Keep fingers out of gill plates......on the finger lakes

[Gill-T]

Some of you may have seen my post on fishing Cayuga lake during July 4th week. I incurred numerous cuts on my fingers while attempting to get a quick photo of the fish before releasing. Whether teeth cuts or gillrakers or whatever, my fingers went thru hell. Not sure if anyone else on this forum has experienced anything similar but my cuts calloused over but became increasingly painful. Things culminated early Sunday morning at 1:30 am when the pain in my fingers woke me up. I sensed something was wrong. Taking a pair of nail clippers I cut open the healing calluses and found a plethora of pus underneath. Upon draining and scraping each area I felt immediate relief and things are healing normally. I don’t know what was at play. Embedded tooth shards? A pathogen? Flesh-eating bacteria?  If I was diabetic I would have been in real trouble. I included a picture today of some of the healing wounds. Last fish touched was July 5th (12 days ago).  Hope this helps someone NOT put their hands in a dirty greaser’s mouth. I am going back to kings!  Perhaps finger lakes has a different meaning?

[kayslay]

Set of bogos goes a long way. I'd also like to remind folks when they catch a short to try and not touch the fish but quick release with a pair of pliers;)

Sent from my SM-G950U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Gill-T]

Agreed. Small ones are shaken off with pliers off swim platform. I have Boca Grips but you have to be careful you don’t have the jaws open and drop fish from above ( that fish would go in cooler). 

[fisherdude]

I fished solo last Saturday . After a outstanding day of fishing . I ended up with cut finger from leaders from the Seth green rigs a couple scratches from I don't what . I was concerned with the algae bloom. At home showered and I used peroxide on cuts. I never put fingers in gills for it cuts the fish survival rate after releasing.

Sent from my XT1609 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Sk8man]

Fish poisoning can take many forms because they have a plethora of bacteria on them. Any cut is particularly vulnerable. My son found that out a couple years ago ice fishing and a 16 lb pike he released  nailed him badly and he had to eventually get antibiotics to curb the infection. It can lead to blood poisoning and potentially death if gets to the heart so it is nothing to mess around with. I carry antibacterial hand sanitizer on board the boat and triple antibiotic cream in an emergency kit as well

[Lucky13]

I learned from spending time in the "Molds and Fungi" Capital of the world, the Adirondacks,. that any cut needs immediate attention, soap and water followed by Neosporin or triple ointment, and covered with a band aid, or I will be in a world of hurt by day 2.

[Gill-T]

I was doing a lot of swimming that week but every night I put antibiotic ointment on  with a band-aid. It seems to me it was something in the water (runoff from farms or sewage dump that occurred in Seneca Falls earlier in week). It very strange to have five different puss pockets on two different hands. 

[Lucky13]

https://www.uptodate.com/contents/soft-tissue-infections-following-water-exposure

 

I worked in Public Health.  I did the background investigation of a local stormwater facility where an individual had cut his thumb while fishing.  5 days later he had to have it amputated due to a severe Aeromonas infection.  I had to catch fish to submit to a laboratory for testing (Please don't make me go into the briar patch!).  We found that the fish had tumors and high levels of pesticides, but Aeromonas is ubiquitous in aquatic environments.  Anymore, with the "flesh eating" strains of staph and the other antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria, cuts have to be treated rapidly and vigilantly.  If I were going to gill a lot of fish anymore, I think I'd glove up first. 

[MCF]

When you read about flesh eating bacteria, ecoli, the blue green algae, microscopic organisms, it is becoming concerning.  

[Frogger]

Hence the old stories of getting “stung” by a bull head when you were a kid. It is really just the slime with bacteria getting in your system if you were ever poked. I remember once having a heck of a time with my hand after perch fishing. In 20 years we’ll all be suited up in rubber suits so we don’t get poked and bit lol


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[thork9]

Shagowie worm!

[Pequod1]

RThanks for the info.  I have more or less ignored this issue since I have never had a problem. After seeing my knee surgeon yesterday, I now have a healthy fear of bacterial infections. I was told that any bacterial infection would travel to a foreign object in your body like a knee replacement and cause a severe reaction to the point of removal of the replacement and being placed on an IV for a long time.  I plan on wearing gloves from now on while filleting and carrying peroxide and anti bacterial ointments on the boat.

[Gator]

Both my buddy and I ended up with similar infections in our fingers after fishing this June in Buzzard's Bay for BSB. We had to peel the callous off to drain the wound before it would heal. He told me that you can end up with a lasting infection that presents with symptoms akin to Lyme disease. Great...one more thing to concern us. 

 

Still, better than the six months I spent a couple of years ago with the dorsal spine from a largemouth embedded in my toe. I was fishing off a dock in sandals and dropped the fish while trying to unhook it. One in a million chance, doc. The spine broke off, and it hurt like heck for a couple weeks. Then six months later I was deer hunting and I felt a horrible pain in my foot. I removed my boot to find what was left of the spine being extruded from my toe, THROUGH the nail. That was a long limp home. I had a hole in my toenail for many moons following until it finally grew out.

[Sk8man]

I know it may sound a little wimpy but they sell large size heavy duty reusable rubber gloves at the Dollar Store that are easily put on and removed.

Edited July 19, 2019 by Sk8man

[whaler1]

ive never been a fan of Lakers, now that I know they are dangerous I like them less!

[bulletbob]

 The Finger Lakes were clear, clean deep cold glacial lakes for thousands of years.. native Americans drank the water right from the lakes, and  easily netted fish by the ton.. Now after a few scant decades they are quickly becoming cesspools, full of nasty  critters that have NO damn business being there, and being pumped full of crap from cows, domestic pets, and humans..  That doesn't even include the chemical fertilizers ..

 

We are paying the price for saturating the shorelines with million dollar homes. Think of all the septic systems around all these lakes..  A LOT of that sewage will eventually wind up  in the lakes.. It doesn't just magically disappear, same as the  thousands  of tons of cow crap, and whatever else is spread on the  fields that totally surround the lakes these days, .. that is, wherever there are no mansions of course.
. Nowadays  if you go fishing, get poked by a fin, and get an infection, it might kill you.. just lovely.....bob

[thork9]

The green deal! Casio Cortese, no cow poop!

[Gill-T]

I will keep to these. 

[Lewis863]

Wow..... I probably rip the gill plates to bleed the fish I catch in Cayuga 15-30 times a weekend.... never have I had a cut from it. However rake your hands on their teeth which can happen if you dont use pliers to remove the hooks..then I have had blood drawn... however... treat it like any other cut, bleed it, clean it..no issues...think there is more than a little over reaction here. Imo...


Sent from my iPad using Lake Ontario United