A good set of catfish grippers can be used to avoid painful bites and stab
wounds when releasing a fish or holding it up for a photo.
Catfish Basics #174, Safely Handling Catfish
Story and photo by Keith “Catfish” Sutton
Your smile of success will turn to a grimace of pain if you handle a catfish improperly. Although their teeth are small and sandpaper-like, big cats can bite with enough force to crush a finger. And all cats have sharp pectoral and dorsal fin spines that can inflict nasty wounds on careless anglers. Follow these tips to avoid unfortunate encounters.
- If you plan to release the fish, don’t handle it at all. Remove the hook with pliers, or cut the line.
- Several manufacturers make “catfish grippers,” special tools with open-and-shut jaws that can be flipped open with one hand and used to handle small to medium catfish. Use them when feasible.
- Don’t put your fingers in a catfish’s mouth, especially if it’s a big blue or channel cat. Even gloved fingers can get smashed in a big cat’s maw.
- Always use great care when swinging a catfish into a boat or on shore. This is when many anglers are wounded by the sharp spines.
- To hold a small catfish, approach the fish from tail to head on the belly side. Move your hands up to the base of the pectoral and dorsal fins and squeeze the fish firmly so it is unable to move. A fishing towel or rag can help you maintain a good grip on slippery fish.
- Land big cats with a landing net or gaff. If you plan to keep your catch, thump it hard between the eyes with a fishing priest or hammer. Then handle it by the gills with gloved hands. Bare hands can be cut by the bony gill arches inside the gill cover.
- Never toss a cat when releasing it or giving it to a fishing partner. The barbed spines can slice the thrower’s fingers, and the person on the receiving end could find a spine embedded in a leg, arm or hand. Catfish anglers have actually been killed when the spine of a tossed catfish penetrated an angler’s heart.
- Always pay attention and use extreme care when handling any catfish. Treat all wounds for infection. See a doctor immediately for serious wounds or those that get infected.
