Replying to Cutting line poles

Does anyone know how to get the handles off line poles? they are pollard poles from last year i got as a gift. i should have just returned them for shorter but instead used them once and fucked them up a lil. i tried taking the top piece off and pulling like hell with no luck. Am I just being a pussy? Do they even come off? They have 3 little rivets around the bottom. Is that what's stopping it? If anyone's done this or knows please fill me in