Fish That "fin" You The Most

[BammerBass]

I cant say anything for saltwater fish, as I have never been saltwater fishing before, but out of my experiences, little stripes and white bass have stuck me several several times, and man, those little suckers can hurt!! Catfish have stuck me a bunch of times before too, as have bluegill and shellcracker. Them stripe and white bass have really hard fins that hurt like the devil when they grt you, and catfish supposedly have a toxin in theirs that makes it sting so much. Ironically, I've never had a largemouth or spot to fin me, even though we all know their fighting nature.

[SirSnookalot]

I've been "finned" a number of times.  We have small fish here called a skip jack, get finned and the area blows up like a balloon.

[BammerBass]

Yikes. Dont think I've had one swell like that before, but definitely lots of stinging and burning. Sounds like that fish perhaps may have some kind of mild toxin in those fins. Catfish do, and ironically, if a catfish sticks you, just rub the area on its belly, soothes the sting every time. They got the poison and the antidote evidently.

[Bluebasser86]

White bass are like trying to unhook a ticked off porcupine. I get finned or cut by about every other one I catch.

[BammerBass]

Haha I hear ya, and man does it sting when they do that!!!

[Jtrout]

Blue gills get me the most lol

[cbass12]

White Bass!!!!! Not to mention that when they flop like crazy, you usually happen to have treble hooks hanging out of their mouth.

[everythingthatswims]

Crappies are usually pretty docile but when they stick you it is pretty serious! The worst is a mad tom (their toxin is worse than normal cats), followed by 6-10" channels, bullheads, etc.

[powerduster]

Stripers the most common and then maybe catfish.

[BassinLou]

For me down here in South FL, the ones that stick me the most if not careful, are big oscars and mayan cichlids. 

[Darren.]

Yellow perch. Almost every time, LOL.

[everythingthatswims]

Yellow perch. Almost every time, LOL.

Where do you catch yellow perch? I have fished for them a bunch but never got on a consistent bite

[Darren.]

Where do you catch yellow perch? I have fished for them a bunch but never got on a consistent bite

 

They're in most reservoirs and lake systems that I have

fished in SE VA.

 

I don't target them, but when I catch them, I get stuck by 

their fins almost every time.

[gardnerjigman]

Sticking your hand into a livewell of crappie is like reaching into a bucket of needles!

[*Hank]

Catfish are the worst for me than probably surf perch.

[Bankbeater]

Either bluegill or crappie.

[EmersonFish]

White Bass seem most likely to get me. Small channel-cat are most likely to give me a poke that I truly regret.

[ChrisWi]

Yellow perch. Almost every time, LOL.

and if they don't poke me I get cut by the gill plate!

[Darren.]

and if they don't poke me I get cut by the gill plate!

Yes, indeed!

[desmobob]

Stripers always seem to get me.  And is there any other fish that raises its hackles like a yellow perch when you haul him into the boat?  They seem to be the fish that try the hardest to fin you.  

 

As a young kid, I learned about the fins of catfish and was always scared to death of getting poked by one.  I am super careful with them and after a lifetime of fishing and catching lots of catfish and bullhead, I've never been nailed (knock on wood).  Can anyone that has been nailed by a catfish tell me just what it's like?

 

Tight lines,

Bob

[Catch and Grease]

I got cut by a catfish's spike once and nothing happened, I was ready for the pain that everybody talked about to set in but after a few minutes nothing even happened it was just a cut haha

Dunno if its different for each kind of catfish but the one that cut me didn't have some kind of painful poison or whatever people say...

[Bluebasser86]

I got cut by a catfish's spike once and nothing happened, I was ready for the pain that everybody talked about to set in but after a few minutes nothing even happened it was just a cut haha

Dunno if its different for each kind of catfish but the one that cut me didn't have some kind of painful poison or whatever people say...

Sometimes it effects you and sometimes it doesn't. My grandpa had a small catfish get him in the meaty part of his palm between his index and thumb once. The barbs held so hard he had to use pliers to rip it back out. After about 30 minutes he was so sick we had to go home. I've had them poke and slice me with their fins and had it start burning really bad, but never got it bad enough to be really sick like that

[BammerBass]

Stripers always seem to get me.  And is there any other fish that raises its hackles like a yellow perch when you haul him into the boat?  They seem to be the fish that try the hardest to fin you.  

 

As a young kid, I learned about the fins of catfish and was always scared to death of getting poked by one.  I am super careful with them and after a lifetime of fishing and catching lots of catfish and bullhead, I've never been nailed (knock on wood).  Can anyone that has been nailed by a catfish tell me just what it's like?

 

Tight lines,

Bob

it does sting pretty good definitely, but the old wives tale of taking the area and rubbing it on the belly of the catfish to kill the sting actually works. I did it every time a catfish got me and it killed the sting on the spot. Something about the secretions on the belly of catfish seems to have analgesic properties.

[BammerBass]

And as far as handling catfish to prevent them from sticking you good, if they sre small enough, grab them right behind the head and just in front of the barb, then use the bass of your palm to suppress the barb so it wont grt you, worked for me every time I did it. As far as bigger catfish over 10-15 lbs, im not sure what would be the best way to handle them.

[BammerBass]

Right here im using my two big fingers to keep that barb suppressed. Not an ideal way to handle it, but given it was being uncooperative for the photo op, I had to improvise. Id rather have used the base of my palm to do it, but this one was small enough to use my two big fingers to keep that barb down.