Got skunked with sandbass on Lewisville last night so we switched to chumming for channels. I caught a little 8 inch channel and when I was taking him off my hook his fin stuck into my hand in the meaty part between by thumb and pointer finger. It didnt' hurt going in but I was surprised how quick it happended. I had a friend cut the fin off to keep the little guy from flopping around attached to my hand. His fin went into my hand about 1/4 inch below my skin and I suspect in the muscle or close to it. I tried pulling it out with pliers several times but I could not pull it out due to the barbs on the fin. Finally I rotated the fin around and yanked it one last time and it came out. Never had that happen. Those little ones can get you bad. Baited my hook and casted back out. Hand is better today.

Ouch! The little ones allwas get me too! I usually resort to a shoe and pliers for those lil suckers!

That is a bad spot! I took a fin there from a small blue. Maybe a 14” fish. It went in all the way. I freaked out and jerked it out.. hurt don’t describe it. It hit a vein and every time my heart beat blood would shoot out about 3’. I wrapped it up and went home. It got so swollen. I ended up going to the doctor and had to take antibiotic for two weeks. Learned to be more careful and I wear fishing gloves to this day!

Had the same thing happen with a saltwater hardhead catfish. Spine got stuck in the meaty part of my palm. It was really painful for several hours.

Lay your hand on the belly and come up placing the thumb under the fin and the other fin between the forefinger and middle finger.
It seems touching their belly seems to calm them down a bit.

I'll definately be more aware of how I handle them. I have unhooked many catfish but never had that happen. I usually catch larger ones and never had the issue of these needle barbs the little ones have for fins.Almost sent me to the hospital

I always wear a leather weight lifting glove on my left hand. The fingerless ones. That way the fins don’t get me. Saved me several times. Walmart sells A pair of Gold’s Gym gloves for 7.88.

Had about a 12 inch blue nail me on Choke a few weeks ago. His fin went under the skin of my ring finger and into my middle finger. Looked pretty gross. Fishing buddy gave it hard yank and it came out clean. I've been a cat fisherman for many years and just invested in my first pair of gloves. I'm a little slow!

I try to bring a towel along for removing slime from the hands, and it works as well if it gets dicey.

Years ago used to take kids to Gulf Shores every year. So we go to Fort Morgan this trip and I have my rods with me. Bait up with a shrimp and throw it out. Bout 30 seconds I have a bite and it is about a 8 inch gaff top. Now I have caught many of these over the years and have always been extra careful as I had heard they had a venom in that fin. As I reached down to carefully remove the hook the little sucker in a blink of an eye flicked and drove that barbed fin thru my knuckle right in front of my wedding ring. Things got serious real quick as he is flopping around and I can see the barbs are not going to come out the way they went in. I grabbed my side cutters and clipped the fin off and knew I needed to do something quick before shock set in. grabbed my pliers and got a good grip to pull it on thru and bleeding like a stuck hog told wife we need to go now cause it is 30 miles to hospital.
We had ice in a ice chest so I packed it around the hand and here we go. After 15 miles the pain was CRAZY. We get to hospital and they cut off wedding ring and pump wound full of antibiotic and a shot for pain. Doc comes back in and says if it ever happens again the ice makes it hurt worse

Catfish, gar, stingray, snakes, treble hooks, etc. It is amazing any of us survive.

I agree

Ouch! I hate them little ones! I was fishing Cedar Creek a couple weeks ago and guess we got on a school of babies, about 4-5" long. After about 5 of those I told my buddy "we gotta' move, I ain't unhooking these all day. Eventually I'll get stuck". He wanted to wait 'cause he thought there HAD to be some big ones in there, too. There may have been, but I was already firing the boat up. He looked at me and I said, "You gonna' reel in or troll?"

2 years ago fishing on a local lake and hooked a 2-3 pound cat. Grabbed him around the head to get the hook out and he flipped and got me though the fat of the hand, a quick in and sticking out below the thumb. Pulled him out and felt that poison rush up my arm. I had just enough time to know I was going to pass out, woke up 15' under water. I was in a kayak and had rolled it when I blacked out. One other boat on the lake about 30 yards away came and pulled me out. We gathered up what we could and I loaded up the truck and drove the 20 minutes home. Walked in the house and was shivering so bad that wife took one look and tossed me a hoodie and dry pants then hauled me to the ER. I was in shock then rolled to ICU and spent 3 days on 4 different antibionics.

It happens. All part of fishing!