How to safely pick up a catfish

How to pick up a channel catfish without getting "stung" or jabbed by the sharp spines.

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[GreatCoveAdventures]

I appreciate your concern. But a full examination by our on-staff psychologist revealed no long-term emotional damage to the kitty fish. Besides, when I called PETA to get their advice on how to handle the situation, they told me to quit whining and just deep fry it. ;)

[welder]

Just getting into fishing at the age of 44. Now I am confident in handling a catfish if someone were to ask me, I don't feel uneducated!! Thanks for the quick tip.

[Dawgs]

Dang, when I was a kid, I always thought it was the whiskers...lol.

[michaeldefrance]

Thanks for posting this. I had never caught a Catfish before but recently heard my local bass spot was also good for catfish. Caught and released several today without incident. When I'm not fishing, I attend medical school and there's a saying we use about learning new medical procedures, "see one, do one, teach one". Happy to report that I was even able to pass along my newly acquired skill to some other fishers. Thanks again. 

[rougebeaster]

catfish are coldblooded and dont feel pain the same way we do. the probability that the fish even knew it was bleeding is very slim. Catfish's swim bladder allow them to breath oxygen and live out of water for hours.

[crissvomit]

I've had my hands beat up by bullheads, stripers, and sturgeon. The first two burn, but little sturgeon have razor sharp diamond patches. I learned real quick how to handle fish. Great instructional video man! Tight lines!!!

[GreatCoveAdventures]

You can pick up the larger bullheads using the same advice I gave in the video, but hand size ones are difficult. I've gotten jabbed more than once trying to get the hook out. I like to bring leather gloves along when I'm fishing to help pull braided line off of snags, and the leather gloves also help out when I get a small pesky bullhead

[markbelden]

I'm 32, fished for bass and pan fish most of my life because I was told the whiskers sting on a cat fish, thanks for the video

[lordsyn]

I made the mistake of grabbing one of these from the back. It flicked around and jabbed my thumb with a spike from its right fin. The pain was not overwhelming, but it was a somewhat powerful, very painful sting that drew blood, swole up my thumb for a couple days and still to this day about a year later can see the scar a little where I was stung. Of course I never knew walking catfish could sting.

[muddyrivercatfishing]

I came up with the name muddyrivercatfishing because of where I fish. I actually fish in the rio grande in the southern part of new mexico. The river bottom here is either really sandy or has a lot of clay. Both contribute to the brown coloring of the water.

[TestamentsWarlock]

I just keep a pair of gloves in my tackle box, it's easier to grip the fish, and no real danger of getting stung.

[GreatCoveAdventures]

It is "A Twang Thang" by Timothy Butler. I use it on many of my videos. It is a royalty-free track I purchased from a website that sells stock music.

[PackerManForLife]

Best video i seen about handling cat fish yet. Thanks!

[GreatCoveAdventures]

There are three species of catfish that I'm familiar with: Bullheads, channel cats, and flatheads. All of them can be picked up this way if they are the correct size. However, sometimes I've caught bullheads that are only 6-8 inches long, and they are very difficult to handle without getting jabbed. Some of the flatheads and larger channels have the opposite problem of being too big for one hand, but the simple solution there is to use both hands.

[GreatCoveAdventures]

Thanks! Where is muddy river? Google points me to either Nevada or Massachusetts.

[GreatCoveAdventures]

You're right about the small ones. I find bullheads tricky because sometimes you catch some that are 6 or 7 inches and they are too small to handle properly. It hurts just to think about getting one of those off the hook.

[shawnspivey]

I rarely have problems with the bigger catfish as their spines get duller with size. Its always been the small ones that have stuck me.

[GrainFan]

for the huge cats i might bust out the gardening glove that i keep in the tackle box for those sunfish that never calm down but you're right for the most part grabbing them from the mouth 19 out of 20 is not a problem. i hope this video take away fear of grabbing a cat! good job!

[RickyBobby]

Yeah, little bullheads or any little fish seem to flip around alot more than a larger one so it can be tricky. You also always have the option to pin them down under the sole of your shoe with not enough force to smash them but only hold them in place, get the hook out, and kick them back in the water softly of course. It always seems right when you go to secure a little one they thrash and stick ya

[ranger]

Great info. Very simple and straight the point. Thanks