Stinging Catfish???

Catfish can't "sting" you. But these fish have a sharp spine in the top and side fins. If you're not careful, you can accidentally poke your hand on these spines. Now I Have Heard That If You Do Get Poked To Wipe Some Of The Slime From The Fish On It And It Will Help Take Away The Burn, I Myself Have Never Tried This But I Will If It Ever Happens Which Im Sure It Will Some Day.

Some will even claim that cats can inject venom. Now it is true that madtoms have a venom gland at the base of their dorsal fins that sectrets over the spines, they have nothing in them to inject venom. Channel cats do NOT have this venom gland and have no "poison" to inject along with no way to inject.

Them Mad Toms Can Be Very Nasty Ketch Been There Done That.

I know this is gonna sound stupid to some of ya. The channels *I* catch are small enough to handle. I know how to hold them so I don't get finned.
But.. how the heck do ya do it with them big honkers? Just like the one Mike is holding in his avatar. How do they not stick that side fin in yer gut?????

Mystery to me, cuz I've never caught one that big. Someone please 'splain it to me!

Well AP It Comes With A Little Luck And They Do Calm Down A Bit Also After You Have Taken That Sharp Hook Out. It Has Happened Though Were People Have Got Poked Pretty Good And It Will Wreck Your Day Of Fishing. The Key Is To Just Be Gentle With Them And They Will usually Be Good To You.

It's them little bitty ones that are a pain to me, to small for the right grip, but wrap them in my rag then there isn't any problem. Seems when I get horned by a little one it's just when I am putting it back in the water, so the rag is great. papa

I have been stuck by catfish on more than one occasion..Let me tell you it hurts to high heaven...The last time I was stuck my hand got so bad infected that I had to have surgery on it to get all the infection out..The doctor told me that some catfish does have a small amount of toxin in their spines...All I know is my hand felt like it was on fire and they had to go in and scrape my bone to get the poison out..

Nuff said...I don't take catfish off my hooks no more..That's why I had 2 sons..LOL...

I know of a guy at another site that dropped a catfish in his boat while unhooking it or whatever. When he dropped it, the fish fell on his foot and one of the spines poked through his shoe and into the top of his foot. It got so bad that he was told by the doctors that if they didn't get the infection under control, that may lose his foot. Well, they got it under control after quite a while actually, and he ended up OK, but it was touch and go for a while there. Mike, you and John should remember who I'm talking about?


Jim

The worst of the worse is the salt water hard head.

I Know Who The Heck Your Talking About Jim But My Mind Is Drawing A Blank, I Remember He Was A Big Guy And I Can See Him But Just Can't Put The Name.

Far as I'm concerned the little ones are the worst. I had one stick me in the web between thumb and forefinger last summer. Now that happens occasionally, and I just pull it out. This time the fish slipped and flipped, and next thing I knew it was buried clear to his body. I was trying to hold the fish, get my pliers out, and it wasn't working too well. I don't know what it is, but whenever I get finned, my hand gets to hurting real bad for a bit. Finally I wiggled side cutters between the fish and my hand and cut the fin off. No way in hell could I pull it out, it was in about an inch and a half, and them little fins are serrated pretty good. Every time I tried to pull I could just feel all them little hooks catching. Of course I was by myself that day. I pulled anchor, started the motor and headed for the boat ramp. For a little while I was afraid I mite pass out, I was getting so lightheaded. I called my son, I was only four miles from home, and he came out to help me load the boat. By the time I got back to the ramp, I was feeling a little better, so we switched the boat to his truck, and I went to the hospital. Naturally, the wife was working that day. They had to x-ray it to see what it looked like, numb it to get it out, then x-ray it again to make sure they got it all. Then to top it all off, I had to buy the wife and 3 other nurses dinner. Wasn't one of my better days.

That Just Hurts My Hand Reading That Story, Man It Just Wasn't Your Day Was It Buddy.

I agree the little ones are the worst , theie fins are pointy and the side of the fin seems to catch a finger when releasing and it will cut your finger , but the bigger fish aren't as bad cause over time the fins tend to get dull and rounded so they aint bad .

I have found that small will fin you quicker than big one will because they are hard to hold.