How do you handle catfish?

I caught my first catfish on a jug rig this weekend. It was only about 10' long, and ugly as sin with a big flat head. I carefully released him, but was afraid to touch him, so used long-nosed pliers to remove the hook. Questions: What's a good eating size for these guys? Do you need special equipment for handling them/cleaning them? I heard that the fins have some kind of irritating chemical or poison on them, or than the spikes can go right thru your hand. Myth or fact?

Catfish require special handling. They do have three spikes on on the ends of the three fins that surround the head. Sometimes I break them off - I have had them puncture a good ice chest. You can grab them behind the head by sliding your hand up the body and having the barbs between your fingers.

When hooked, you can unhook small ones by grabbing the hook with a pair of pliers and spinning the cat. Just be sure you do not spin it up in the air where it can land on you.

Catfish sticks are painful. The best thing I have heard of or used to help with the stinging is slime from the cat itself.

Find a dead catfish or go buy one, and look it over carefully. Handle it so you can slide your hand up the body and handle it behind the head.

BTW, the spines lock into place, so they can put em out there, and lock them.

Good luck, and be careful.

Steve, the DsrtTravlr

Thanks, Steve

I saw a contraption at the store called a 'catfish grabber' or something. Would this be worthwhile?

Also, how big is a good eating size?

Thanks!

I like to keep eater cats (you may have had a flathead there) between 10 and 14 inches long. I grab them with the head towards my fingers and the belly on my palm, one spine sits between my thumb and index finger, and the other between 2 other fingers. I have been 'stung' by cats before, usually because I was not being careful. Don't know about any kind of 'irritating chemical', more like a needle wound. Typically, as the cats get bigger, the fins get bigger, rounder, and less of a concern. As for cleaning them, all you need is a knife and a pair of pliers. Whack them on the head to kill them, cradle the fish belly down in the palm of your hand, with the fins up against your fingers for leverage, make a cut through the skin behind the head, and peel the skin off with the knife. Nothing could be easier, and out of good water, few fish are tastier....

I hate to admit that I've had alot of experience removing the worst of all catfishes the saltwater hardhead, they can get down right tiny too. I've only been finned once. I have a witness to my catfish removing expertise.

Catfish have 3 spines one in each pectoral fin and one in the dorsal. Grabbing the catfish from behind the head is asking to get finned with the dorsal, especially since they sometimes lay that one down flat to surprise you with it, probably their way of getting even with you for catching them in the first place.

While standing carefully hold the line with the catfish suspended in air, wait for it to quit spinning and squirming and kicking. When it is completely still, carefully turn it so that its belly is facing you. While it is still still, carefully place the thumb under one pectoral fin and index finger under the other, gently but firmly grasping the belly, or alternately you can place the thumb under one pectoral fin, the index finger over the other fin and the next finger under it. If the catfish is very small I perform this operation with my fingertips, and it is probably a good idea to think of it as an operation. You'll note that the pectoral fins open and close in about a 90 degree arc from tail to head, tail being the closed position and 1/2 way to the head being the open position. If possible, you want to grasp the catfish with the pectoral fins open, otherwise you have to try to work your fingers inbetween the inside of the fins and the body and this is when you usually get finned. If the catfish starts to squirm before you get a firm hold of it just back out and wait for it to get still again. Once firmly grasped you can put slack in the line to try to work the hook out, you might still need a pair of long nosed hook removers. After the hook is out I release the catfish in the following way. I hold the catfish by the belly, upside down over the water. When it quits squirming, and only when it is still, I just releas my grip, adding no motion of my own and allow it to fall upside down into the water. Before the fish realises that it has a chance to fin you it is clear of your hand and usually swimming away, sometimes to be caught again.

I read somewhere where the sting is caused by the bacteria in the slime, so I would advise against rubbing the slime on a wound since this seems to be a good way to gte an infection and probably doesn't keep it from stinging. If it's only a scratch, and I sometimes get scratched, I like to wash my hands with scouring powder and then go back to fishing. If it's a deeper cut, just flush it with a disinfectant like peroxide, dry it off, cover it with some bacitracin and a bandaid. If it's worse than that get some medical attention.

I've done the best I can without pictures, which, one really needs a step by step pictorial guide. Catfish grabbers are probably better, that is, less risky, but I doubt that one size fits all. They might not work on tiny catfish.

The best size is bigger than 15'.