The Catcher's Mitt has so many features and benefits that they are difficult to list and explain in one post. So we will attempt to talk about one thing at a time. The main feature of the Catcher's mitt is the one finger mitt. It is coated inside and out with rubber. The outer latex coating has a crinkled texture which provides a superb grip. This is ideal for holding onto wiggling, slimy fish. Below is a picture of the mitts in a bin at the factory where you can see the design and texture.
The crinkled finished latex provides supreme gripping power. The only thing to remember is that when you hold a fish is that the mitt dulls your sense of touch and you will need to squeeze just a little harder than you think.
The one finger design gives you more dexterity. This allows you to lip fish you would normally lip like bass. If you have ever caught 15 or 20 yearling bass and had your thumb tore up, you will appreciate using the Catcher's Mitt.
We haven't had the mitt officially puncture rated, but I can tell you from a few years of field testing that you can lip most any fish. We have lipped most all fresh water fish and a lot of salt water fish. Saltwater fish include spotted sea trout, red fish, flounder, red and mangrove snapper.
The one finger design also lets you correctly hold a catfish under the belly, controlling the spines with your thumb under one spine and the other spine between your index and middle (in the mitt part) finger.
One thing everyone loves the Catcher's Mitt for is cleaning fish. It lets you get a firm grip on the fish and protects your hands from their spines and gill plates.
We have found that the Catcher's Mitt is good for handling all kinds of seafood. We use it to run crab traps. Hold the trap and do the shaking to get them out with hand protected by the mitt. Also grab the bait with the mitt and stuff it in. You will be much cleaner than if you did it with your bare hands. Sorry I couldn't locate any pictures checking crab traps.
Oyster shucking is a breeze with the Catchers' Mitt. Turn the towel around so the towel part is facing out. This lets you wipe the oyster knife off and you will have cleaner oysters on the half shell. You can put a death grip on the oyster if you pin it against a board. I used to shuck oysters in a bar and we used lead like most places use. The Catchers' Mitt and a piece of plywood is just as good, if not better!
Last but not least is to use it when you're eating crabs. I don't know if I would wear one into a restaurant but when you are at home or at the camp definitely use it. One of the ways to eat crabs is to open the crab and clean off the lungs and such. Then hold the crab flat in your hand and cut it to open the chambers. I always was a little skittish cutting through the crab because the knife blade is coming at your hand. The Catcher's Mitt makes this process a lot less nerve racking.
Soft rides and hard strikes,
Mark A. Cartwright