Anyone ever been stung?

[catman71]

I have fished channels for a long time and have never gotten my hand in the way when those channels try to "slap" your hand into the pectoral fin and stick you.

What is it like when they do get you?

[Shack]

Never been stuck yet, but the brother in-law was stuck by a small bully a month ago. I hurt like heck at first and healed with in a couple of days.

The skill of handling is key, also the mental thought of getting hurt comes into play.

[slipperybob]

I wasn't really stung by it, but a decent size fish I release slashed me with it's pectoral fin as I putting him back into water. I got a little cut/abrasion about 3 inches and it made the fishing trip kindof less enjoyable.

[The J-Man!]

Oh yeah, unfortunately I have been stung on a few occasions over the years.

The smaller channels are the ones to be weary about as they are hard to get a hold of. I have had the webbing between my fingers poked and slashed by a couple channels as I released them back into the river. It stings pretty good and they really know how to get the blood going also. It heals after a few days.

I have heard tales of the barbels getting stuck under people's skin and getting infected. So if you get one stuck in you, get it out. Or you may be headed to the doctor's in a day or so with a really puffy and painful infection.

[HuskerBen]

I had one slash the webbing between my index and middle fingers a few weeks ago. I was holding it up for a picture, it flopped, and it caught me with its pectoral fin. It bled a lot more than I thought it would, but it healed up in a few days. Although it may hurt a little more, I'd rather have a fishing wound than a paper cut.

[so haaad]

I've been poked numerous times fishing them in the winter. It almost always happens on the release. (Is it possible I'm doing too much catch-and-release???) The "sting" is kind of like a paper cut - Nothing terrible or life-threatening, but sure can be annoying. Actually, bullhead stings are worse, followed by the little cats.

[ec30_06]

My sisters boyfriend got stuck by a 25" channel last year. Fish flipped out of his hand and stuck its side fin all the way into his hand between the thumb and first finger. Lots of blood and very painful. I got stung by a bullhead this spring and its fin broke off in my hand. Didn't really notice until a few days later when it got infected.

[rushing]

Wow broke off? How does that happen? I get poked a couple times a season but considering how many hundreds and hundreds of bullies I handle during a season its not too often. I did get poked pretty bad a few weeks back when I grabbed the hook and tried to shake a bully off and it swung back and nailed me deep in the meaty part of the hand.

[Wiskers]

Oh ya, you can count me in on this one.. I have learned a trick for making it a tad more comfortable. When they get you with that spine, the fish slime has a natural anticoagulant causing the blood to flow and keep flowing. A trick to helping it stop burning and stinging quicker is to take that same fish and rub the side of the fish on the cut. Getting the body slime layer on the cut will lessen the sting and help it clot up faster. Odd, I know, but it works.

Happy fishing.

[bgreen82]

two nights ago i caught a bullhead, no wait, my wife caught a bullie and she doesnt unhook them, so i was doing it and the hook was really lodged in it's mouth so i was pushing down pretty hard towards the stomach to unhook it and my hand slipped off the hook and i caught a stinger right underneath the finger nail at pretty good speed. it stung pretty good the next morning even.

[Gordie]

back when I was a kid two buddys and I were fishing on the sand creek under the spillway in Jordan and my one buddy hooked about a two pound channel and the other buddy said I'll grab it and he swung his hand down fast to grab it and the pectoral fin went right thru his hand. man did he scream bloody murder it finally came off and he ran home. he ended up going to the docs and had to get a tetness shot. I dont think to my recalection that he ever offered to grab another fish with his hand again.

[mplspug]

I've never really paid much attention to channels, except maybe the smaller ones. Aren't they pretty blunt on bigger ones, say over 2#s and would be tough to get stuck with? However, being that they are blunt, I'd imagine they would hurt pretty bad.

My hand always hurts after fishing for flats with bullheads. The knuckle or under the fingernails are the worse. From what I just Googled, it is disputed whether small bullheads have a poison gland. Apparently the adults don't.

The absolute worse is Stonecat or madtoms. They do have poison and very sharp stingers. There's a pain that does not go away for days.