General Catfish question

[Singlespeed92]

OK,It was said in the FAQ section (I think,LOL!) there are no stupid questions,and I am a noob fisherman,so...

My daughter came to me last night,thinking about the day we're planning fishing this weekend [fishin](I'll be picking up my new license tomorrow,the kids don't need one since she's 13 and he's 8),and asked me,I didn't really know for sure. Those "whiskers" Catfish have (I'm thinking Blues and Channels specifically,since the area we'll be fishing is listed as having those),are they like stingers with venom?

My gut instinct (and faded memory) says no,that they are for sight,sound or taste,but since I really didn't know for sure,I figured I'd ask people more knowledgable than myself. Thanks []
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[theazfisher]

sounds fun and no the don't have venom in them they are for sight

wen you do get one hold it like this

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[idahoron]

They have spines on their pectoral fins and the dorsal fin and yes they do sting. In fact it can hurt quite a bit, but small cats are worse than big ones. I hold cats similar to the hold above but I have the belly in my palm. My thumb is under the pectoral fin on the fishes left side. My first finger and second finger have the right fin between them. With the hold above you could get stung in the palm of the hand if things went bad. Big cats are hard to hold that way. See this picture how my son and I hold fish. Ron
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[Singlespeed92]

Thanks for both replies...I'm glad I asked,LOL!

Would you recommend wearing a pair of gloves,like maybe leather work gloves to avoid possible stings?
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[AFK2Fish]

I wouldn't recommend a pair of gloves, unless you plan to put your fingers inside its mouth, but i would reccomend bringing a net along to help land them. Other than that just use some caution while handling them or you might get a nice puncture in ya that will sting for awhile.

One MUST HAVE item when cat fishing is a hand towel, and maybe some wet wipes. Bait and slime are better off on a towel than your clothes.
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[idahoron]

I forgot to say that the small ones are the ones to worry about. The bigger adult fish have very rounded spines and you don't have to worry about them unless you tie them to the side of a pontoon or float tube. Ron
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[my2bucks]

the main use of those whiskers are to catch a scent of food in the water[fishin]
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[KCBaitAndTackle]

well put

[River_Runner]

They don't have venom, but the large fish will sure give you a good bit of pain if the spinny part of the fin pokes you just right so try to handle all the cats so your little fishermen can just have fun catching them.. Good Luck[fishon][fishon]
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[4poundonly]

Ive been stung couple times when I was a youngster and all I remember is it hurts[:/] now I just land them with the net use fish grips get the hook out toss em back or knock their heads toss em in the cooler[sly]

~4poundonly
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