# Removing the beloved catfish or other toothy critters



## sleepyluke (May 28, 2008)

I am headed back down to paradise in a few weeks and have always just removed all hooks by grabbing the fish and taking out the hook like every ******* does with no toothy critters. Well the 3,465th catfish I caught last year buryed his barb in the meat of my thumb and after that, I thought a little bit more. Do any of you use a glove, a "grabber" type device, a "lip grabber, or what? I thought the best medicine for that one was a bat, but my thumb was on fire and I thought I was going to die since all year hear is how poisonous they are and not being from there and knowing you can survive but it will suck very bad for a few hours. Anyway, any good gadgets out there to pick up before heading that way this year to help save my thumb? Not jsut for catfish, but others that may accidently get caught inbetween catfish as well. 

Thanks for the help and all the advice I have read on here.


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

I usually use "catfish prozac" -- a piece of wood applied to the head region calms them right down. Otherwise a tough glove goes a long way toward preventing jabs, bites and sticks. Unless you want to bust out the big bucks for a boga grip.


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## PurpleNGold (Mar 15, 2011)

Every time I get stuck I say I won't grab another one. Things haven't changed, I still grab em.


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## stevesmi (Mar 15, 2012)

you can grab them going along the stomach up. kinda like a T grab where the barbs cannot hit you. 

then take the hook out. 

however my best style is taking pliers and grabbing the hook and getting it out that way. or worst case just cut the line and let the hook rust off


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## Sailor50 (Nov 8, 2007)

I always throw a towel on them to get them to quit moving then take some needle nose pliars and grab the lower lip. Let them hang down, then stick my thumb in their mouth and hold them with my fingers. Mouth is rough and you can get a good grip, not rough enough to cut you though. Then take the pliars and remove the hook, toss them back


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## Charlie2 (Oct 2, 2007)

*Catfish Handling*

As I've preached before; get yourself a 'flipper'. That way; your hands never get near them. You just 'flip' them off the hook! :thumbup: JMHO C2


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## TheRoguePirate (Nov 3, 2011)

hand still hurts and swollen from a stick last thursday night. dont forget, extremely hot water as hot as you can stand it will neutrilize their toxin.


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## Loki (Apr 15, 2012)

You go to almost any tackle shop and pick up a dehooker that works great for catfish and other fish to. There are diff kinds but you can check youtube how to use them; another way to be pretty sure not to get finned is using ur glove put a thick towel on them and hold them down that way


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## oysterman (Jan 23, 2012)

Wirelessly posted

I use the flipper also...just be careful when catfish comes off and lands on the top of your foot.


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## mxracer19 (Apr 29, 2012)

Pliers and a towel all the way. Put the washcloth on him, use it to hold the barb down and pick him up by the body that way. Use the pliers to take the hook out.


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## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

grab the end of your line, take a nice sharp knife, run it through middle of catfish and rip it in half. Them throw him back.


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## sleepyluke (May 28, 2008)

Guess others have issues with them too. I have probably caught easily 10,000 freshwater catfish in my life (grew up in La with a large pond and best friend had a catfish only pond) and 99% of them help from the belly and been stuck probalby 1,000 times, but the 1 stick from that saltwater little bugger hurt! I jsut got lazy and did not have a real good grasp on him and he slipped, I grabbed and he stuck! I will try the glove and towel method. Do you jsut use regular "rubberized" fishing type gloves, or do you go chain and filet glove on them? 

And what is a "flipper"? Is that the "J" style de hook gizmo? I have long hook removers, pliers, and have seen longer "J" style hook removers, but not used one of them. 

Thanks for the help


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## leeroy87 (May 20, 2012)

Anyone ever eaten these catfish? i catch so many of them i've had the curiosity to try em.


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## jaster (Oct 7, 2007)

I will not throw any decent sized ones back, period. The trick is to filet them and filet the skin off, dont try to peel it like a freshwater cat. Meat is white and tasty!

As for critters, I still tend to grab catfish with bare hand, force of habbitbeen stuck a few times and tends to hurt a little. But nothing is as bad as a stingray. I use to grab em by the ears? And unhook, one little ine spun around and hit me one night, wheew, thought I was having a heartattack! Never touch them fellas again, unless im gonna eat it, lol


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## Charlie2 (Oct 2, 2007)

*Flipper*



sleepyluke said:


> Guess others have issues with them too. I have probably caught easily 10,000 freshwater catfish in my life (grew up in La with a large pond and best friend had a catfish only pond) and 99% of them help from the belly and been stuck probalby 1,000 times, but the 1 stick from that saltwater little bugger hurt! I jsut got lazy and did not have a real good grasp on him and he slipped, I grabbed and he stuck! I will try the glove and towel method. Do you jsut use regular "rubberized" fishing type gloves, or do you go chain and filet glove on them?
> 
> *And what is a "flipper"? Is that the "J" style de hook gizmo? I have long hook removers, pliers, and have seen longer "J" style hook removers, but not used one of them.
> *
> Thanks for the help


A 'Flipper' is a Cajun term for a 'J' or 'S' type hook disgorger, which no one uses because they don't know how.

Holding the line taut, you hook the flipper over the line then slide down until you engage the hook. You give it a 'twist' or 'flip' and the hook comes right out. Your hands never touch!

I bend my own from a handle from a 5 gallon dry well bucket because I can't find one long enough. I like one long so I can better reach the (cat)fish.

Hopes this helps! C2


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## Razzorduck (Oct 22, 2007)

Use circle hooks, bend the barbs down, get a Fish Gripper to secure the fish then just slide the hook out. Very easy and safe!


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## alan1687 (Feb 2, 2012)

A lot of people I watch just snap the barb in half and grab that way.


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## lrc (Jun 25, 2012)

PurpleNGold said:


> Every time I get stuck I say I won't grab another one. Things haven't changed, I still grab em.


Me too, I'll never learn I guess.


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## Boliver T Wheelock (Feb 28, 2010)

*Watch this video*





 
Some places sell these for a couple dollars,some more. Make one for nothing.


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## johnf (Jan 20, 2012)

I carry a long set of hemostats with me when I'm fishing. You can do the same thing as the flipper.


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## rusty.emerson (Jul 2, 2012)

Small blow on head with wooden piece will do the job.


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