Dumb question

[fishinJohn]

99% of my fishing is done solo, always has been and most of what I learn is from here or first hand experience. I still don't know how to properly handle catfish; I always have a glove handy when I go. What is it one should avoid on them? I know it's not the whiskars so are there fins that have sharp spines on the sides near the head? Or is that bullhead only. I think you are supposed to grab from above and you can use the gill plate and support by holding the tail area; is this correct? I don't want to the only one hoisting my catch with a big blue glove on

[DTro]

No such thing as a dumb question here.

Using gloves is not a bad idea at all, but once you handle a bunch you get the hang of it.

For flatheads you, can grip their lower lip, just like holding a suitcase. They have sandpaper teeth, so if things get wild, you may have some "road rash", but nothing to warrant a trip to the ER.

Channels on the other hand, I would recommend holding under the belly and under the head, like a cradle. The spines are not like a bullhead, but they can get you still from time to time.

[dps]

The barbs your referring to are in the fins, a single barb on the dorsal and side fins. Most of the time these fins are pretty dull on mature catfish, both channels and flats and are not a big issue.

Large channel cats can bite hard, a big channel cat can crush a clam! Usually one hand under the belly and slide it up to the fins, and the other hand in the tail area is a good way to securely hold a larger channel cat.

Flathead cats can be hoisted by the lower jaw using care. There is a *skin flap* at the back of the lower jaw bone that you will want to be sure is pulled up to the jawbone to avoid getting cut if the fish decides to thrash. Its very important to hold these fish tight by the jaw because you will get scraped up if they thrash out of your hands while holding them only by the jaw.

I highly recommend holding large flatheads with 2 hands. One hand by the lower jaw(4 fingers in the mouth), and your other hand supposrting the fish under the belly. This takes most of the stress off the jawand is easier on the fish. I felt the jaw *pop* once on a very large flathead hoisting it up by the mouth... the way I look at it, anything I can do to assure the safe return to the water on these fish the better the chances that fish will be there to be caught another day.

If you think about it for photos.. what is easier.. lifting a marine battery by the handle and hoisting it to chest level in front of you, or cradling it? Its easier on you and the fish.. and the pictures turn out better once you figure out what angle to hold the fish at.

[crazyice]

Here is what I consider a safe hold.

[riverrat56]

And these guys aren't lying about Channels biting down HARD, bad first HAND experience with that one time.

Everything else sounds like good info as well

[slipperybob]

Cats up to 10lbs can still have some pretty sharp barbs on them or enough to cause skin damage on you, if they're energetic and thrashing about.

[CatManLee]

All good advice. I can't help with the handling of Flathead's, but the Channel Cats are best held with one hand under the belly and one holding the tail as mentioned.

If I can give you one more bit of advice it's this...when you do catch smaller ones, Grab 'em quickly! It seems the longer you take to try and time the grab on a smaller one right, the better your chance of "getting Poked" is. Grab 'em by the belly with your thumb under one barb and the barb on the other side between you pointer and middle or ring and middle fingers.

One more thing to remember when releasing small cats, release them quickly too...when you let go of them, get your hand out of there! I can't tell you how many times I have been scratched really good by the side fins when letting go of the smaller cats. As soon as you let go, many times they will instantly put their fins back against their bodies, and if your fingers are still there, it's like having a sharp nail pulled across your fingers.

Give it some time...eventually, you'll wonder why you where ever worried about handling them at all.

[crazyice]

 Originally Posted By: CatManLee

Give it some time...eventually, you'll wonder why you where ever worried about handling them at all.

I can concur with that. I remember my first one, I was very leary of grabbing it, but now I HARDLY think about it. The reason I say hardly is, last year I took a bullhead spike almost an inch deep into the webbing between my thumb and index finger. Very painful.

[Ralph Wiggum]

 Originally Posted By: CatManLee

It seems the longer you take to try and time the grab on a smaller one right, the better your chance of "getting Poked" is. ll wonder why you where ever worried about handling them at all.

God, ain't that the truth!

[Shack]

Ya, it's like the bullies.

Once you handle to first 50-100, you are reaching into the live well with an open hand, in a fury ball of 10-20 5-7"'ers and coming up with the one you want.

It becomes second nature.

I will not even comment on the mouth hold of the channels .

It's like the handling crocodiles, it takes time to know what you are doing, but you could always at any time loose a hand

Know this fish, learn the fish, be the fish

[hanso612]

I have held many channels by the suitcase handle as well and haven't been tore up yet. Both flatheads and channels eat muscles and on many occasions I have caught a fish with an intact clam stuck in its anus about to come out. The clam was digested but the the shell was whole. The grinders in the back of the throat are sharper and do a good job scarffying fish going done the gullet so stomach acid can do it's thing. Hans

[fishinJohn]

Thanks, good tips I hope to put to use early and often.