A friend and I were cleaning catfish about 1 am one spring morning. We had been running a trotline on a local river and catching channels and flatheads on crawdads. He had a hold of about a 2 pound channel when it flipped and drove a barbed fin all the way through his finger. We could not back the fin out because of the barbs. After a little thinking I took a pair of side cut pliers and cut the fin off the fish. Then took a regular pair of pliers and pulled the fin on through his finger. Then he went in the house and cleaned it up good. It was sore but no infection.

I always held them just like Chuck said. Also one trick is that if you do get bit by a barb fin, it will sting. Rub the spot you got bit on the catfish's belly. That will make it feel better.