Had a catfish spike impaled in my palm a while back. Google told me that putting my hand under the hottest water I could stand would break down the toxin and cut the pain. I did as instructed and it worked fairly well. Was pretty happy I didn't have to pee on it.
To avoid this carry a wooden stick and spin the fish around and the hook will come out. After seeing a man have a finger amputated when i was a kid i dont screw with catfish. They are hardy as anything and can even survive an hour out of water so don't be concerned of hurting it especially hardheaded ones. They live up to the name
Do not put ice on it. Like others have said, put water has hot as you can stand on it and see a doctor right away. I put a spine through my finger in the morning before a day of fishing offshore. By the time we got back my finger was so swollen they had to cut my ring off. Dr gave me antibiotics and said I was lucky I didn't lose the finger. He said putting ice on it was wrong thing to do (allows the bacteria to live). Said I should have put hot water on it to kill the bacteria.
In the 60's I saw the hand of a guy who was bitten by a small bluefish....
He was bit in the heel of his palm by a 10" bluefish...in 10 days his palm looked like a blown up balloon....
He went to the doctor a few days later and after his surgery to get rid of what bad meat was left his hand worked again pretty well after 3 months....
I keep two spray bottled of bleach on my boat....and the second someone gets bit or finned...they get bleached, scrubbed, bleached, rinsed, neo-sporened and bandaged.....
Yep , For a 10 cent hook..
I been stuck too many times. It ain't happenen again.
Them Hard Heads don't even come above the gunnels . I'll slab them into Mangrove roots just to stun them.
Heck, I'd shoot them if Ammo weren't so hard to get....
Do not put ice on it. Like others have said, put water has hot as you can stand on it and see a doctor right away.
Same thing for sting rays. My doctor told me to carry powdered meat tenderizer when fishing. If you get stung by a ray or kitty, make a paste out of it with saltwater and rub it on the wound. Something about the tenderizer neutralizing the enzymes from the sting. Hot water definitely works but you need to have the wound cleaned and x-rayed soon after.
I was stung last year in the thumb just a light puncture and I immediately rubbed my thumb on the belly. No lie, the pain went from a bee sting to a light throb pretty quick. It didn't go very deep but the slime helped. Hot hot hot water is what I used later.
The slime works, I've caught thousands and been stuck more times than I can count.. Alcohol(rubbing) and keeping it clean afterwards will keep you away from the Dr's.
However, I can count the times I got hit by a stingray... Two.... Two times and it put me on my knees each time.
Once in the finger and once in my wrist, both hurt in the worst way...
I am glad to only be a bird hunter with bird dogs...being a shooter or dog handler or whatever other niche exists to separate appears to generate far too much about which to worry.
Only time I got stuck was popping one off like I'd done hundreds of times before as a teenager...
Wrap the 20# leader around your hand, lift the catfish up by line, drop your hand down and snap back up against the slack. POP! Not this time... It swung around the outside of the dock rail, then popped, shot right at my foot and the top spine went an inch into my ankle flush with the back of the fish.
That one was instant hospital trip and wouldn't wish that on any person or creature. Nowadays I hold them with my hand up against the underside of their spines. Slime hand be damned...
Oh and be careful kicking them off a dock into the water with your foot. Years ago saw a guy in tennis shoes try to shove one back into the water with his foot and put the spine right through the side of his shoe into his foot.
Towers
Posts: 681 Officer
Replies
...a great big slug of bourbon followed by a right violent scrubbing with bleach.....followed by more bourbon...
....oh....you drink the bourbon:wink
Captain Keith - Crooked Rod Charters
https://captainsforcleanwater.org
That was the only time I ever targeted catfish and can say first hand it is not true...
supposedly because of the bacteria xD
Ive only been stung once so I don't know how true it but is but hey, worth a shot.
Very hot water.
I'd probably go to the doctor, as well, depending on how bad it was.
Apply peroxide an or antiseptic as soon as possible !!
He was bit in the heel of his palm by a 10" bluefish...in 10 days his palm looked like a blown up balloon....
He went to the doctor a few days later and after his surgery to get rid of what bad meat was left his hand worked again pretty well after 3 months....
I keep two spray bottled of bleach on my boat....and the second someone gets bit or finned...they get bleached, scrubbed, bleached, rinsed, neo-sporened and bandaged.....
No if's, and's or but's....
...freakin' hilarious!!! that's gotta be the funniest post I've seen on here yet.
:Rockon
I been stuck too many times. It ain't happenen again.
Them Hard Heads don't even come above the gunnels . I'll slab them into Mangrove roots just to stun them.
Heck, I'd shoot them if Ammo weren't so hard to get....
Same thing for sting rays. My doctor told me to carry powdered meat tenderizer when fishing. If you get stung by a ray or kitty, make a paste out of it with saltwater and rub it on the wound. Something about the tenderizer neutralizing the enzymes from the sting. Hot water definitely works but you need to have the wound cleaned and x-rayed soon after.
However, I can count the times I got hit by a stingray... Two.... Two times and it put me on my knees each time.
Once in the finger and once in my wrist, both hurt in the worst way...
Wrap the 20# leader around your hand, lift the catfish up by line, drop your hand down and snap back up against the slack. POP! Not this time... It swung around the outside of the dock rail, then popped, shot right at my foot and the top spine went an inch into my ankle flush with the back of the fish.
That one was instant hospital trip and wouldn't wish that on any person or creature. Nowadays I hold them with my hand up against the underside of their spines. Slime hand be damned...
Tight Lines,
Eric Fosbender
Team Googanator
2006 Bull Dolphin 22 with 250 Etec
This...... Use peroxide to clean it .... and keep it clean with soap and water.
This is with the caveat that if you get a lot of redness and swelling at the site...get to the ER...It can go badly.
Many things to do.
Knots to be unraveled
'fore the darkness falls on you
Next time I'm stung by a catfish I'll give this a try.
Do not use ice...hot water is what you want.
Many things to do.
Knots to be unraveled
'fore the darkness falls on you