07-10-2002, 01:01 AM
Catch the fish, land him, have a cooler full of ice and several freezer-type bags handy and some clean water, bash the fish to kill it...preferrably on top o' the noggin...with a heavy object, clean the fish and fillet or whatever and however you want it then toss it under ice right away in the freezer bag. As for handling, I always depend on the size of the fish. For cats 10lbs or under, I always use the "slide under" approach. That means I slide my hand under the dorsal fin while it's up(it will be in defense - if not, do it yourself)then position my thumb and forfinger under the pectoral fins and grip tightly. Then I get the hook out...if I can, if not, cut the line(they like to swallow). Then I get to the killing. I know it sounds very rogue, but I want to eat it, not meet it's family and kids. Which brings me to an important thing my Grandpa told me..."If you want to catch fish, don't look hungry" Works for me.<br>For larger catfish I suggest using gloves and snag the giant by grabbing it's lower jaw. It doesn't have much bite force like some people think. Good deer-leather gloves bought at a discount store work well. Or you can go for the "no cut" gloves. They work great for cleaning, but can be too rough to slide your hand in past the rasp-like teeth. Don't worry about myths about catfish taking off hands, couldn't happen. If it did, the idiot that lost a part of his body to a fish other than a shark or grouper should reevaluate his position on this planet and just hack off another part...like his head. Catfish can and do have a bite, though, so gloves will be necessary for handling them via cakehole...they also have rough teeth ridges which will do damage to anyones' exposed skin. Haul the monster up and out of the water.<br>Now, here's the interesting part...from my experience, the bigger the cat, the less movement when landed. A young, juicy and tender catfish(about 20", 3-4lbs)will fight like a serious contender...gotta grab him quick, get the deed done and move on to the next. A big boy(15lbs++) will fight like an elephant, make you wish you were'nt born, create sore arms and maybe a hernia in the morning(explain that to your woman)so if you ACTUALLY land him, whether it be boat or shore, nail that sucker as soon as you get a chance...but I don't suggest that UNLESS you want to eat 'im. And I seriously don't suggest you eat him. WHY?? Well, let's see...any large fish in North America, not just the good Ol' US of A have certain toxins in their tissues that have been known, the toxins I mean, to cause illnesses of some form or another. The larger the fish, the more the toxins have built up in their tissues. Mercury is a big scare...but it's also real. The guy who brings home a huge catfish and wants to eat it instead of mounting it is more likely to contaminate him/herself and family with some sort of runoff from a field(fertilizers/supplements/waste)than if he caught a few 2 pounders. Check with your local Conservation Department to find out. I caughtr a fish from a lake in Southern Illinois. I took it to a biology lab in a University(I don't want to name names...may be hazardous to my legal health)and they found super-high levels of Mercury in the fishes body. Had I eaten this, I may have helped produce offspring that were malformed in one aspect or another. <br>OK! enough scare!<br>You read how I hold catfish. Just keep safety rules for your family and yourself in your head...just safety tips. Knowledge is power. I love to fish. I eat fish. I catch and release(I had some lady from PETA call me and sent some info about how fishing kills...I told her I have 4 fishtanks with very happy fish, but if the lakes dry up, they're next!...she hung up in revulsion) but mostly I want to protect myself from toxins we humans have shed on this Earth. The fish, frogs, and other pond, lake and river dwellers can and will accumulate these toxins in their bodies over time. So remember, a giant is a well deserved trophy - but not Sunday Dinner.<br><br>Catch only what you want to eat, or display. I'm so tired of these macho "anglers" who catch and freeze enough to feed an army...and they got money to buy a whole cow.<br><br>I love fish! I love cows! I love pigs! I love fowl! If it walks and isn't poisonous, I'll eat that sucker in a minute! OK, exception...I hate rattlesnakes, been bit by a Timber...but I love the taste!<br><br>Happy fishing...this "opinion" has been heard(I hope)\<br><br><br><br><--^----< The big one got away...with my pole, boat, and wife!<br>