Fish Gloves

How many of you guys use a glove when you stick your paw in Mr. Flatheads mouth? My hands are starting to get a little raw. If you are aggressive when you grab one by the mouth and get it right you are usually OK but if they get a little cranky and they get those belt sander teeth working you get “cat rash” quick…at least I do. Any old glove would work I assume?? By the way – how many of you guys grab the fish vs. use a net?? Fish up to 15-20 lbs usually get grabbed but the bigger ones go in the net in my boat. I have nightmares of 10/0 hooks sticking through my hand!!

Yeah, the fish cutting up your hands…these are nice problems to have. I grab everything, and I use some type of industrial glove it’s cloth and the palm half is covered in rubber. I’m not sure what it’s called or who makes it…I got it through an industrial supply place, I’ll see if I have a picture. When I grab any fish I determine where the hook is if possible…truthfully it’s the smaller ones that cut my fingers up more, not enough room to put a nice arch in your hand to get past and above those nasty little teeth…but like I said it’s a nice problem to have.

Jason.

The last good size channel i had thumbed, thrashed and split my thumb open pretty good…I usually have gloves for that reason….

I net just about everything I put in the boat. My hands are still pretty tore up though. That is a good problem thought, right? I have to use my hands to get them out of the live well at the end of the night. I have found that that 5-12 lb. fish tear up your hands worse then the big boys. The smaller fish tend to flip and turn around on me. Now when I grab a big blue cat then I definitly use a leather glove. They can just about take your hand off. Good topic Dirk.

I like to use a bare hand because it is nice to look at the scratches and cuts while at work during the week. They remind me of catfishing and take my mind off of work. Of course when you catch as many cats as some of you guys do, I can see where your hand could get pretty raw.

The funny thing is, at work, I wear gloves to protect my hands from cuts, scrapes and burns where as a lot of the other guys don’t.

I usually keep my hands out of big channel’s mouths, I’ve been chomped pretty bad by some big boys. I don’t find blues to be quite as bad though, they don’t thrash around as much, the few that I’ve caught anyway.

Here’s a pic of what I use.

I’m with RB. I like to look over the cuts and scrapes when I’m daydreaming at work. They’re never deep enough to hurt long unless you get spined by a lil fiddler. Pics that show a little blood always go over well at work, too. You have to squint a bit between my pinky and ring finger cause the pic needed to be downsized to post.

Gloves are for pansies. Unless you are the great Dirk and catch fish that will rip your hands off all the time.

I’m in the pansie category. I’m gonna start using a glove or net for everything. My big burly hands can’t take much more of this. I’ve caught 248 flatheads just this week and my wife won’t hold my hand anymore .

Only 248?

You must have taken a few nights off this week.

I’ve got some ocean front property in the Dakotas for sale too if your interested.

I bare hand it, but I’m getting sick of it – my hands are beat up as hell right now. I love it in a way, of course, but I’m also roofing for a summer job (why the heck isn’t job a four letter word?) – and the danged tar, caulk, chemicals, etc… not to mention all the hand tools just happen to be held right where my gashes are. It’s the little ones that get you – the big ones don’t have that sharp back edge on the teeth because their teeth aren’t as long or sharp, plus it’s harder to find the flesh behind so you can avoid the teeth altogether. I’ve also been getting fiddlers when I worm fish, and they’re gashing me now and then. I always almost get away clean, but get a gash from the back edge of the spine (the saw) when I’m tossing them back.

I’m going to use a good cheap work glove pretty soon (sure – one more thing to keep track of, lol).

I don’t like nets – too messy and take up too much space. I also don’t like how much contact they have with the fish. You can keep a flathead from struggling pretty well with your hand in its mouth, but when they’re in a net or on the bottom of the boat they thrash and hurt themselves.

Happy Hunting,

Matt

IT all depends on if i am fishing by myself……………..when i am goin solo all night, it is too risky to slip a glove on while reeling in a big flattie…. usually i just go bare handed into the pussy….cat!

IMO…. channel cats or small flaties are the worst, bigger fish i can handle.

on the other hand, today we were electrofishin and pulled up a 43lb and 33lb flathead. After they sat in the tank for 10 mins they were urine’t off….. i am glad i had gloves on when i was measuring them otherwise i woulda lost some skin!

One reason I like a net is because the fish gets weighed immediately while its still in the net. The net offers some support for the fish. I get a little worried when I know that a 40 has been lifted by its snoot unsupported. I don’t think there bodies were made for that. Spring scales with a high weight stop tab makes the job a snap!!

Unfortunatly…my hands are as smooth as a babys butt…not a catfish cut on them…. BUT I do have a deer skin glove along just in case one happens to jump in my boat…

Even a blind squirral finds a nut once in a while….

I’m just wondering ….if you are alone and say you get a 40 or better fish next to the boat….how do you lift him in by yourself? I would think a 30 would be tuff?

mealy, start going to the gym then you will be able to

See CA? This is why we are going to have to work with you…there is no Flatheads in the gym!

But pleanty of gloves!!

Quote:

---

I’m just wondering ….if you are alone and say you get a 40 or better fish next to the boat….how do you lift him in by yourself? I would think a 30 would be tuff?

---

The most important thing to remember is get them the heck out of the water. I’ve seen guys be tentative and it doesn’t work. Grab when you’re sure of yourself, grip hard, and pull the fish out of the water. The longer he’s in the water with your hand in him, the greater the chance your hand will suffer (they have much more leverage in the water).

I’ve landed up to 38 pounders when I’ve been by myself, but luckily all 40+ have come with other people – rather have it that way anyway. I’ve thought about what to do if the really freakishly large one should hit (50, 60, …) and after I had him tired out I might have to take up anchor and head for shallow water. Nice little daydream.

Dirk, you may be right about unsupported big ones and the net providing more support, but don’t tell me you don’t take them out of the net and hold them by the jaw for pictures anyway…

Up until the last year or two I’d hold the fish by the jaw or gill plates with both hands. Now I hold the fish by the jaw in one hand and support the stomach area with the other. Whether that make a difference, I don’t know. Makes me a bit more comfortable though.

Better way to support and hold big fish??? Comments?

Post deleted by Dirk W.

One more time and I’m out. Hopefully I can get this pic through.

Dirkman…cable it’s the only way to go….

Best way to support the really big fish…is on the wall…

(sorry for the bit of humor…I get carried away…)

For the larger fish..I don’t think there is a way that’s best…maybe just better than others. Water supports a lot of fish!

I sent you a SOS on your other e-mail – I have no idea whats going on.

i agree with Dirk……….one hand on the lower jaw, the other on the belly area. (kinda like my avatar )

I am a lanky mo’fo’ but have still managed to get 40lb fish in the boat by myself without a net before. It can be a pain in the butt if the fish is still energetic and ya got a long rod, but if you tire him out alot its easier. My only discrepency is it might take longer to revive him after a prolonged fight. Net when possible to get that old biaatch back in the water.

Here’s Dirks examples…and fine ones at that!

Those hyphens will get you everytime…here’s the other..

Quote:

---

Up until the last year or two I’d hold the fish by the jaw or gill plates with both hands. Now I hold the fish by the jaw in one hand and support the stomach area with the other. Whether that make a difference, I don’t know. Makes me a bit more comfortable though.

---

Sounds like a nice method – I do that too, but when the fish is 40 pounds, you have a tendency to rest your arms one way or another and that usually means holding them by only the jaw for awhile. Not trying to nitpick, but I think it’s almost inevitable that the fish gets held that way at least some of the time. I know it can’t be especially good for them, but I don’t there really is a good way for a forty pound fish out of water – there’s always going to be weight on the fish where it’s not used to it. What I think is most important is not letting them thrash around and releasing them as gently as possible. When I release flats, I hold the lower jaw and put the fish in the water, where I continue to hold it lightly until it makes a pretty strong move to leave. After particularly intense fights, this can take a few minutes, but I think it’s better than just letting them go, where they’ll immediately have the current to battle with.

The traditional way flats are held for pics concerns me.It is not good for the fish.I get some pressure to hold cats in the traditional way of two hands in the fish’s mouth and held out,and I still do it that way some of the time.It shouldn’t be done.It puts too much stress on the fish’s spine and can create dammage and kill the fish.A fishes body is supported by the water at all times.
The best way to hold a cat is how Dirk mentioned.One hand in the mouth and the other supporting the belly.I think the pics look better this way also.You get to see mor of the fish,not just the back.
I usally net most fish.But I do it a little differently than most.I ask my clients to keep enough pressure on the line to keep the head up.The net supports the body of the fish.This helps support the entire weight of the fish and keeping the head up prevents the fish from rolling too badly in the net and getting tangled.Then I droop the net to the floor while their is still pressure on the head and gently slide the fish out of the net.
Gloves???? what is a glove?
I work construction for my “real” job so my hands are calused and tough allready.No need for a glove,I have leather on them allready!I do get a little cat rash now and again but a little cat slime rubbed on them heals them up right away.Besides I like pain!!
Of course I won’t put my hand in a large channel cat.Thats just plain stupid.I have big hands so I grab the channel under and behind the pec fins and support the belly.If they are too big for that,(not often a big problem )Then its two hands under the the pec fins.