my friends wife got pricked by my rockfish

I went fishing at Capitola for the 4th, then camping at Mnt. Madonna with a few friends this past weekend.  While fishing, I caught a decent sized brown and brought it back for dinner.  After cleaning it, tossed it in a bag in my cooler.  While my friends wife was reaching in for something she got pricked on her hand, an inch out from between her thumb and index finger.  She said it hurt like hell, got a bit numb feeling, but stinging pretty bad for about an hour. 

I was worried she had some sort of allergy, but she had no known allergies.  I guess I haven't been pricked by the back of a RF before, so not sure if there is some poison in them or not?  Maybe it struck a nerve, or something?  We cleaned it with an alcohol wipe, but some antibiotic ointment on it and a band aid. She had no swelling at all, kinda pink around the area, but she was pressing ice onto it before it was cleaned up.  She also took a motrin for the pain and within an hour she said she was fine. 

Not sure what to think, but I guess Ill start cutting em off next time if I am going to keep em whole and not fillet.

Rockfish, stripers, bullheads.....those spines willl all cause the pain. I've been spined before and taken several days for all pain and swelling to go away.

-Brian G

My fingers get sore for week when I get pricked by a rock fish.  Hope she's better. 

Those spines have venom! Rockfish are in the same family as the poisonous scorpion fish. Rockfish won't kill you, but the spines can be very painful.

Im a commercial rose grower, so getting stabbed numerous times daily is a way of life.  I find that after a particularly deep rockfish stab, I run it under warm water while squeezing out some blood.  It seems to help.  If it wont stop bleeding, then cold and some tape.  Maybe someone with medical training can tell me if this is really stupid, but it works for me. 

One of our members (Dave) a few years back, had a nice stringer of RF and got spined by one of 'em. When he got out of the water later that day, he got home and his wife could not even recognize him. Apparently his neck was swollen pretty bad and he had to be rushed to the hospital to treat his allergic reaction from the RF

Be VERY carefull out there!

I bought this glove and wear it when I fish for RF - can never be too safe

Available at Cabelas...I believe Mel Cottons has 'em too....

Additional Info
•    Buyer's Guide
Originally developed for medical personnel to protect them from hypodermic needles, the puncture-resistant fabric in these gloves will protect your hands from cuts that come from handling sharp-spined fish. Plus, they provide super gripping power and dry quickly.
Available: Right hand, Left hand.
Size: Large/Extra Large.
Color: Red/Black.

good idea to have a fish-only cooler. then nobody is reaching into a cooler with fish in it, that is a recipe for problems anyways.

She'd had too many beers!   

All kidding aside, rockfish do have some venom.  Some are worse than others - my Dad always said a China has really bad venom from spine pokes.  Be careful, but I don't know about wearing the Mooch Man-Glove while fishing!   

 

I have been poked by a RF and it was sore and painful to the touch for about a month...it healed up, but was still sore when pressed. One day I was doing something and stretched out that finger/area, I felt a weird pull/tear. In a few days it was swelled&oozing puss...so i squeezed the S#IT out of it till it was no longer oozing.....healed up right and a lesson learned.
Those things can prick,stick and infect you.....let go get some RF!

I can confirm that chinas are bad, I got a light scratch from one and it stung like a bee sting.  Reds, gophers and blues aren't nearly as bad. 

Guess it was good she figured out her mistake before trying to determine if the fish's face was twist-off or pop-off.