$1500 High Rock Crappie!!!!

Now that I got everyones attention, I gotta tell yall a story that someone here could benefit from:

The week before Easter i spent a lot of time on the water catching crappie on High Rock. Several piles of fish were cleaned. The Wednesday prior, I had a cooler FULL of fish i was cleaning...something ive done hundreds if not THOUSANDS of times. Wearing gloves and all i reached in the cooler got pricked by the top spine perfectly through the glove and right smack between my thumb nail and my skin. again ive been pricked before, but I was not bothered. nothing was left behind, just a simple prick at that.

Fast Forward.........

Saturday while on vacation with my wife and inlaws, i started feeling pain along with a little swelling in my thumb where i had been pricked. nothing significant, but just noticeable. It got worse as the day went on.

Sunday morning the swelling had exploded and the pain unbearable. By the evening i was ready to visit urgent care, however slight problem....everything was closed Easter Sunday.

First thing Monday morning i went to urgent care and told the Dr exactly what had happened.....I got the run around and given some antibiotics that i already knew would not touch the infection. Dr was worthless and just ready to move on to the next ## in line.

Tuesday as soon as i got home, went to another urgent care in town. there they give me a whole medicine cabinet of anti bionics and that evening things started improving a bit.

Wednesday saw the next Dr who said to see a specialist.
Thursday saw the specialist who said i need surgery ASAP.
Friday had surgery to remove the infection, thumbnail and all in between.

nearly 2 weeks later i am fine...I was fishing bandaged up 3 days later (definitely should not have) but it was tough. Long story short guys and gals, if you get swelling days after getting stuck by any fish, dont sit on it, go see the DR right away. Only reason why i jumped on it right away was because i saw all the signs since the exact same thing happened to a friend who unfortunately had to wait a bit longer (also a CDCer) and needed complete reconstructive surgery on one of his digits.

If it can happen to me, it surly can happen to anyone.
And yes, that crappie cost me $1500 and counting, but man did it taste sooo good!

Wow, now that is an eye opener. I've been pricked before but never thought anything about it. Pay extra attention now to that. Thanks for sharing.

I've never tasted a $1500 crappie, but I'll take your word that it was good. Words of wisdom for sure. I have heard of such infections from other people being finned or horned by catfish. In fact my brother was horned by a catfish in the heal of his hand that became infected and he had problems with the wound site for about 5 years when he finally dug out a seed looking thing (himself) from deep inside the then calloused and hardened wound site allowing it to finally heal completely.

Glad to hear you are doing better. I dug a piece of black sea bass fin out of one of my fingers once. It was really starting to get sore. Thankfully everything got better afterward but it could have been a lot worse.

Wow. Glad you are healing up. It's those doggone striper gill plates that always get me. Never got infected but they do hurt.

Dang Pete! That was Bad! I hadn't never had that problem but now I'l know what to do if it ever happens to me.

Thanks for sharing. Can never be too safe when it comes to an infection. Hopefully you'll catch one of those Hill's crappies and make up so what it cost you!

Glad you are better! Hope to see a report soon!

Darn Pete, glad you are on the road to recovery

Now that's a expensive crappie! I'm glad to hear that you are healing up!

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Is it too late to win the Hills minnow farm tagged fish event to pay for this?

Thanks for the intel Pete. Will definitely watch those sticks and cuts closer. Glad you are healing well.

Man thats crazy. Glad you seem to be doing better.

I hope all is still going well with the healing and thanks for posting a serious warning to the rest of us.

Sorry to hear this. I've been spined several times and never had an issue but will keep an eye open.
On the other side, when you take in the boat, rods, reels, jigs and electronics, I am trying to get my crappie cost DOWN to $1,500 per fish. Lol

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Pete, thanks for the post. I fish a lot in Canada where most of the fish have some sort of slicing and dicing. I always end the day putting some Neosporin on the scuffs slices and pokes just so I can go at it again for several days. Not sure that would have helped you but worth doing.


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