People say push it on threw and cut it off then pull it back out. I got a chug bug hook all the way to the bone in my lil finger once after trying to take it off the plug and it flopped sinking hook into my finger. I took pliers and pulled it back out, pulling away from the barb...and yes it hurt! When pulling plugs out of bass I now lay em in the floor of the boat with my foot over the tail and use pliers to take hooks out from a safe distance.