Pain, Pain, Agony, Agony and more of the same!

[MIKOS]

Gorilla,

Do you have any photos of the trauma

Mike

[Gorilla_in_Manila]

Gorilla,

Do you have any photos of the trauma

Mike

Mike, fortunately no!

[Benno75]

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.

Cheers,
NICK.

My dad stepped on one while he was doing a survival exercise in the army. Straight up through the sole of his GP boot - they had to cut the spike off the fish, the boot off his foot and then cut the spike out. I remember him saying he felt pretty crook for a while.

[PeterT]

Caught a stone fish a week or so ago. First ever. Straight to hospital with one of those buggers.

Years ago we were at Narooma chasing octopus for bait and a mate got stung by a Fortesque fish.Only about 2 inches long but put him on a respirator in hospital.

Juvi queen fish can give you a nasty sting up here and as well as the stingers like Qld we have the Irukandji stinger which is only about 2.5 cenimeters across. It can put you in intensive care. I have caught them in a cast net, sometimes by the 10- 15 a cast. If they are in the net with prawns, the prawns die instantly. Their stingers fire on the net so havn't been stung too bad. The sting is bad enough but you get head aches and feel crook later usually after you get home.

Pulled an esturine file snake up in the cast net once with a couple of Irukandji. The file snake died.

pete

[Canoedle]

They have spikes in the pectoral fins as well, not sure if they are poisonous, never been unfortunate enough to get spiked which is pretty amazing since I was landing em in our creek near gympie when I was 10, always let em settle and then grab em with gloves as suggested or a good thick rag. The few I got on hard bodies on the weekend at wivenhoe were horses and I just gave em a little knick with a sharp knife to free my hooks, wasnt donating any of my lures to the slimy buggars and sure they will heal up fine.
Gorilla, I had to cringe at that story m8, that's hard to top. My old man pulled a 50cm school mack into the boat one day and it started slapping like crazy, as they do, so he stuck his foot on it. It slipped out from under his foot and landed head first on his big toe, he was only wearing thongs. the thing nearly bit his toe clean off and as with your father's injury it got infected and didnt heal for a long time, think the old man took a week off work for that one, can still remember his slipper with the end cut off and the cursing that went on for weeks after.

[DaveSue_Fishos_Two]

I think the pectoral spikes on the Catties are poisonous as well.

The spikes actually have to break or puncture your skin for the protein to be introduced. I don't think it would have caused Sue any grief. I think I now have two options: 1. Don't try to dislodge the hook from them. or 2. Leave the girls at home just in case.........

Cheers
Dave

[gavsgonefishing]

Got hit by the pectoral fin of a cattie many years ago in the index finger, know the grief you are going through. Give me trouble off an on for a year, tingling nerves etc, About one year later I squeezed tge spike out the other side of the finger. took a year to work its way through. No wonder it bloody hurt

[SeaHunt]

Don't stuff around with them. Either cut the line and leave them in the water or if you really want your hook back , stick a long blade knife through their skull to stop them moving around and then get the side cutters out and cut all their spikes off before trying to remove the hook.

[seabug]

Hi,
I was fishing off Apollo Bay one day and landed a bulleye Gurnard.
It drove a spine into the base of my longest finger.
The pain was the worst that I had ever experienced.
I had some Panadol in my tackle box in case of headache,so I thought I would give a couple a try.Within minutes the pain had almost disappeared.
The swelling remained for about 4-5 days but the pain was gone.
I do not know if it would work on your northern fish ,but if you were to carry some it would be worth a try.
Regards
Seabug

[bidkev]

Unlucky mate. Hope it heals soon.

Funny things those catty spines. First time I got spiked it was agony as it had penetrated and scraped the bone. I've been done quite a few times since(invariably protecting the kids) and felt no stinging sensation at all Whether you can build an immunity or not, I don't know. OTOH, scat spikes drive me bloody insane with pain and I've seen other fishos simply brush 'em off as if nothing had happened

kev

Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has courage to lose sight of the shore.

[DaveSue_Fishos_Two]

Kev

I can assure you there was not one funny part of the catty spike to me!
Maybe you can build up an immunity to them just as my Dad has with his bees. The stings hardly bother him at all, in fact he believes that a few every now and then is good for arthritis.

I have no desire to test this theory with the catfish!

It is now more than 24 hrs since the sting and my finger is still very swollen and bloody sore! >

Cheers all

Dave

[Haji-Baba]

The old freshwater jew has the same spines, one on top and two to the side don't get hit with either. Ditto saltwter catties, rays and catfish eels. if you ever catch a carp have a look at the spines on them, dorsal, pectral and anal fins. Boil one up in a tin on the fire and have a look. They will turn your blood cold. A definate hospital job if you get spiked.

Haji Baba

[DNO40]

Been there done that. I know where you are coming from.


DNO

[major-defect]

A mate once sat on a small 1 and the spike broke of in his bum cheek.He was 1 sore and sorry lad.

[Toppy]

Mate, I can totaly simpathise with you! When I was a young fella & didnt know any better, I spotted a school of what I thought was pody mullet. That was my first mistake, second mistake was once I had netted them I picked one up by the tail. Upon closer inspection I noticed it was some type of harmless black & yellow catie. Right on que as I thought the word harmless it swung around & jabbed me with one of its hyperdermic needle like barbs, right in the nuckle.
Must be the prefered place to sting humans The pain was as you say excruciating & almost instant. It lasted one 1/2 days and involved a trip to the Doc,s. For years later I had a lump on my nuckle where it stung me.
Yep, dont wana go there again!
cheers
Toppy