How do you hold a catfish by its mouth

How do you hold a catfish by its mouth becuase i caught 2 yesterday and they werent even that big and i tried to hold it by the mouth and it felt like it was going to bight my finger off!

yes, the channel catfish has a strong bite. the inside of the mouth has real small grit pad too. kind of like sandpaper. WATCH IT!!!! a big 10 or 12 pounder clamp down on your hand an wiggle, it could break a finger or too, or cut you pretty good. hold them in the gills or across the back with fingers behind and infront of spine on one side, and thumb behind the spine on the other side, and the skin between thumb and pointer finger behind the top spine. the bigger the cat the duller that spine is from rubbing against stuff, but if you get one in you i have heard of lots of infections from it. watch the little ones they are like needles. a flathead you cn hold by the mouth, but i would wear a glove.

I got a nice infection on the palm of my hand about 3 or 4 years ago from a cat sticking me with a barb. was not fun

I suqeeze them first before they get a chance to squeeze me. Four fingers in the mouth and the ball of your hand under his bottom lip. Again... Hold him tight!

i see but i got stuck witha barb at night when i couldnt see and it was a little cut and it got really infected and i ceaned it with peroxide when i got home it turned all green and it hurt like hell

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flathead catfish you can grab safely by the mouth ..............i fish for catfish 4-5 times a week and i still will not hold a channel cat by the mouth..........they bite way too hard.......i hold them the way bugeyedjig said in his post !!!

Get a firm grip with 2 hands and lift



If you worry about loosing hide or blood ya might want to take up trout fishing