his scalp, then when I stepped on the line it made his head bob. had to do a push thru and cut off. I fly fished barbless for years and if kept very sharp found I got better hook sets and no loses if the line is kept taut.
