# Anybody ever been stuck with a salt cat fin?



## mauser64 (Jul 8, 2009)

I got "gored" between the thumb and forefinger about 2 weeks ago. When it happened I had to shake the thing off of my hand and the puncture wound bled like a stuck hog. The rest of the day my whole arm felt like it was going to fall off. Now I have a cyst like growth in the area and can hardly shake hands with anybody. 

Just wanted to see if anybody had any experience with this and got better or if I am about to start pushing up daisies.


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## stev (Jul 8, 2009)

I have stepped on 1 in the boat trying to dehook it .It went through my sneaker and into the ball of my foot .it swelle up like a golf ball,and hurt like all get out.Now i just cut the line .U will be fine .It will hurt for a while .Depends on your amune system.If the spot gets infected go to the doctor .


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## shotgun (Jul 8, 2009)

The wound will hurt and swell but after a few days go down. You don't reckon you still have some of the fin broke off in your hand do you? Might see a doctor.


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## Bodab1974 (Jul 8, 2009)

I have been stuck a few times while pulling gill nets.  It will hurt like fire for a few days,  Keep it in salt water and keep it clean.


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## shortround1 (Jul 8, 2009)

i have has several friends that have been finned by sail cats, over the years, it is painful for a few daze and the swelling starts to go down, i would tell u more but all those friends died shortly after, good luck!


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## jamessig (Jul 8, 2009)

*remedy*

Hot water will neutralize the toxins in catfish finnings as well as most toxins in other mildly venomous fish. Running hot water (as hot as you can stand without burning yourself) over the wound for a minute or two at the first opportunity available will help and should eliminate most if not all the pain. Immediate treatment with hot water is ideal but even treatment after several hours will help. Even with hot water application, any subsequent signs of infection need to be taken seriously as there are some marine pathogens that can be life threatening, chief among these is Vibrio.
I doubt this will be of any help in your situation though mauser as it's been such a long time since the injury. It sounds like a piece of the fin may have broken off inside your hand and a visit to the doctor is recommended.


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## Steve Thompson (Jul 8, 2009)

First action - take the catfish, squeeze him until his anus sticks out. Rub his butt hole on the wound. The enzymes in his butt will nutralize the fin toxins. It really works however to late for you. Use neosporin several times a day.


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## timberdawg1985 (Jul 8, 2009)

Better go get a tecnus shot.


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## germag (Jul 8, 2009)

Many years ago I took a buddy of mine fishing down in Louisiana for speckled trout. He had never been saltwater fishing before. On the way down we were talking all the different fish we could catch and we talked about hardhead and sail cats....I mentioned in passing that they had a venomous "sting" in their fins. Then the subject changed from mildly venomous fish to highly venomous ones, like lion fish, indo-pacific stonefish, etc....I told him about people dying agonizing deaths from it and how there wasn't an antidote....yadayada...I guess the topics must have sort of blended together for him. 

Anyway...the very first day in the first 15 minutes I had caught 2 or 3 trout, he had caught a couple, then he caught a hardhead catfish and the first thing it did was fin the devil out of his thigh. After a few seconds he said "This hurts like the devil....should we go to the hospital?" I said (kiddingly) "Maybe so....we'll see if it gets worse. If you start having trouble breathing, we'll go...but you'll have to wait a while. The tide's moving and the bite is on right now." Then he started imagining that he was having trouble breathing and started getting panicky and demanding that I take him back to the dock so he could call an ambulance. I finally got him calmed down and convinced that he wasn't going to die.


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## CCROLAND (Jul 8, 2009)

I think it works with regular cats also! Just watch out for their teeth!







Steve Thompson said:


> First action - take the catfish, squeeze him until his anus sticks out. Rub his butt hole on the wound. The enzymes in his butt will nutralize the fin toxins. It really works however to late for you. Use neosporin several times a day.


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## dapper dan (Jul 8, 2009)

Knew someone that had the fish stuck to her finger for a half hour. Couldn't have happened to a more fitting person


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## CAL (Jul 8, 2009)

Many years ago while down in Florida,I remember my Dad talking about what the locals did for such a puncture.He said they boiled fresh pine needles and put the tea made from it on the place to handle the poision!

I'm not recommending this just telling what I heard my Dad say!Might better go to the Dr.,whatever you decide,good luck with it!


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## germag (Jul 8, 2009)

CCROLAND said:


> I think it works with regular cats also! Just watch out for their teeth!




Teeth??? At _that_ end? What kind of catfish are you catching?


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## Buzz (Jul 8, 2009)

Yeah - it hurts terribly!


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## Capt Quirk (Jul 8, 2009)

For Jellyfish stings, Urine is supposed to help. Never heard of a treatment for those cats, only that it isn't something you want to do.


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## shakey gizzard (Jul 8, 2009)

Yes, ache to the bone! Sailcats are in the same boat as fleas ticks coyotes  tree rats fireants and armadillos!


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## diamondback (Jul 9, 2009)

better get to the doctor.My father in law had one get his hand and he ended up with blood poisoning and all most lost his hand.He was diabetic so that may have made it worse.I have been stuck no telling how many times with no problem other than the stinging and bleeding.


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## dawgs_fan19 (Jul 9, 2009)

My boyfriend got stuck by a sailcat fin between the thumb and index finger. his hand was swollen badly, but we put some alcohol over it and cleaned it up. it is still a little bit swollen to this day and it happened last spring. But no cyst like thing. good luck with the healing.


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## mauser64 (Jul 9, 2009)

Steve Thompson said:


> First action - take the catfish, squeeze him until his anus sticks out. Rub his butt hole on the wound. The enzymes in his butt will nutralize the fin toxins. It really works however to late for you. Use neosporin several times a day.



That sounds like the guy who got bit by the rattlesake u know where. The doctor told his buddy to suck the poison out, he went back to his friend and told him the doctor said he was going to die!


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## CCROLAND (Jul 9, 2009)

*I meant...*



germag said:


> Teeth??? At _that_ end? What kind of catfish are you catching?


 
a house cat. Try and squeeze one til its anus comes out and see if you don't get bit!!


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## iFish (Jul 9, 2009)

dapper dan said:


> Knew someone that had the fish stuck to her finger for a half hour. Couldn't have happened to a more fitting person



lol, an ex? nah, couldn't be, could it? nuff said.


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## bighonkinjeep (Jul 9, 2009)

Salt cats nasty creatures. Little barbs on the tip of their pectoral fins make it darn near impossible to let go of em after removing the hook without getting stuck. As a kid my cousin stomped on one that swallowed our last hook. It got him right through the shoe. He went hopin to the house draggin that fish and fishin rod all the way screamin MOMMA!.
Next stop emergency room.
BHJ


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## germag (Jul 9, 2009)

CCROLAND said:


> a house cat. Try and squeeze one til its anus comes out and see if you don't get bit!!



IMHO...that's one of the better things to do with a house cat.


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## shortround1 (Jul 10, 2009)

yall are skeering me, im going home!


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## Chadx1981 (Jul 10, 2009)

I got stuck one time in the ten thousand islands down around Flamingo! It hurt about as bad as anything besides a burn or broken bone holy smokes!!!!


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## FishingAddict (Jul 11, 2009)

Mauser...YOU NEED TO GO TO A DOCTOR IF IT IS STILL BOTHERING YOU!!!!  If it's still swollen, there is infection and it's just going to get worse until it's lanced and medicated.  Don't lose your hand!!

I've been hit once with a small one. Burned, but nothing unbearable.  But even wasp stings don't bother me much for some reason.


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## Steve762us (Jul 12, 2009)

shortround1 said:


> yall are skeering me, im going home!



Me too...catfish, house cats, anus squeezin' and finger stickin'...I'm outta here!


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## Victor DeVine (Jul 12, 2009)

I was stuck by one a couple of years ago. A friend had told me to keep bug spray in my tackle box (Deep Woods Off) and spray into the puncture if ever stuck by a sail cat.  As soon as I was stuck , I could feel the poision running up my arm. I quickly grabbed the spray and saturated the puncture site. A line of black liquid poured out of the wound and my arm started feeling better instantly. 

I don't know the science behind it, but it sure worked for me.


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## mauser64 (Jul 12, 2009)

All is better now. Took a while but the knot and swelling are gone and have 99% of flexibility back.


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## meriwether john (Jul 12, 2009)

as a kid about 45 years ago on the kelly docks in destin. some moron had left one on the docks and me with flip flops tried to nudge it over into the water so some one wouldn't get stuck--got me in the toe. first and last time---caught a many in my day never let one get me again. 
btw- sails are decent tablefare and hardheads are ok fresh smoked. just too much other tastier treats swimming around out there.


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## BLACKJACKMTMAN (Jul 25, 2010)

Caught a bunch surf fishing in Sanibel today. One got me on top of the right ring finger.  My entire hand is on fire!


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## Georgia27 (Jul 25, 2010)

got finned by a salt cat mauser and the same thing happened to me.... I had a small knot or cyst like mass in the tip of my finger. The area turned yellow. I would sit there and chew on it until i made the hole really deep.  It took about 2 weeks before that hard hole closed up!!!....


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## HALOJmpr (Jul 25, 2010)

Dang they hurt!   Just gotta be careful grabbin em.   Only thing that's about as bad is to get stuck by a danged skipjack too!!!   Ya'll are making my hands hurt!


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## spurandrack (Jul 27, 2010)

*this will not help now but............*

if it ever happens to you again rub the belly of that catfish on the puncture wound and it should take all of the posion out.


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## LYNN (Jul 27, 2010)

*Hey Spur does that work*



spurandrack said:


> if it ever happens to you again rub the belly of that catfish on the puncture wound and it should take all of the posion out.



on freshwater cats too?


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## Pineyrooter (Jul 27, 2010)

Glad things are better.


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## BLACKJACKMTMAN (Jul 27, 2010)

> if it ever happens to you again rub the belly of that catfish on the puncture wound and it should take all of the posion out.



I'll remember that next time!!  Caught a bunch more today, but kept an old towel handy just to get those things off the hook.  Still a little sore, but more or less was over with in less than 24 hrs.


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