# Catfish barb leads to surgery



## Ckmart404

About 3 weeks ago my wife and I were fishing pensacola near I10 bridge and she caught a catfish so I throw on my glove slide my hand down the line and as soon as I get close he flops and I get stabbed in the hand! Blood all over the place for 20 mins! Sweeling and infection for a couple weeks lead to a doc visit them a orthopedic surgeon visit! And this is what happened next!


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## Mike Moore

What happened next? I suppose surgery from the title but see no pic. Regardless, hope your recovery is swift. Dang cats!


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## Emerald Ghost

RIP it out immediately next time, and pour bleach on it.


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## Ckmart404

Maybe this works


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## Ckmart404

And...


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## ChileRelleno

Ouch! Right in a knuckle.  

Hope you heal quickly.


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## oysterman

Edit


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## badonskybuccaneers

I know the feeling. Now, bear in mind- I worked on my uncles shrimp boat, so I've been around seafood and all kinds of fish. Several, years ago- I took my bro-in-law, Scott, surf fishing for big redfish one autumn morning, we weren't doing real good- I hooked a spanish, then a big cat. I had my "Bon Secour reeboks" on (deck boots) on, and went to "flip" the offending fish back into the surf- Done it many times before. But somehow one of his fins pierced the thick part of the boot toe and into my big toe. Inconvenient, but not uncommon for me to get finned from time to time. But it sure did hurt!
Well, as you can guess- that dang fish left me a present in my big toe, unbeknownst to me at the time. Several minutes later, I was not doing so good, as the fin started releasing toxins into my system... About the time Scott hooked and landed a nice redfish, I was ready to leave. He drove us back to my house, where I got a chance to take my boot off and see the source of my pains. The end of the barb was barely visible sticking out of my toe! I got a pair of cutters and grabbed the end of the barb and tried forcibly pulling it out.... Bad Idea! It didn't budge, and now was really becoming painful. So, Scott took me to Thomas Hospital, where my future ex-wife worked. They stuck me in a wheel chair, one boot on, injured foot exposed.... All she could do was say how much of a baby I was being! I asked her, "Have you ever been finned by a saltwater catfish?" 
She replied' " no". 
I told her, "Then you have no idea!"
After a short triage, they took me to a room, the doctor came and looked at it- and he had the nerve to ask if it hurt!?!?!? They didn't take any x-rays, but it was primarily in the meat of the bug toe and wasn't really in danger of causing any skeletal issues. After some local anesthetic, he started cutting and removing the barb.
It looked a bit larger than I expected. And the doctor warned it might get inflamed if any pieces were left in there. He gave me a shot and a prescription for antibiotics. And it did get inflamed and discharge some puss and a couple bits about a week or so later. 
Now, my souvenir is on a necklace I keep as a remembrance of the event. And a story to tell on occasions like this. 
I think I'll add it to my book!
Anyway, sorry to hear about your incident, and hope you continue feeling better. At least I can say "I feel your pain! Been there done that, man!"
Mike


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## Ckmart404

I was in pain for about 30 mins because I thought it was the hook and my wife kept saying barb. In the end she was right but she did say I can get a bigger boat so instead of bay I can get in the gulf


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## Gulflady

That must've been very painful so deep in by your knuckle, get well soon!


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## Papajuju

Scared me man, I thought your hand fell off before you could tell us what happened next. J/K lol. That looks really painful. When I was a kid I stuck my thumb in a catfish's mouth to hold him like a bass. Yep he bit me. Scared me more than hurt. My dad was throwing a cast net on the beach one day. Saw a school, nailed them and as he was dragging it in a wave washed the net full of fish up on his bare feet and ankles. That's when he learned it was a school of cats. Never saw him dance like that before.


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## Chapman5011

That looks horrible. I bet it's a good feelin to know its gone


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## Jason

heck, that was an expensive cat!!!!


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## Ckmart404

Very painful and yes most expensive fish I ever caught!!


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## bakbone

Feel your pain man I had a mullet fin brake off right on top of my knuckle, it was sitting right on top of the bone, had to have it surgically removed. It was in there for about 3 months before I went and had x-rays.


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## 29gallk

I also took a spine in the top of the hand. It blew up and looked like somebody shoved a peanut under my skin. After fighting infection with two rounds of antibiotics they refereed me to the orthopedic surgeon who decided it was safer to leave the two pieces in my hand alone and just gave me a antibiotic shot. Took forever to heal and still have the scar.


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## stauty trout

this same thing happened to a buddy of mine this weekend... barb stuck in his knuckle about an inch deep (could almost see it pokig out of the other side of his knuckle.. I had to cut the fin off the catfish and he had to cut the skin on the backside of the fin to loosen up the grip the barbs had on it... then I yanked it out... blood started gushing and he passed out from the pain... next day his hand was swollen badly went to the doc to be sure the whole fin came out and luckly it did... take a few days for your body to recover from the toxins


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## Ckmart404

He's a bigger man than I am!!! I didn't know mine was in there until my wife made me go to the doc but I'm glad she did! I just hope everybody is careful out there and if something like this happens they go to the doctor immediately!!


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## karma

any open wound always needs to be clean thoroughly and kept dry if at all possible.. or you may end up with surgery leaving a scar like this on my right hand..


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## TOBO

I had a buddy yesterday who got one in between his two knuckles, all the way to the bone. He passed out on me as well. His blood pressure dropped out on him. It was scary, but there was no barb, they have him on antibiotics.


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## Ckflyer13

bakbone said:


> Feel your pain man I had a mullet fin brake off right on top of my knuckle, it was sitting right on top of the bone, had to have it surgically removed. It was in there for about 3 months before I went and had x-rays.



Oh no. Catfish fins are give off WAY more pain then any mullet could ever think of giving!!!


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