How to handle a catfish?

[RBL]

Hey all, I plan to start fishing for cats this year. Definitely want to try Willard. I have experience with trout and lmb. My question is what is the best way to handle a catfish? Hold it by the mouth like a lmb, grab behind the head? I have heard they have barbs and what about the "whiskers"? Thanks!
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[SkunkedAgain]

I always grab them from under the belly and let the spikes go between my fingers. You have to do it right or they'll stick or cut ya. Nasty poison if they get ya it really hurts. Probably easier to explain with a picture but I don't have one now. I'll see if I can get ya one. Later J
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[FishMcFisherson]

I'll usually just scoop them up in my net, take the hook out of its mouth, and flop it out of my net and back into the water. If I'm gonna take a picture, I'll usually grab it behind the head. I (knock on wood) haven't been "spined" by a cat yet.

Tube dude will probably chime in. He's got some good pictures of "how NOT to handle a cat".
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[gmwahl]

If you're not too freaked out by it, just put your thumb deep in their mouth and hold them by the bottom jaw. Support the body if they're big with the other hand. You may get a little abrasion wear on your thumb but usually not too bad. With gloves its a lot better. They can put a lot of pressure when they clamp down though.
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[CoyoteSpinner]

Cats have very strong mouths, though no teeth, they do have a raspy interior, and some catfisherman would attest (I have a photo somewhere) was it BLK? of someones thumb after an encounter. So lipping them like a bass, if their sizable, not a good plan. They WILL clamp down - hard.

The whiskers (barbels) are no problem, soft and sensitive, but the three spines can do some real damage. You think "cat scratch fever" was about furry kittens - think again. (don't think it's really catfish either, but . . . )
I believe they contain toxins that are likely to promote infection, they have a serrated surface that would make them go in, but then not want to come out, or painfully so. I've had little footlong kittens scrape my thumb on release, and it festered for days. Even baby mudcats were like bee-stings to the touch.
The real danger comes from a puncture wound (ask CVS). They are likely to flop around, so watch your feet and legs.

Cats are pretty tough, and can withstand some handling and time out of the water - more than say a wimpy finless freddie. Typically a catfish stressed will hold it's spines out rigid - makes them MUCH tougher to swallow. But I've also had cats decide to clamp those spines down - and HARD!

But commonly you can get a good grip behind the upper spine, and hold behind the two side spines, or get a grip from underneath. I often wear gloves when handling cats, maybe because I'm a wimp, maybe I don't like being slimed, maybe I've had enough scrapes it's worth the extra protection. They have a strong skull/bone pattern that extends behind the spines enough you can get a good hold without squeezing their belly.
Of course a two hand hold is best - if you have both hands free. Not always the case for selfies.

If you're planning to release a cat - I would avoid (as with any fish) sticking fingers in the gills. If you're keeping them - that can be a safe way to get a secure hold. But be ready - they might sit docile, and very suddenly go into a flopping rage.
If I'm stringing them up, I'll usually go from below the gill, out through the mouth - they slide down the string better, and can face forwards to keep breathing for quite some time (or slamming against the bottom of my boat). Putting them on ice is another way to secure your catch. But don't be surprised if you have to weight the cooler lid!

Bottom Grasp
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Top hold
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Two hand hold (selfie with a tripod!)
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Inverse Kitty - there's no rules!
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[RBL]

Wow thanks guys for all the info. Love the pics! Doesn't seem to bad probably just takes a little practice.
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[castnshoot]

When I am spanking Cats I hold them over my knee like this.[sly]

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj35/...5453-2.jpg

Watch the little ones, they are the ones that get you. It can hurt for hours if one gets you good.
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[Springbuck]

Can you identify where the three major spines are in those pics?
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[castnshoot]

Both pictorial fins, and the dorsel fin.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]You are wise to be prepared before your first "close encounter" with a spiny kitty. As a general rule, the smaller (up to about 20") cats have the sharpest spines. After they are a few years old the points on the pectoral and dorsal spines become worn down a bit from the activities of spawning and hunting food in rocky terrain. But even the blunted spines are hard and can cause damage to you or your gear.

You should always carry a good (big enough) net to scoop and control a cat before bringing it on board your boat, tube or toon...or before handling it on shore. Then, a pair of lip grippers can help you hold and control the fish without having to grab it with your hands.

I don't advise using the thumb grip on the lower jaw, like bassers like to use. Even smaller cats have powerful jaws and can chomp pretty hard. They don't have big pointy teeth but their raspy ones can remove skin.

Once you are more experienced with handling cats you can comfortably and safely grab them in one of several grips. But do not just grab them as you are swinging them up out of the water. First get them in a net and wait until they quit flopping enough to get a firm and safe grip.

In the attached pics you will see the most favored kitty grips. Many catters grip from the belly...running their thumb under one pectoral fin and allowing the second to protrude between their first and second fingers. That is probably the best for most folks. But the bigger the cat the bigger your hands have to be to hold and control them. Really bigguns are not easy to grip and handle. Better to stick with mechanical lip grippers and hold them down on a flat surface while working to remove the hook, etc.

If I am going to keep a cat...and put it in my wire basket...I always use a pair of stout side cutters or pliers to break off the pectoral and dorsal spines before releasing my first grip and putting the fish away. Ditto for using stringers. Removing those spines can prevent damage to you or your gear later and makes it much safer to take them off a stringer or out of a basket or live well. It also makes it easier to clean or fillet them. Those pectoral fins on the side can be locked in place and that makes it tough to hold the fish down for the filleting process.
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[gstott]

You could always get a mouth gripper. I always use those now after trying to lip a decent cat (maybe 25"). It wasn't a monster, but definitely had enough biting pressure to bloody up my thumb a bit.
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[Springbuck]

[]I meant RBL....[] Knowing where the spines are tells you what to avoid. I personally find handling cats easier than things like bluegills and crappie.
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[Springbuck]

Yeah, they aren't likely to bite anything off, but they chomp down hard, then flip and struggle a bit, you're gonna lose a layer[bobsurprised]

I kept accidentally snagging 3" baby bullheads that were swimming in big cloudy schools once while casting for wb in the Jordan below the pumps. I dunno how they have ANY predators at all. Their spines were so sharp they put surgical instruments to shame..like little sharpened leather sewing needles or something...
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[flygoddess]

That would be the only time I could see using those lip grippers (well maybe Pike or Musky)
I see them used on trout and I have to look away. [:p]

I do have a pair I bought to help with Carp and found out quick, they can do major damage if you plan on releasing. But then wouldn't a glove to keep the slime off you mean you are wiping it off them as well?
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[Flyfishinglover]

That's just funny man [laugh]
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[RBL]

Yeah I can see the pectoral spines and had heard of those but I had no clue about the dorsal spine. Thanks again for all of the input you have made my life easier here in a couple weeks.
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[gstott]

Yeah, I bought mine after the catfish munched me. I bought a Bass Pro Shops Boga Grip knockoff, and like you said, it tore the carp up badly. The catfish were fine though. I think it's because the carp don't have a jawbone for it to grab on to. In any case, I tried it on pike, and it didn't work well at all. They tend to thrash around a lot, and every decent sized one I picked up with it pulled free.

I got a cheaper plastic gripper, and it holds them much more securely than the other one, and it doesn't damage their mouth at all. They are also handy for handling walleye as well. I never would have been able to get a pic of this fish alone in my tube without the gripper.
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[RBL]

Gstott how big is that walleye? Looks like a real nice fish.
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[gstott]

Thanks, it was 30". A little on the skinny side, but my personal best so far []
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[Johnr]

I handle mine with the back grip method and make sure your hand holds the dorsal down. Tube dude has a great piece of advise about clipping the spines off with side cutters,I always do this before they go into the fish box.
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