# I hate catfish...



## alphachief (May 12, 2021)

So up until this past weekend, I had never been stuck by a catfish.  Of course it had to happen in the middle of a nice run on spawning reds.  It hurt so bad that I think I would of just cut my finger off with the filet knife it I could of got to it!  From here on, just cutting them off!  Bled like a stuck pig, but lucky it didn’t break off in my finger.


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## Ray357 (May 12, 2021)

alphachief said:


> So up until this past weekend, I had never been stuck by a catfish.  Of course it had to happen in the middle of a nice run on spawning reds.  It hurt so bad that I think I would of just cut my finger off with the filet knife it I could of got to it!  From here on, just cutting them off!  Bled like a stuck pig, but lucky it didn’t break off in my finger.


I love catfish myself, but they can hurt. Had to go to E.R. to get fin dug out when I was in high school. Over 2" deep. Doc said they have a venom kind of like a wasp. I don't know if they do or not, but they sure hurt.


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## Browning Slayer (May 12, 2021)

alphachief said:


> So up until this past weekend, I had never been stuck by a catfish.  Of course it had to happen in the middle of a nice run on spawning reds.  It hurt so bad that I think I would of just cut my finger off with the filet knife it I could of got to it!  From here on, just cutting them off!  Bled like a stuck pig, but lucky it didn’t break off in my finger.


Had a friend get an infection from one and almost lost his finger.

Everyone that comes on my boat has been clocked in the head a few times.


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## j_seph (May 12, 2021)

Ya got to fish for the big catfish, they do not stick ya. Just keep your hand out of their mouth and watch for the death roll if you get it in there.


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## NCHillbilly (May 12, 2021)

I have never caught a saltwater cat, but I've gotten some nasty wounds over the years from jugging the freshwater ones. For some reason, I guess there just aren't many in the areas I've saltwater fished. They're illegal to keep in SC, for some reason.


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## ryanh487 (May 12, 2021)

The barbs on their spines are great places for all kinds of nasty bacteria to grow.  If your finger has any redness, swelling or feels hot then get to the doctor ASAP for antibiotics.  Cellulitis is a common variation of staph caused by fish and needs to be treated with antibiotics ASAP. Other nasties like flesh eating bacteria can also live in those slimy spines.


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## pjciii (May 12, 2021)

I am with you on this AC. Hurts like heck. I see all these photos of stringers full, biguns being held any which way. I would like to know why a big one wont stick you. That is their form of protection. 

I just tell the grandkids to cut um off and if you use a towel and throw them back you damage their natual skin protection.


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## alphachief (May 12, 2021)

ryanh487 said:


> The barbs on their spines are great places for all kinds of nasty bacteria to grow.  If your finger has any redness, swelling or feels hot then get to the doctor ASAP for antibiotics.  Cellulitis is a common variation of staph caused by fish and needs to be treated with antibiotics ASAP. Other nasties like flesh eating bacteria can also live in those slimy spines.



I guess there’s some upside to it bleeding so much.  It was swollen down to the knuckle for a day or so, but now all good.


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## Gator89 (May 12, 2021)

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## longrangedog (May 12, 2021)

Saltwater cats are totally different from freshwater cats. Saltwater cats are not fit to eat (I'm told-never tried one) and will slime everything they touch if you bring them in the boat. I'm talking a thick slime about the consistency of snot. Their spines are poisonous and you're likely to be infected if you get stuck. A few folks I fished with would cut their lines to avoid handling one.


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## mrs. hornet22 (May 12, 2021)

NCHillbilly said:


> I have never caught a saltwater cat, but I've gotten some nasty wounds over the years from jugging the freshwater ones. For some reason, I guess there just aren't many in the areas I've saltwater fished. They're illegal to keep in SC, for some reason.


Never caught one is SC either, but have in the Gulf. Never happy when I hook one either.


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## Ray357 (May 12, 2021)

NCHillbilly said:


> I have never caught a saltwater cat, but I've gotten some nasty wounds over the years from jugging the freshwater ones. For some reason, I guess there just aren't many in the areas I've saltwater fished. They're illegal to keep in SC, for some reason.


Jugging. You an ole cheater, just like me. When they not biting the rod and reel, I go swap out and throw 100 jugs.


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## notnksnemor (May 12, 2021)

I keep several pair of these on my boat.
You can impose your will on the biggest catfish.


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## Fletch_W (May 12, 2021)

Doboy Dawg said:


> Once when I was a teenager I caught a big saltwater Sail Cat while surf fishing.  I didn’t have anything to grab him with to unhook him.  So I got the bright idea to step on him to hold him down and unhook him.
> 
> .



I watched my dad make the same mistake at the jetties in Destin many years ago. I won't fool with saltwater cats now. I treat them the same as stingrays. Just as soon cut the line than fool with it.


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## Ray357 (May 12, 2021)

notnksnemor said:


> I keep several pair of these on my boat.
> You can impose your will on the biggest catfish.
> 
> View attachment 1080508


I use a gaff.


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## Ray357 (May 12, 2021)

Doboy Dawg said:


> My dad kept a bait knife fastened to a heavy duty broomstick to cut the hook out of stingrays.
> 
> My friend keeps a pair of long handled limb cutters and cuts their tails off.  I always thought both of these methods were a little brutal.  I just take a little caution and unhook them.
> 
> I actually caught a ray without a tail last week in Sapelo Sound.  I called my buddy up and asked him if he’d been fishing out of Sapelo lately.  He said he hadn’t.  I don’t agree with maiming them, unless you’re gonna keep them for food or bait.


You ever got stung by one? I used to fish with a guy who got bit by a shark swimming. No shark was swimming away from his boat alive. Small ones got hammer, big ones bang stick.


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## notnksnemor (May 12, 2021)

Ray357 said:


> You ever got stung by one? I used to fish with a guy who got bit by a shark swimming. No shark was swimming away from his boat alive. Small ones got hammer, big ones bang stick.



If he gets stung by a bee does he burn every bee hive he passes?


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## vahurst (May 12, 2021)

If you get stuck by a saltwater cat, put hot water (as hot as you can stand) on the wound.  Saltwater cats have a venom very similar to stingrays that runs down the spine into the wound.  The hot water will denature the proteins in the venom and make the pain go away.


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## ugajay (May 12, 2021)

Saw a drunk dude at Fernandina beach a couple years ago try to kick one. He had on flip flops and was screaming bloody murder. The spine went in between 2 of his toes


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## Ray357 (May 12, 2021)

notnksnemor said:


> If he gets stung by a bee does he burn every bee hive he passes?


He probably does. He is retired navy diver and has some PTSD and anger issues.


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## NCHillbilly (May 12, 2021)

Doboy Dawg said:


> My dad kept a bait knife fastened to a heavy duty broomstick to cut the hook out of stingrays.
> 
> My friend keeps a pair of long handled limb cutters and cuts their tails off.  I always thought both of these methods were a little brutal.  I just take a little caution and unhook them.
> 
> I actually caught a ray without a tail last week in Sapelo Sound.  I called my buddy up and asked him if he’d been fishing out of Sapelo lately.  He said he hadn’t.  I don’t agree with maiming them, unless you’re gonna keep them for food or bait.


I figured out that if you flip them over on their back, they calm down and you can get the hook out pretty easy.


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## Fletch_W (May 12, 2021)

Doboy Dawg said:


> My dad kept a bait knife fastened to a heavy duty broomstick to cut the hook out of stingrays.
> 
> My friend keeps a pair of long handled limb cutters and cuts their tails off.  I always thought both of these methods were a little brutal.  I just take a little caution and unhook them.
> 
> I actually caught a ray without a tail last week in Sapelo Sound.  I called my buddy up and asked him if he’d been fishing out of Sapelo lately.  He said he hadn’t.  I don’t agree with maiming them, unless you’re gonna keep them for food or bait.



I lost a good knife, an expensive knife, fooling with a big stingray on my jonboat in Charleston Harbor. 

I have read that stingray fins can be very good eating. I guess I'll find out once society finally collapses.


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## Doboy Dawg (May 12, 2021)

Ray357 said:


> You ever got stung by one? I used to fish with a guy who got bit by a shark swimming. No shark was swimming away from his boat alive. Small ones got hammer, big ones bang stick.



No I’ve been fortunate too, I’ve stepped on one while Flounder gigging, that’s quite unnerving when your waiting that split second for a barb and you realize the ray missed.  I don’t blame the stingray I was walking barefoot in his home.

I’ve dove with sharks and rays.  I got bit by a small shark, luckily at the time I had a 1/4” wetsuit on.  The wetsuit had six or seven teeth cuts and I had a couple of small scrapes underneath.

The worst I’ve managed to get into so far was some fire coral diving near Islamorada.  I was diving in a bathing suit and got it all over my left leg.  That crap took awhile, and a trip to a dermatologist for some steroids to clear up.


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## Ray357 (May 12, 2021)

Doboy Dawg said:


> No I’ve been fortunate too, I’ve stepped on one while Flounder gigging, that’s quite unnerving when your waiting that split second for a barb and you realize the ray missed.  I don’t blame the stingray I was walking barefoot in his home.
> 
> I’ve dove with sharks and rays.  I got bit by a small shark, luckily at the time I had a 1/4” wetsuit on.  The wetsuit had six or seven teeth cuts and I had a couple of small scrapes underneath.
> 
> The worst I’ve managed to get into so far was some fire coral diving near Islamorada.  I was diving in a bathing suit and got it all over my left leg.  That crap took awhile, and a trip to a dermatologist for some steroids to clear up.


I got in the fire coral down in Providenciales. Thankfully dive boat captain kept white vinegar on boat.


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## alphachief (May 12, 2021)

vahurst said:


> If you get stuck by a saltwater cat, put hot water (as hot as you can stand) on the wound.  Saltwater cats have a venom very similar to stingrays that runs down the spine into the wound.  The hot water will denature the proteins in the venom and make the pain go away.



The ice cold water we had in the cooler was the only thing that helped me.  Of course didn’t really have access to hot water.


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## cuda67bnl (May 12, 2021)

I’ll take the cat over the ray any day. Got popped by a ray last year. Most excruciating pain I’ve ever felt.


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## twtabb (May 12, 2021)

I release sail cats in hot peanut oil.
Good to eat.


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## Thunder Head (May 13, 2021)

I was throwing the cast net around a bridge a couple of weeks ago. Caught about a dozen baby channel cats 4-5" long. Of course they get all tangled up in it. Like playing with bomb untangling each one.


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## Doboy Dawg (May 13, 2021)

Thunder Head said:


> I was throwing the cast net around a bridge a couple of weeks ago. Caught about a dozen baby channel cats 4-5" long. Of course they get all tangled up in it. Like playing with bomb untangling each one.



That stinks about as bad as catching a half dozen blue crabs in one cast.  It took me a half hour to get my net untangled plus getting my thumb cut.

But we were slaying the mullet so it was worth it.


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## Redbow (May 13, 2021)

I have caught quite a few saltwater Catfish around Georgetown SC in Winyah Bay. And like someone said they are not fit to eat. A Stingray got me when I was fishing Winyah Bay many years ago. Never had pain like that in my life for well over two hours.


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## NCHillbilly (May 13, 2021)

Thunder Head said:


> I was throwing the cast net around a bridge a couple of weeks ago. Caught about a dozen baby channel cats 4-5" long. Of course they get all tangled up in it. Like playing with bomb untangling each one.


It's almost impossible to handle those that size without getting stuck, cut, or both. And they lock those little pectoral fins straight out. At least they don't have venom like the saltwater ones.


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## oops1 (May 13, 2021)

vahurst said:


> If you get stuck by a saltwater cat, put hot water (as hot as you can stand) on the wound.  Saltwater cats have a venom very similar to stingrays that runs down the spine into the wound.  The hot water will denature the proteins in the venom and make the pain go away.



We learned this years ago when my uncle stepped on a sting ray. He was icing it and it was getting worse. Went by a fire station on the island and they stuck his foot in hot water and it was immediate relief. Will never forget that lesson.


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## notnksnemor (May 13, 2021)

Could be worse.
Aren't you supposed to pee on a sea urchin sting?


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## Browning Slayer (May 13, 2021)

notnksnemor said:


> If he gets stung by a bee does he burn every bee hive he passes?


Honey Bees get a free pass. I ain't ever been stung by a carpenter bee but I kill them by the thousands! And yes, I kill every wasp and yeller jacket I come across. Them red wasps will make you jump out of a box stand!


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## bassboy1 (May 13, 2021)

notnksnemor said:


> Could be worse.
> Aren't you supposed to pee on a sea urchin sting?



Not so sure about sea urchins, but allegedly so for jellyfish.  From what I've read, vinegar the best remedy for jellyfish, preferably at a warm temperature, so I guess the warm uric acid serves a similar purpose.


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## Dutch (May 13, 2021)

I dont know if works on saltwater cats, but if you get cut or "stung" by a freshwater cat, rub some of the body slime in the wound, it will stop the pain and stinging.

Squealers are the worst ones to handle, I am always getting cut/scratched by the small ones.


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## Ihunt (May 13, 2021)

alphachief said:


> The ice cold water we had in the cooler was the only thing that helped me.  Of course didn’t really have access to hot water.


 
Use the water coming out of the outboard.

Find my thread from a couple of years ago about my catfish sting. Think I labeled it My PSA. If anyone can post the link, thanks.


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## vahurst (May 14, 2021)

Dutch said:


> I dont know if works on saltwater cats, but if you get cut or "stung" by a freshwater cat, rub some of the body slime in the wound, it will stop the pain and stinging.
> 
> Squealers are the worst ones to handle, I am always getting cut/scratched by the small ones.




Try that with a saltwater cat and you'll catch a bacterial infection.


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## Dutch (May 14, 2021)

vahurst said:


> Try that with a saltwater cat and you'll catch a bacterial infection.


Well, this is why I prefaced the comment "I don't know if it works on saltwater cats".


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## boatbuilder (May 14, 2021)

If you grab them just behind the fins they can’t stick you


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## slow motion (May 14, 2021)

boatbuilder said:


> If you grab them just behind the fins they can’t stick you


That's definitely the best way to handle one. Palm underneath the belly fingers behind the fins. The little ones still sometimes get me when I let 'em go. And I do hate a handful of slime. Hardheads not as slimy as sailcats. That's why people call sailcats snotcats. It's even up your line. Wipe my hand on my leg and by the end of the day it looks pretty nasty, though come to think of it I'm not that attractive to start with. So maybe not such an issue after all.


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## The Donk (May 14, 2021)

If you hold 'em right, their fins are almost like handles. The small ones require more attention but hold them vertically and wait til you can easily grab their belly. I hate them too but mostly because they roll and slime up all my gear.


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## Hillbilly stalker (May 14, 2021)

Like Dutch said...freshwater cat stings ya...rub it against their belly. It kills the sting immediately. And some of them sorry rascals will get you in the palm of the hand with their dorsal fin. The smaller the fish, the more likely he will pop ya when you chunk em.


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## Sixes (May 14, 2021)

A few years back and the very FIRST fish that I caught on the trip was a cat that managed to do 2.5 gainer and land fin down right through my shoe and into my big toe. First Fish of the trip. 

My toe hurt until that afternoon when we started popping the tops, and it still hurt the next couple of mornings.

All catfish deserve the bat


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## Redbow (May 15, 2021)

I had a nice sized channel Cat suddenly flop upwards and move sideways in the bottom of the boat one day just after being caught and pop me on the leg thru my blue jeans with his side sticker. That wasn't any fun it hurt like the devil for the rest of the day.


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## ADDICTED2HUNTIN (May 15, 2021)

I know a guy who lost a leg because of a sail cat. I hate those things!


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## georgia_home (May 15, 2021)

Cheap home made ”flippers” are what we used back in the day for smaller spiny/toothy fish.

looked a little like the gadget in the video on page one of posts.

home made though. A wooden dowel, with a firm metal rod and a hook on the end. just like that picture. And flip. Occasionally the jellyfish slime would get on ya and burn/itch, but better than getting stuck or bit.


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## Browning Slayer (May 15, 2021)

This is the only thing you need for saltwater catfish.


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## GTMODawg (May 24, 2021)

alphachief said:


> So up until this past weekend, I had never been stuck by a catfish.  Of course it had to happen in the middle of a nice run on spawning reds.  It hurt so bad that I think I would of just cut my finger off with the filet knife it I could of got to it!  From here on, just cutting them off!  Bled like a stuck pig, but lucky it didn’t break off in my finger.




Hurts like the devil....I despise the things...but they make AWSOME Cobia, Tarpon, Bull Red and Snook baits.  Seriously.  Folks will refuse to believe that but they absolutely do....Cobia and Tarpon will not pass one up and they are hardy enough to sight fish with.....Tarpon will get so focused on them at times that nothing else will catch their attention.  Cobia are just swimming, feeding, breeding machines so anything tossed in front of them is likely to get bit but the lowly hardhead is hard to kill and will be far more frisky than most live baits......hook 'em through the upper lip on a BIG circle hook and keep them in a bucket with a bubbler, change the water occasionally and you got a ready may bait to toss at Cobs and Tarpon that happen by the boat.  Flat line one in the surf or in a pass with a strong tide and BIG snook will devour them as will reds.  I usually cut the barbs off with a pair of pliers but it ain't necessary...apparently fish don't react to being barbed like I do and scream like a 9 year old girl and whine about it for 3 years LOL....


Gafftops work also but they also work when battered and fried....hard to tell the difference (I never met any one who could) between a gafftop and a channel cat.


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## GTMODawg (May 24, 2021)

vahurst said:


> If you get stuck by a saltwater cat, put hot water (as hot as you can stand) on the wound.  Saltwater cats have a venom very similar to stingrays that runs down the spine into the wound.  The hot water will denature the proteins in the venom and make the pain go away.





Their slime will also somewhat mitigate the pain, but not enough to make it fun LOL.  rub the wound on their belly.....they have plenty of slime, they won't miss any of it.  This is, in my experience, true of all fish except lion fish....salt or fresh water....if you get a nasty finning rub their belly on it...it works...doesn't make it stop hurting completely but it helps.  Also works with rays but not as well as catfish.  Not with lion fish though....nothing I ever heard of will help that.  Good eating fish though.....


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## marlin (May 24, 2021)

I use a metal fish measuring ruler that’s turned up on one end. Two or three licks behind the head make them purty docile.


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## Ihunt (May 24, 2021)

Here’s my finger from a hard head sting a couple of years ago. I’ll never touch one of those things again.


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## ninjaneer (May 30, 2021)

Took almost a year to get full function of my left index finger after getting impaled by one of those saltwater cats. Had no idea that they had venom worse than freshwater version at the time.


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## Ihunt (Jun 1, 2021)

ninjaneer said:


> Took almost a year to get full function of my left index finger after getting impaled by one of those saltwater cats. Had no idea that they had venom worse than freshwater version at the time.



Preach on! When I heard they were poisonous, I was thinking like a wasp. Joke was on me though. I’ve been popped by a bunch of them and while it stung a little it was never any worse than a wasp. That is until the last one. That pain ran all the way into my shoulder. All from a little 8” catfish


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## blood on the ground (Jun 1, 2021)

alphachief said:


> So up until this past weekend, I had never been stuck by a catfish.  Of course it had to happen in the middle of a nice run on spawning reds.  It hurt so bad that I think I would of just cut my finger off with the filet knife it I could of got to it!  From here on, just cutting them off!  Bled like a stuck pig, but lucky it didn’t break off in my finger.


Did it get infected? I got stuck by one (salt water cat) and ended up at the ER.


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## Rich M (Jun 1, 2021)

I usually only get nailed by small catfish - like 6-8 inchers that have the energy to keep jumping around while I am trying to grab the hook with my pliers.

Larger ones we typically hang em over the side of the boat and take the hook out using pliers without touching them.  No need to grab em and get friendly.

Don't tend to catch many skates or rays cause don't anchor baits to the bottom.  Will try for them with kids but not often.  Easy to unhook these guys - lay em on they back...  Use pliers and grab tail, flip into water.

Also tend to move if the cats show up and catch a couple without any eating fish in between.


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## alphachief (Jun 1, 2021)

blood on the ground said:


> Did it get infected? I got stuck by one (salt water cat) and ended up at the ER.


 No.  Must have bled out the bacteria.


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## Browning Slayer (Jun 2, 2021)

alphachief said:


> No.  Must have bled out the bacteria.


Good deal. This past week was get the net or get the bat. I had 2 12 year olds on the boat and it was simple. You get a cat, leave it alone, I'll reel in, stop what I'm doing and take care of it 

All it takes is one time and you'll "get the bat"..


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## Sixes (Jun 6, 2021)

Got finned twice this week.  One sailcat and one hard head.

The hard head twisted about the time I was throwing it back, and got it's fin caught in my glove and went thru to my finger. It didn't swell but hurt bad and about an hour later, I got that sick feeling for a little while.

I've never caught so many cats as I did at St Marks this week. I bet I caught 50 in one day and most of them sail cats


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## KevChap (Jun 7, 2021)

I had one go through my finger.. I tried to pull it out and broke it off the catfish.. ended up at the er. They had to cut it out. Worst pain I've ever had to deal with


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## KevChap (Jun 7, 2021)




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## Browning Slayer (Jun 7, 2021)

Sixes said:


> Got finned twice this week.  One sailcat and one hard head.
> 
> The hard head twisted about the time I was throwing it back, and got it's fin caught in my glove and went thru to my finger. It didn't swell but hurt bad and about an hour later, I got that sick feeling for a little while.
> 
> I've never caught so many cats as I did at St Marks this week. I bet I caught 50 in one day and most of them sail cats


We caught a bunch down there on memorial day weekend as well. I can tell you that you didn't catch one that I had caught previous. Cause everyone we caught got cracked over the skull before the hook was removed.

I've never been finned and I'm not about to start.


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## zedex (Jun 7, 2021)

I've been jabbed a few time by catfish and it will draw tears to the eyes, no doubt.  After my first time, I learned theres a special place in my tackle box for Polysporin and a few other medical supplies. 

The worse sting of the kind, however,  happened up here when I was kayak fishing and hauled in a spiny dogfish shark.  They have 4 spikes and ain't afraid to use them. One got me under my kneecap and the critter wiggled it in deep and the wiggling allowed him to do a lot of damage.  Months later, my knee was still swollen and I still limped. Took almost a year to recover


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## Nicodemus (Jun 7, 2021)

ChapmanTree said:


> View attachment 1084165View attachment 1084166




I`d bet that wasn`t much fun.


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## KevChap (Jun 7, 2021)

Nicodemus said:


> I`d bet that wasn`t much fun.


It didn't feel good. They cut it out and gave me two weeks worth of antibiotics to take over that fishing trip


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## slow motion (Jun 7, 2021)

ChapmanTree said:


> View attachment 1084165View attachment 1084166


That hurts me just looking at it.


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## KevChap (Jun 7, 2021)

slow motion said:


> That hurts me just looking at it.


It came out the bottom of my finger and when I was pulling on the catfish and broke it off it just barely pulled back in. I was by myself at 11 at night. I had to get up all my fishing poles and tackle box.. it was a long walk outta there that night


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## GONoob (Jun 8, 2021)

I just donate the hook.


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