Down here in SW Florida our most common catfish in the salt and brackish waters is the Hard Head and they've got spines that are mildy poisonous on their dorsal and pectoral fins and can give you a hellacious sting. We've got a special way to grasp them from the belly side to keep from getting stung but now and then you hear about someone who gets stung right through their shoe while kicking them back into the water.
I don't eat fried foods very often but catfish rolled in a light breading and fried in very hot oil is my favorite way to cook it. I use finely crushed cracker crumbs or cornflake crumbs for the breading and I much prefer farmed catfish to wild which can taste kind of muddy sometimes.