The fog was a might thick in Lynnhaven Thursday morning. You practically had to hit the channel markers to see 'em. Well, as I pulled away from the dock at about 0700, I glanced at the Northstar GPS and saw in big letters "Med".I enlarged the screen and the word on the map revealed itself as "Meditteranean"! Here I am , not able to see the water from the flying bridge, already out away from the dock, and I have the maps for the Med on my GPS!!! I clicked a couple buttons and got a nice clear look at the boot of Italy and Sicily. Naples has a nice harbor,too.So I am at dead stop,somewhere in Linkhorn Bay,and turn off everything. Re-booting the GPS , I get Linkhorn Bay! It still took me an hour of creeping marker to marker with radar and a working GPS to make Long Bay Point. So I pick up Dr Wright and company at Rudee and run off to a wreck.Got eight keeper togs to about six pounds. During the day, I stuck my hand in the bait bag and got a grown blue crab latch on to my palm, which Dr W surgically removed with a pair of pliers, after i stopped hopping up and down. A little later one of the crew said they would like spiny dogfish steak for dinner, which I set up for and caught several pretty quick.About the third one I grabbed behind the head to unhook, and the rascal swung his tail and gave me an inch of spine in my right arm! Now i have been handling sharks,especially spinys,since infanthood, and never been tagged, but this boy got me but good.(Don't you love it when you have all Doctors on board and they look at you gravely,with VERY worried looks,as the blood runs down your arm? Kick in one panic attack,please!) As I think of cytotoxins, neuro-toxins,and infection, I tell the crew "Don't tell me if this is serious until we are back on dry land!" A full scale panic while anchored up offshore is not a good thing. Anyway,cleaned it out with stuff and packed it with Neosporin and bandaged it,and fished for many more hours,cleaned the boat after i got it home, stopped off to have McDonald's Chicken Sandwich,and still live!
Actually, the word from the docs is to wash it out with soap and water every day till it closes, keep an eye open for drainage and unusual swelling, and get your tetanus (which a clumsy guy like me keeps up to date,anyway. ) AND DON'T GET CARELESS WITH WILDLIFE!

Just curious, what is the minimum length, if any, for spiney dogs? Are they good to eat? And how do you clean them?

Thanks,
Drew

Man, I almost feel your pain! Haven't been nailed by the spine yet. Which one hurts more?

WOW! Keep in mind that a bad day fishing is better than a good day doing yard work. Did not know spiny dogfish were good to eat. I must have released a hundred of the things last year. Is there a size/posession limit?

--Brett

There doesn't look to be any kind of size or possesion limit. Here is a good sheet to print out and keep with your tackle gear.

http://www.mrc.state.va.us/regulations/limitscard2006.pdf

Dr W has a video on sharks and how to prepare and like that. I have no idea if anybody sells his tapes or DVD's still, but you could check him out at DRJIMSALTWATERFISHING.COM

Sorry to hear about your bad luck, Adder, but can vouch for the fact that you you better keep that wound clean. Those things can become infected in a NY second. The part about the doctors on board looking grim was kind of funny. I can hear Dr. Wright: "I don't know anything about wounds but your eyes don't look so good." Other doctors' comments: (1) PCP: "I need you to hold the injured hand up in the air. With the other hand, get out your checkbook and your health insurance card." (2) "I'm an OB/GYN. I think it might be a yeast infection." (3) Radiologist: "Oooh, blood...I think I'm gonna puke." (4) Surgeon: "Let's just cut the sucker off and keep on fishing". (5) Gastrointerologist: Here, drink this with plenty of water. We'll take a look when you're good and cleaned out. Just stick close to the head". (6) Psychiatrist: "Ouch! I bet that hurts. Remember, pain is all in the mind. That'll be $100.00 for 1 session."

Fishist, after thirty years at Va.Beach General and over 20 years fishing with docs, ya got 'em called just right! Course, if'n the psychiatrist had suggested Valium, I would take him up on it.
Back to the wound,though...Two days later, it looks good,and I can squeeze just a drop of clear fluid out, which means no primary infection...yet. Of course, since docs are NOT anxious to give ANYBODY antibiotics anymore, I suspect I will be fighting this off the old fashioned way (by the grace of God).