Crazy Arthur Day

Found shoreline full of hybrids, only caught 1. Threw everything. Just weren't hitting well.

Trolled for eyes, musky, and anything else. Nothing trolling humps and roads/creek beds.

Cove next to a point held many bass under overhangs and in trees. Just when I was catching one after another...

I hook into what I think is a huge bass in just 2 feet of water right next to the shore. It jumps completely out of water...I still thinks it's a bass...water disguised it well.

It fights long and hard and tangles me up, I get it loose. Turns out to be a 26" 8 lb channel cat. As I net it Im thinking cool, maybe there are more spawning here so maybe I'll catch more. I drop the catfish off of a scale.

The fish lands on my foot. Immediate shooting pain. I knew instantly something bad happened. The first large bone of the pectoral fin went in as far as it could go in my ankle into a vein. And broke off. A 1" piece the width of a pencil. I instantly had that "I need to get help" feeling. I call my wife while blacking out going to shore. Sweating profusely. Bleeding bad. Unsure if piece is still in me or if Im bleeding internally in my leg. Pain was like a gunshot or a stab wound...only in like I don't know what those feel like, and I had never felt this. Made it to shore. 2 guys helped me load up. 10 minutes earlier I was close to calling 911. Now I was driving home looking for er's or urgent care centers. Made it to Washington. Ankle could not be moved. Stiffened up like It was runover.

Turns out nothing was left in my leg, don't know when it came out. From the fin on the fish you could see how much broke off. Deep puncture wound, antibiotics, xray, deep clean. Pain was initially up to knee and was numb from that point down. As I type everything is loosening up. Freaky incident that was not so funny when it happened. I thought only the dorsal fins had any amount of small toxins...now I'm hearing and reading the pectorals do also? Whether it was just the puncture in a bad spot or if any toxin made it worse is moot, it hurt like a mother-------. I kept the bastard. He's going in some breading. I win catfish. A hole.

Of course the fishing was just getting hot.

Thanks for easing my mind. I'll just go ahead and not sleep tonight.

ORIGINAL: joebaker79

Thanks for easing my mind. I'll just go ahead and not sleep tonight.

yeah im going on a camping trip next weekend. this is exactly the kind of positive reinforcement i need to have a relaxed weekend.

i fished arthur over the weekend caught some eyes bass cats perch and a lil striper. aside from getting cussed out because i got to close to some guys spot it was a pretty good day.

Enjoy your dinner!!!

Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't get worse. If you get a fever and it the area is really warm to the touch, you may want to head to a bigger ER. Hardheads in salt water are a beotch and I hated taking those things off my hook when wadefishing. They are a lot smaller than the channels but can do a number on you. Hope you have a good recovery.

River Monsters unhooked..... get him to come to Arthur and film a story!

I had a beast channel on at Arthur a few years back, on my kayak. I thought it was a musky. I knew it wasn't getting in my kayak with me, whatever it was... While I was reeling in, I got my pliers ready, and unhooked it as soon as I could. Was kind of relieved that it was a cat, and the hook wasn't completely dug in. I am not a fan of those things. Cool looking fish, and put up a nice fight, but those barbs and the snot they leave on the line keep me from targetting often...

top of the food chain, i win , with breading. crazy story dude. never would have thought all that from a catfish.
i know a girl with the flesh eating virus.... Dr. said she only has a hundred twenty five more years to live