Salt Water Catfish Question

[heyitskirby]

Went to Florida on vacation a couple of weeks ago and didn't realize you can't hold a salt cat the way you can hold a freshwater cat. Needless to say I got stung. Bled all over my shirt and felt like an idiot but I ignored it.

The next day my hand was all kinds of swollen and the charter captain we were with acted like it wasn't that big of a deal, so neither did I.

Fast forward two weeks and I'm at work. My hand starts hurting again, mostly in the joint of my pinky finger, near the sting. Again I ignore it. the next day I end up with some issues at work where I'm using my hand a lot and it swells up again and I can't hardly close my pinky finger with the rest of my hand.

Now a couple of days later I can't even tell that anything happened.

From what I've read and what I've heard its not that big of a deal...but based on my above experience...do I have anything to worry about?

[Bluebasser86]

I could be wrong but I believe the poison from a catfishes "sting" is a mucus based poison so it might be slightly infected, which might be causing the swelling. I've been stuck by a couple freshwater catfish (usually the really small ones when I try to turn them loose) and it is extremly painful. I've had my hands swell up and I get really sick to my stomach. I've also had a burning sensation in my hand and my arm go numb. I doubt it's anything really serious that won't go away with time but I'd probably go to the doctor just be sure, better safe than sorry in this case.

[RoLo]

My brother is a SCUBA diver, and I remember him telling me

that the fin spines on a sailcat can inject a neurotoxin.

By now your immune system has probably produced antibodies,

and you should be out of the woods (in any case, continue to monitor that hand),

Roger

[heyitskirby]

Yeah its back to being normal now. Even the entry area is no longer swollen. But like I was saying it flared up again after two weeks and I was just wanting to make sure that there weren't going to be any long term issues if I ignored it.

Oh and it was a Hardhead not a Sail, but the issues would appear to be the same based on what I've read.

Anyways...just keep in mind everyone...don't grab a saltwater catfish the same way you grab a freshwater. My major mistake was putting my hand in front of the pectoral fins and ignoring the dorsal fin.

[RoLo]

just keep in mind everyone...don't grab a saltwater catfish the same way you grab a freshwater. My major mistake was putting my hand in front of the pectoral fins and ignoring the dorsal fin.

Very good advice.

I learned that instead of trying to avoid the spines, it's actually better to grab the bull by the horns.

Promptly surround the three spines with your fingers (both pectorals & dorsal).

The spines will now be trapped between your fingers, and when the fish thrashes your hand is out of harm's way.

Roger

[Bluebasser86]

Very good advice.

I learned that instead of trying to avoid the spines, it's actually better to grab the bull by the horns.

Promptly surround the three spines with your fingers (both pectorals & dorsal).

The spines will now be trapped between your fingers, and when the fish thrashes your hand is out of harm's way.

Roger

That sounds like the same way I hold smaller freshwater catfish. I hold them with their belly across my palm with their right pectorial fin between my index and middle finger and my thumb in front of their other pectorial fin. I thought maybe they could fold down their fin and that's how they got you. Don't mean to get all technical but I'll be in Florida at the end of the month and might have a chance to do some fishing so it might be good information to know just in case.

[heyitskirby]

That sounds like the same way I hold smaller freshwater catfish. I hold them with their belly across my palm with their right pectorial fin between my index and middle finger and my thumb in front of their other pectorial fin. I thought maybe they could fold down their fin and that's how they got you. Don't mean to get all technical but I'll be in Florida at the end of the month and might have a chance to do some fishing so it might be good information to know just in case.

I went from on top of his head to press down the pectoral fins (which is how I grab freshwater) and thats when the dorsal fin shot straight up and into my hand.

The charter captain I went out with the next day refused to even touch the one we caught while looking for Redfish and just took his dehooker and shook until the fish came off.

Another major mistake I've read about is people stepping on them with shoes on and the fins going straight through their shoes. I caught several more and was wearing a pair of Keens and was able to step on them while I took the hook out, but they have hard thick soles for hiking.