Does this happen to anyone else?

[Christopher Laurencio]

Okay - I post some strange stuff sometimes but here goes.



Whenever I catch freshwater fish, (Bass,Pike Family,panfish,etc.) and I punture scrape or rough up my hands on the lips of bass, my skin swells up for a few hours or even days depending on depth of puncture.

For example, I catch a LMB that I need to pop out the worm hook, I reach in with my hand and scrape my knuclkes on the lips, 2 hours later my fingers are a 1/2 size bigger or the other day I was getting a bass out of my livewell for weigh in when it's top fin puntured the skin between my thumb ans finger(web) part of hand, next morinin my whole hand and wrist is swollen real bad and stiff!



Does this happen to anyone else?

 

[Staci Matheis]

I've only had that happen from the barbs on catfish.







And if you want a REALLY bad catfish..... In the Gulf of Mexico around Florida they have what they call Sailfin Cats; they don't grow very large, but the poison in their fins is nasty, burning stuff.

 

[Michael Snow]

Do you EAT fish? I ask because my wife has an allergy to fish, which she developed in her teens. She breaks out and stuff. She can't TOUCH fish either. Shellfish are fine (which is odd since most people allergic to anything are allergic to shellfish rather than "fish"). Yours may be a very light allergy since it has to break your skin to be an issue.

Never fear! I have a solution. Pay me a few thousand and I'll teach you how to fish in such a way that you'll almost never catch a fish.

 

[Texas Transplant]

Nope. Of course, if I caught more fish . . .



I seem to be imune to almost everything, that bothers other folks though. Don't know why, just am. Doesn't sound like an enjoyable experience though.



Do you think it's the 'fish', or could it possibly be the water?



Tex

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

Ha Ha Mike - Actually I am allergic to shellfish (Crabs, Shrimp & Lobster) not mussels. I eat saltwater fish from time to time without a problem.

I wonder how a NJ fisherman would do in Texas fishing?

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

Tex,

I don't think it's the water since it happens in all places I fish and I swim in one of the lakes I fish in every weekend.



In any event I won't be eating freshwater fish anytime soon!

And I'm still fishin regardless, maybe I will buy a pair of gloves if it get's worse.

I heard they just recovered a lost body(fisherman) that was missing for about a month in one of the lakes I frequent. I'm glad that's over with.

 

[Steve Rizza]

Hey Staci,

if you ever get stuck by a catfish,rub the puncture on its belly for a few seconds.

It really works....

 

[Robert Lo]

Since I live in NJ too, I can say for sure what it is.



Mercury poisoning!

 

[Larry Harp]

Maybe...someday, I'll catch a fish and perhaps I will have some understanding of the problem you have.



A dermotologist or an allergist could tell you for sure if you have some sort of allergy to LMB. Could be an irritation from the slime on the fish or a bacteria.



What might help is one of those fish lip gripper gadgets or I have also seen a glove that has a velcro strip on the side that attaches to a hanger on your belt so it's always ready and in place.



Harpo