Memorial Day Safety

[DaveS]

With memorial day weekend coming up I would like to remind my TGO friends to be safe this weekend, while hunting, fishing, camping or whatever you are doing.

I took my daughter catfishing yesterday and this happened about 11:30. Seven hours and 1 surgery later, we got to come home.

Be safe....come home safe this weekend.

That fish cost us about $4,000.00 dollars per pound! She was properly holding the catfish, and was removing the hook. One "tail flip" later and his spine was buried 2 inches into her hand. It actully was starting to protrude from her palm at an angle from where it went in.

[DaveS]

Another picture. You can see where it is pushing against her palm. Handling catfish is something we will never take lightly anymore!

BE SAFE!

[MacGyver]

Wow. I'm glad she's okay, and guessing that she probably went home with some serious antibiotics.

Catfish have always creeped me out for that very reason.

[Caster]

YOW!!! Glad she's okay. I can relate. In my stupid youth firing a single shot shotgun I should NOT have been in possession of [leave it at that] the breech lever drove into my hand much like hers. Stitches and vicodin. What a tough place to heal too.

[DaveS]

She recieved 2 bags of IV with antibiotics at the hospital. The surgeon said he got it cleaned out pretty good, and give her a prescription for an antibiotic. They left part of it open with a tube to drain. I have to take her in tomorrow to have it checked. If it was God's will for it to happen to anyone, should have been me and not my daughter.

[DaveS]

Wounds in those areas hurt, because every time you move your thumb or fingers, you feel it! Plus, you have all those tendons in your hand. That's the main reason an Orthopedic surgeon was called in.

[cajunpredfan]

If it was God's will for it to happen to anyone, should have been me and not my daughter.

Being a dad is a great thing, but it comes with many pains.

[DaveS]

Sir, how right you are!

[mikegideon]

Wow. We used to snip the spines first thing, usually before the hook came out. I've still been poked a few times, but nothing like that. Hope she heals up with no complications.

[DaveS]

All these years, and this is a first!

[ShaunM]

That looks awful but glad she is o.k.

[DaveS]

She's sleeping it off right now. I think I might need some of what she has! She told me today that she can't wait to get back out fishing again. She's a real trooper for sure!

[Oh Shoot]

I still have faint scar from a gafftopsail cat's pectoral spine that went in first joint of right trigger finger and emerged at the middle one.

Was a kid, don't remember how old. Pop cut if off the catfish and pulled it on through. It didn't get infected so we didn't have to go into see a doc.

Sounds nasty but it wasn't nearly as bad a deal as your daughter's looks, WD. Yow.

- OS

[Erik88]

and please be careful when riding jet ski's also. Ask me how I know.

[Guest brandon_pitt]

That looks rough! I bet it'll leave a cool scar though!

[DaveS]

The surgeon gave her the fishes spine. Now she wants a necklace made out of it because she thinks it looks cool. I told her no! ...so I got that little sad puppy look that teenagers give to help get their way.....sheez.....

Getting ready to take her to the doctor here shortly. We'll see how it goes.

[Caster]

The surgeon gave her the fishes spine. Now she wants a necklace made out of it because she thinks it looks cool. I told her no! ...so I got that little sad puppy look that teenagers give to help get their way.....sheez.....

Getting ready to take her to the doctor here shortly. We'll see how it goes.

If you make a necklace I would encase it in acrylic, You don't her falling on that thing!

[memphismason]

Wow man. That looks rough.

I have been stuck many times by an ole catfish, but never remotely that bad. My wife has always made fun of me on how I handle catfish. I bring them onto the bank, lay a hand towel over them, and then pick them up. I have seen my dad get cut up, and I have been cut, but once I show her these pictures I think she will better understand.

Hope everything goes good at the doc.

[Guest tommy62]

Hope your daughter gets well soon and it does not stop her from fishing. Such a great sport for families.

[DaveS]

She's ready to go. Her Orthopedic Surgeon give her a thumbs up today, to go back fishing. He wants her to take it easy, wear a glove on her hand, and use one of those metal fish gripping thingies from here on out. He wants to see her Thursday to take her sutures out. He removed the drain tube today. The "hole" is about 1 1/4 inches deep and about as big around as a pencel. He's going to leave that part open to allow drainage. I just retired as a Firefighter/EMT, and it's very hard for me to look at. Maybe because it's my own child, I don't know.

Please handle these catfish safely folks.....

[DaveS]

Looking good right now!

[DaveS]

The culprit!

[whiskey]

Dang WD! That made me cringe. Tell K-Bug we're real sorry she had to go through that mess. I would have never imagined that could even happen.

[DaveS]

Craziest thing I've ever seen!

[Guest GunTroll]

AHHHHH. That was so nasty! Glad all is seeming to be good. Not what I expecting in your thread. I was anticipating some PSA or something about boating and boozing. You fooled me!