How To Hold a Catfish (and Do Catfish Sting)?

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Catfish don’t “sting”, let’s go ahead and get that out of the way now.

Catfish whiskers don’t sting. Their barbels or fins don’t either. They can cause some discomfort though (if you’re not careful) so let’s cover what you need to know.

There’s a common misconception that catfish will “sting”. This is nothing more than a myth or misunderstanding of catfish.

Let’s cover everything you need to know about how to hold a catfish, the truth about “catfish stings” and what you need to do to keep from getting hurt.

Catfish of all species and types have the same anatomy when it comes to fins.

There are slight variations of the numbers of rays in the anal fin of the big three catfish species and other minor physical differences. What we’re concerned with are the dorsal fin, pectoral fin, and whiskers.

For the purposes of how to hold and catfish and the great myth that a catfish will “sting you” we’re going to cover three parts of the anatomy, the dorsal fin (on the top), pectoral fins each side behind the head) and the whiskers (around the mouth).

I’ve got countless people that fish with me on guide trips that are concerned about catfish whiskers and being hurt by the whiskers.

CATFISH WHISKERS ARE HARMLESS. They’re soft, pliable, and touching them or having them touch you is no different than touching the whiskers on a dog. There’s absolutely no concern with being stung by catfish whiskers, they’re not going to hurt you.

The areas of concern in regard to being “hurt” or “stung” are the dorsal and pectoral fins.

These fins are located behind the head on each side and on the top of the fish behind the head (refer to the image above). The fins are soft if approached from the back but there is a hard spine that runs the length of the fin in the front (the nearest portion of the fin to the head).

The tip of these spines is pointed and very sharp (especially on smaller catfish, and especially channel cats).

These spines don’t “sting” and you can touch them without any pain occurring. Pain (and injury) occurs when these spines puncture the skin.

The spines contained in the dorsal and pectoral fin contain a venom that causes edema (swelling) and a hemolytic (causes increased blood flow in the area of the injury) if these spines puncture the skin.

Smaller catfish are the fish that most often hurt people. The larger catfish spines are typically dull. They’re also larger as well. The tips of these spines in smaller fish are like needles. In larger catfish fish the spines are blunt.

How To Hold A Catfish

Smaller catfish are what you’ve got to watch for and be careful with, especially the really small ones. Once the fish reach about sixteen to eighteen inches the spines are much duller and the chance of being finned is greatly reduced.

Fish larger than two to three pounds are rarely a concern. Smaller catfish are a different story though and the smaller they are the more careful you have to be. Injuries from small catfish fins or spines usually occur during the release of the fish. You’re holding them, you remove the hook, and at some point, you go to release the fish into the water or put it in an ice chest and “BAM”, it happens, you get finned by the fish.

Even though catfish don’t sting, it can be uncomfortable, painful even when you get finned.

There are two approaches you handling smaller cats to keep from getting hurt.

1. Small Cats – Holding the fish from the top is the preferred method. Place your hand directly behind the pectoral and dorsal spines. Put the area between your thumb and forefinger resting behind the dorsal spine. This is the preferred method of holding or handling any catfish that’s small enough for you to get your hand around and hold firmly. As the fish get larger (up to about two or three pounds), this approach becomes more difficult. Some anglers prefer to hold the catfish from the top, putting their hand in front of the dorsal fin and behind the pectoral fins.
2. Medium Cats – Fish from one to two pounds up to about seven or eight pounds can usually be handled as outlined above (in front of the dorsal fin and behind the pectoral fins). They’re relatively easy to handle until they’re a size that you cannot easily get your hand around. The best bet for handling fish you can’t get your hand around is using a “lip grip” like the Berkley Big Game Lip Grip or the Team Catfish Lip Grips.
3. Big Cats – Getting finned by big fish is rarely an issue. Scoop them up with a dip net and use lip grips to handle them during landing, photographs, and the live release (please practice catch and release of larger catfish). Be careful sticking your hand in the mouth of a big catfish, their mouths are much more dangerous than their fins!

Can You Hold a Catfish By The Mouth?

You certainly can hold a catfish by the mouth. With smaller catfish, most anglers prefer to hold a catfish with their hand wrapped around the body like previously explained because this helps control the fish and helps reduce the risk of getting finned.

With larger catfish, you can hold the fish by the mouth but keep in mind the inside of the mouth of larger catfish is very abrasive. Many anglers will grab the mouth of a large catfish for the first time and then get surprised when the fish bites down hard on their hand. The first impulse is to slide the hand it and the abrasive portion of the mouth will scrape up the skin. This is commonly referred to as catfish knuckles. To avoid these injuries and better control the fish many anglers will use fish grips designed for holding and handling catfish. 

What To Do When You Get “Finned” By Catfish

There are two options here, the first is what a doctor will tell you and then my “real world” advice. I also spent the better part of ten years as a paramedic so I can speak with authority from the medical perspective.

What a Doctor Will Tell You: If you get finned by a catfish clean the wound immediately with antiseptic and then cover the wound. Hydrogen Peroxide or any other antiseptic to clean with and then cover with a clean dressing, it’s basic first aid. They’re not going to tell you what fishermen do when they get finned by a catfish to stop the sting.

The Belly Slime Treatment: If you ask ten doctors about this they’ll all tell you it’s a bad idea but this is an “old school” catfisherman’s tip that I’ve been using for decades and it works!. Rub the wound on the belly of a catfish it will stop the stinging almost immediately. Simply rub the puncture on the belly of the fish for ten to fifteen seconds after getting finned and the pain stops almost immediately.

As an alternative to rubbing the wound on the belly of the fish, you can soak the affected area in water (as hot as possible) to help relieve the pain.

The biggest issue with getting finned by a catfish is the spines. It’s not uncommon when finned by a smaller fish for the spine to break off. If left inside the body a nasty infection will follow. In many cases, spines can be removed with a tweezer but if they’re deep they’ll require more extensive medical care to be removed.  

If you get finned by a smaller fish it’s important to make sure you inspect the fish and confirm the fins are in tact. 

I had people claim that they got infections from this practice. There’s no way to tell if the infection is from the puncture or the slime. I suspect that in most of these instances the infection occurred from the puncture after being finned.*

Disclaimer: I’ve been using this belly slime trick for over thirty years and never had an issue but if one of your hands falls off don’t come crying to me.

There’s really no difference between handling catfish and any other species of fish. Handling white bass is much more painful (and dangerous) in my opinion. Make sure you use some caution, especially when handling the smaller fish. Keep a firm grip, and be conscious of where your hand is in relation to the pectoral fin.

You’re not going to get “stung”, but if you spend enough time handling them you will eventually get finned, it will hurt or be uncomfortable for a few minutes and you’ll get over it.

There are instances where people will get finned and get serious infections but they’re the exception and not the rule.

Want More Catfishing Tips

To get more catfishing tips, check out the Ultimate List Of Catfishing Tips for all the catfishing tips and tricks you could ever want and more.

For more in-depth information on locating and catching catfish check out the Catfish Edge products to get on the fast track to catching catfish.

Updated December 10, 2021

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Summary

Do Catfish Sting – Catfish Spines Can Inflict Painful Wounds!

Do Catfish Sting

• Augustus
• July 9, 2021
• Freshwater

Three main areas of a catfish to avoid

Although catfish don’t have a true stinger in the typical sense, they can certainly sting you with their pectoral and dorsal spines.

There are actually many catfish species that do in fact contain venom glands at the base of their spines. However, from my experience, the “stings” from most freshwater North American catfish are uncomfortable but not unbearable. With channel, blue, and flathead catfish, the possible secondary infection is the more serious concern.

A potential catfish “sting” is always more of an issue when dealing with younger catfish. These young cats, under 3 lbs., have extremely sharp “stingers” which turn into formidable weapons when they decide to thrash about. These spines will dull over as the fish ages, so they’re not as much of a concern when dealing with larger catfish.

How To Hold A Catfish To Prevent A Sting

Always use a firm grip to maintain control of the 3 spines.

For any sized catfish that I can fit my hand around, I like to firmly grasp them as shown above. Grip them from the top and behind the head and pectoral fins. When holding them like this from above, make sure you don’t let the dorsal spine puncture your palm. You can also hold them like this but with your hand underneath the fish. Either way, you have to be careful when doing so, as you never know when they will decide to flop around. A really firm grip is the key to avoiding the spines.

If a catfish is too large to hold with a single hand then their spines are usually dull enough to be of little concern.

To further eliminate risk, I would advise a novice angler to control a catfish with a lip gripper until they are more comfortable around them. The hesitancy in grabbing catfish firmly by hand is what usually gets you stuck. You have to commit to the grab and hold on tight. If you don’t feel that you can do that, it’s best to use a fish grip until you are more confident.

For really small catfish whose mouths are too small for a gripper, you can also use pliers to grasp them by their top dorsal fin.

Getting Impaled Or Stabbed By A Catfish

The dorsal and pectoral spines of a young catfish can prick or cut you badly, causing great pain. They can also quite literally impale you to the point that they are hard to remove from your flesh.

I have personally witnessed a child swing a small catfish into the calf of a nearby adult. The pectoral fin penetrated deep into the poor guy’s calf to the point that he could not bear to remove it on his own. He doubled over, groaning in agony, with a small catfish hung from the side of his leg. Fortunately there was emergency personnel already on site, as this was a kids fishing event put on by the state. They went to work immediately to pull the fish free and stop the bleeding. The point here is that you should always keep your wits about you when dealing with small catfish in particular, and especially if kids are involved. Those little cats can sure enough cause serious injury.

How To Treat A Catfish Sting

Shallow stings or pricks can usually be tolerated quite well with a good cleansing and pain meds, whereas deep punctures may require medical attention. I have been pricked many times by small catfish, and I find that the pain will subside, and the wound will heal on it’s own without any medical attention at all. Fortunately I have never suffered a deep stabbing from a catfish, but I know others that have not been so lucky.

Deep punctures from a catfish spine may require that you see a physician, especially if an infection occurs. I know of fellow anglers that have had to go to the doctor to deal with a resulting infection. If in doubt, go to a clinic and have it looked at.

How To Release A

Catfish To Avoid A Sting

When it comes to safely releasing a small catfish, I find it’s best to simply drop them out of your hand and into the water. If you try to instead throw a small catfish you run the risk of their fins slicing your fingers. I learned that lesson the hard way. Instead, a quick drop by opening your hand and quickly moving it away will help you avoid a nasty cut from a flopping fish.

Conclusion

While it may seem a bit counterintuitive, you actually have to take more care when dealing with smaller catfish than with larger ones. Those tiny sharp spines of young cats are like daggers that will get you, or a nearby angler, if you’re not careful.

Some folks go so far as to handle small catfish by the dorsal fin using a dehooker or a pair of pliers. I don’t personally think you have to go to that extreme, but you should definitely exercise caution when handling them.

Stay safe out there!
Augustus Clay

Tags: Catfish Sting, Catfish Stinger

Sack-gill catfish: toxicity, content, compatibility

Sack-gill catfish (lat. Heteropneustes fossilis) is a fish originating from the Heteropneustidae family. This is a large (up to 30 cm), active predator, and even poisonous. In fish of this genus, instead of lungs, there are two bags that run along the body from the gills to the very tail. When a catfish hits land, the bagged water allows it to survive for several hours.

Content

1. Living in nature
2. Complexity of content
3. Description
4. Aquarium keeping
5. Compatibility
6. Feeding
7. Sex differences
8. Reproduction

Living in nature

In nature, it is quite common, common in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand , Myanmar and Bhutan. H. fossilis is found in places with weak currents, often in stagnant water with excess oxygen – swamps, ditches and ponds, but sometimes found in muddy rivers. It can enter large rivers and has even been seen in salt waters.

Breeds in waters during the monsoon months, in abandoned ponds and ditches when sufficient rainwater accumulates. It is in high demand due to its nutritional value.

Difficulty of keeping

Sackbranch is not recommended for beginner aquarists due to its toxicity. The venom is contained in sacs at the base of the pectoral spines. The sting is very painful, reminiscent of a bee sting, and in some cases can cause anaphylactic shock.

Naturally, you need to be very careful when cleaning the aquarium or catching fish. In case of a bite, the affected area should be immersed in as hot water as possible to coagulate the protein in the venom and seek medical attention.

Heteropneustes fossilis can become quite tame and learn to associate its owner with food, although it is tempting to teach these fish to come and take food from your fingers, this is not a good idea due to their venomous spines.

Description

Habitat left its mark on Heteropneustes fossilis. It can survive in conditions where there is very little oxygen in the water, but it needs access to the surface where it breathes.

In nature, catfish can leave a body of water and move over land to another. In this he is helped by the structure of the lungs and the abundant mucus that facilitates movement.

In nature it grows up to 50 cm long, in aquariums it is much smaller, no more than 30 cm.

The body is elongated, laterally compressed. The belly is rounded. There are four pairs of whiskers on the head – on the lower jaw, nasal and upper jaw. Long anal fin with 60-80 rays, lateral fins with 8 rays.

The life expectancy of the sac-gill catfish is 5-7 years, how long they live depends largely on the conditions of detention.

Dark to light brown body color. Albino is very rare, but is found on sale. The conditions of its content are similar to the usual.

Keeping in an aquarium

Heteropneustes fossilis is a very lively fish that needs a lot of open swimming space and plenty of places to hide. Best kept in semi-darkness with plenty of cover but also an open swimming area. There should be no sharp edges in the aquarium, as the fish have delicate skin.

The aquarium must be closed, because the sac-gill catfish can get out even through a small hole in search of new reservoirs. The fish are active, produce a lot of waste, so strong filtration is needed in the aquarium. For the same reason, frequent water changes are needed.

Predators come out at night to hunt, so don’t keep them with fish that they can swallow. And given their considerable size, the best neighbors for them are large catfish and cichlids.

They are unpretentious in nutrition and maintenance, they eat any animal food, you can also add worms to the diet. Water parameters: pH: 6.0-8.0, hardness 5-30°, water temperature 21-25 °C

Compatibility

Heteropneustes fossilis is a predator, and very skillful! Very often it is sold as a harmless fish that can be kept in a community aquarium. But, the sacbranch is not at all suitable for general aquariums, it deftly eats all the fish that it can swallow. And then the aquarist wonders where his neon ones go.

Understanding if a fish is compatible with a sacbranch is very simple – if he can swallow it, then no. It needs to be kept with fish, large enough, which he simply has no chance to eat. Most often it is kept with large cichlids, such as eight-striped cichlazoma, geophagus, astronotus or diamond cichlid. Fish can be kept with similarly sized catfish and other robust fish that are at least as big as a catfish or slightly larger.

Feeding

Worms, crustaceans and small fish form the diet of Heteropneustes fossilis living in the wild. It’s not hard to feed. Most sinking artificial, live and frozen foods are suitable for this. Make sure that catfish get a good proportion of protein foods such as earthworms, bloodworms, chopped shrimp, and the like. In captivity, they should be fed frozen fish and there is no need to use live fish.

Sex differences

It is quite difficult to distinguish male and female, the female is usually smaller. When they become adults, females look more rounded and heavier than males.

Reproduction

Sackgill catfish have been bred in captivity, but few details of the process are known. Apparently, this is a species that lays eggs in a previously dug hole. Both parents take responsibility for guarding and caring for the brood and continue to care for the fry for some time after they hatch. In some countries, it is bred in large quantities for consumption as food on commercial farms, both naturally and artificially using hormones. Reproduction in an aquarium is difficult, since pituitary injections are required to stimulate spawning.

Can catfish drag a person under water and eat them – July 13, 2018

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Yaroslavl, during a thunderstorm, a tree fell on the house where a family with children lives0002 Divers are still looking for the body of 18-year-old Nikita, who drowned the day before in the Volga near the Shipbuilding Plant. Nikita’s friends believe that a catfish dragged him to the bottom. After all, the guy so suddenly went under the water, although just a couple of seconds before that everything was fine.

Some thought this version was ridiculous: how can a fish drag a person? However, it turned out that this could very well be the case. We asked Yaroslavl experts if a catfish can attack a person.

— Of course it can. Catfish is a predatory fish that grows up to two to three meters in length. Catfish attack swiftly and can drag a person to a depth, – said Roman Yusupov, a former huntsman and prize-winner of the Yaroslavl region in sport fishing.

Avid fisherman Mikhail Muravyov shares the same opinion.

— In the evening, catfish swim closer to the shore. My friends weren’t dragged away, but a catfish once dragged a friend’s dog, ”says Mikhail. – When I was on Kotorosl, fishermen caught a catfish almost two meters long. The men fiddled for almost an hour and a half, could not pull it out. And it was not clear who was dragging whom: they were his, or the catfish of the peasants.

Another fisherman, Konstantin Salnikov, specializes in catfish. I have caught many of them and different sizes.

My friend got bitten by a catfish once. I don’t remember the cases when they dragged someone away, but maybe there were such. Catfish live everywhere. And they can attack everywhere,” Konstantin says.

But there are other opinions. Yaroslavl fisherman Ilya Vasilyevich believes that an 18-year-old guy is beyond the strength of a catfish.

— They are more scavengers than hunters. Cases of catfish attacks on people are very rare. Although I witnessed a catfish attack on ducks,” Ilya said.

Recall that 18-year-old Nikita was swimming with friends. He was swimming on his back, when he suddenly began to flounder and went under the water, having only time to say: “I’m being carried away.” The rescuers who arrived at the scene could not do anything.