PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant VBA_SCRIPT - assumed 'VBA_SCRIPT' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in ..../includes/functions_navigation.php(802) : eval()'d code on line 1 Pain, Pain, Agony, Agony and more of the same!
Sue and I were up the Fitzroy this evening checking the pots. A couple of good crabs and it was just so lovely and peaceful up there we decided to anchor and fish for a while. Had one good run on a whole pillie on a gang of 6/0's but the hooks pulled. Suzi was battling with some sort of decent fish and so I grabbed the net. Up came a large catfish. I am always so careful removing the hook on these buggers. I grabbed the hook with the pliers and did the big flip and jerk thing but he turned just at the wrong moment. The dorsal spike went right into the knuckle on my middle finger. > >
I haven't been spiked before but I have seen other blokes cop it. I remembered reading on this forum that if you haven't got any hot water that you can use a cigarette lighter or the heat from the engine. I put the lighter on it.
I have to say that I almost passed out with the pain. And I even began to wonder if it would be less painful if I just cut the finger off!
I can only describe it as excruciating and sickening.
We came home asap and I put my hand in hot water for a long, long time. It is now 3 hrs since this happened and the ache and throb is still quite severe.
Bloody near brought me to tears!!!!!
Re: Pain, Pain, Agony, Agony and more of the same!
I feel your pain even though I have never been stuck that bad yet. I think that when I hear of others in pain it re-affirms the need for caution at all times. Thanks for the reminder Dave
Re: Pain, Pain, Agony, Agony and more of the same!
Absolutely excrutiating pain. got done by a tiny one a few year back in the thumb. Even though it was a tiny fish and i barely got pricked, for an hour i was in total agony. NOT FUN!!
Re: Pain, Pain, Agony, Agony and more of the same!
I'd rather what happened to me on Saturday arvo than get done by a cattie.Upiring baseball and got hit in the left arm by 100mph ball.Many coloured shades of bruising,but that's better than a cattie spike.
Re: Pain, Pain, Agony, Agony and more of the same!
After being stung by a happy moment I can appreciate what you went through. When I catch a catfish they don't even come in the boat I just cut the bloody line - much better to retie your rig than spend hours in pain.
Re: Pain, Pain, Agony, Agony and more of the same!
Trouble is they are fantastic crab pot bait. And the Fitzroy is loaded with the buggers!
Had a restless night with the finger throbbing and aching etc and this morning it is locked in a half bent position and 50% bigger than normal. Still bloody painful!
We had our girls in the boat with us yesterday and so I couldn't put my finger where I initially thought. Well you know, my wife there with me, me with a cattie sting and I need somewhere warm to put it ........ I'm sure she wouldn't have minded. I wonder if that would be warm enough. ....probably a lot better than bloody nothing!!
Re: Pain, Pain, Agony, Agony and more of the same!
A Catfish spike can go through a Wellington Boot and 2 pairs of footy socks and still do the business. I would never bring one into the boat; I always cut the line and let them go. The dramas and pain and agony is not worth it for the sake of a few cents worth of hook.
Re: Pain, Pain, Agony, Agony and more of the same!
Dave, I love catties for crab bait too. Carry a good pair of side cutters preferably very long ones and snip the spines off before handling. try a cattie cooked in the ashes and you will think twice about using them for crab bait.
Only thing I have had that is worse, is a stinger on the crab line. Got me along the forearm and wrist. The scar has gone now but looked like I had an operation down my arm and throbed for a week. Lucky it had fired most of its venom on the rope.
Only remedy for catfish spike is to grab your fishing knife and stab yourself in the eye. That will divert your mind from the spine stab.
Re: Pain, Pain, Agony, Agony and more of the same!
Where abouts are the spikes? Did someone say dorsal spike? Is that the only spike? Jees, Ive been handling catfish and didnt know they had spikes. I just used an old Tshirt to grab em. Sounds like I was real lucky. oops.
Re: Pain, Pain, Agony, Agony and more of the same!
Dave,
Haven't been stuck myself, but the discriptions of the pain I have heard from others has led me to treat unhooking catfish with the same sort of care I would take with defusing a bomb.
Here's a painful story to help take your mind off your own pain for a while:
When I was a young tacker, my old man was out catching tailor on a racing ski. One threw the hook as he was landing it and it fell down between his legs and promptly latched onto his scrotum through his speedos. As you probably know, they clamp their jaws shut in situations like this and nothing you can do will entice them to let go. So the fish was removed by main force, taking a fair bit of skin and speedo material with it. Tailor bites always seem to get infected no matter how much antiseptic you apply so needless to say, Dad was walking like a crab for the next week or so that it took to heal. He used to drive a grader before retiring, and his work mates still swear that they could see both his knees sticking out either side door of the cab during that week.
Hope it doesn't take a week for your pain to go away. I know its not much help to you, but there are worse places than a finger to get stuck.
A couple of good crabs and it was just so lovely and peaceful up there we decided to anchor and fish for a while. Had one good run on a whole pillie on a gang of 6/0's but the hooks pulled.
Suzi was battling with some sort of decent fish and so I grabbed the net. Up came a large catfish.
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I wonder if that would be warm enough. 
....probably a lot better than bloody nothing!!
