Venom in RockFish Spines

Get one of these--then you can grab those little spikey rascals with no fear--Lingcod gill rakes are no worry either. I bought one a few years ago and it has served me well. Great for filleting as well. However strong jaws can still hurt so keep you hands out of their mouths.

Thanks, Surfing Marmot, I think I will.  This is only the second time in about 5 years of fishing that I've gotten stung, and by far the worst, 3 days later the swelling has gone down, but it's still a little stiff.  I'd do the hot- as- you- can stand- hot- water soak as soon as I could get to it  after getting off the yak if I could do it over again.  Everything I could read says that's about the only home remedy.

I slipped while cleaning a verm like a month ago, jabbed the dorsal spine into my middle knuckle and it burned so bad I couldn't believe it.

It STILL hurts when I knock on a door.

the venom is bad, but most of the pain comes from bacterial infection. Fish swim in poop water!

the venom is bad, but most of the pain comes from bacterial infection. Fish swim in poop water!

I don't drink water; fish f**k in it.   - W. C . Fields

Poop is the stuff life is made from-from previous lives--it is the cycle of life--as any fish, crab, your dog, any insect, or your garden for that matter can tell you if you listen.

Just don't drink or eat it yourself--including that from our politicians or elected officials of any party,

Thanks for this post

Went out on my friends PB today.
I had "cut the gills to bleed them" duty and got stuck by either a golfer or some brown type RF.

This throbbing has been hurting longer and more pronounced than previous hits.  Went right threw my clothes, ( Those blues ones we got in the GS swag bag...)

So someone mentioned the venom is just bacteria......
the venom is bad, but most of the pain comes from bacterial infection. Fish swim in poop water!

Does that mean antibiotics can help relieve the pain?
It's been 10 hours and it is still swollen and throbbing.

Thanks
Dave

Oh yeah I love a good spine in the morning. Nothing says you need to be more carefull like some immediate burning and swelling.

For me the only time I seem to have problems that last more than 15mins to a few hours is when I get part of the spine left in the puncture. Then you gotta squeeze that little bugger out and the wound will start to heal. Although I'm not a doc as far as antibiotics I would say that unless you start seeing signs of a more serious infection like increasing pain/redness, discharge, and/or red lines beginning to form the antibiotics should be avoided. Ibuprofen until it becomes worse and check for spine tips still present in the wound. They will generally act like a splinter although they will be whitish/translucent in color. Good luck though and hopefully it feels better tomorrow.        

the lindy glove is a good thing to have 

Thanks for this post

Went out on my friends PB today.
I had "cut the gills to bleed them" duty and got stuck by either a golfer or some brown type RF.

This throbbing has been hurting longer and more pronounced than previous hits.  Went right threw my clothes, ( Those blues ones we got in the GS swag bag...)

So someone mentioned the venom is just bacteria......
the venom is bad, but most of the pain comes from bacterial infection. Fish swim in poop water!

Does that mean antibiotics can help relieve the pain?
It's been 10 hours and it is still swollen and throbbing.

Thanks
Dave

Apply the heat (i.e. soaking in the hottest water you can tolerate), and it should relieve the pain. The venom is not bacteria, but protein-based, so high temperatures will denature it.

"Poop is the stuff life is made from-from previous lives--it is the cycle of life--as any fish, crab, your dog, any insect, or your garden for that matter can tell you if you listen"

So in a nut shell. surfingmarmot. What your saying is, wait and life always turns to Sh&t.

I had my hands "hambergered" by spines and teeth of rockfish many times. Hurts like the dickens but the pain goes away in a few days. Worst cuts come from those gill plates you totally forget about and they can be sharp as razor blades. I'd rather be spined.

I've learned my lesson and will wear a glove to handle these spiny beasts.

I got a deep finger stab from a quillback at Lopez Point a couple years ago. Finger started to throb bad. Then the throbbing gradually worked up my arm till it was shooting over my shoulder. Then I could feel it pulsing through my heart. Paralyzed me with pain. I was helpless for 15 minutes a half mile offshore. The pain receded and then disappeared, but it scared the crap out of me.

If you have those type of reactions... Please keep benydril around. I AM allergic to fish and puff up badly after getting stuck. A few doses and all gone... The heat thing does work and you can use the instant heat pads instead of hot water while OTW. Mostly it's gonna hurt Getting the Lindy glove or equivalent is a good Idea

I got an urchin spine stuck in the thumb meat part of my palm at albion...swelled up and got hella painful and I took a needle to try and dig it out but no luck. 

Makes it so I can barely shake anybody's hand cuz it hurts so much still!

 

Hope it gets better soon!!

 

Sincerely,

Jim