How to Make DIY Catfish Skinning Pliers It's a challenge generations of catfishermen have faced: How do you keep the slimy things still while you're trying to skin them? Some folks nail the fish's head to a tree. Others ask their wives to grab the bottom jaw and "hang on tight." Ryan McCafferty, who fishes on the Tennessee River, devised a new tool for the task using a pair of vise grips, two nails, a welder, and some chain. It looks a little crude—but it really works. "With these, I can wrap a