Channel Catfish and Other Catfish Species

Channel Catfish and Other Species

Catfish come in many species. Size can vary from less than a pound to over a hundred pounds depending on age and species. There are even a species that can stay on land for a limited time.

First,let’s check out the channel catfish. The channel cat, as most people call them, is probably the most popular of the catfish species. Channel catfish can be caught year round, except in extreme cold conditions they can be less active. As with most catfish, the channel cats prefer the deeper cooler water, usually with a sandy or gravel bottom, but can adapt to most environments. They primarily feed on insects, crayfish and smaller fish.

The channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) looks much like the blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus), but the channel cat has a rounded anal fin as well as twenty to twenty four rays. The channel cat has bluish coloring which fades to white along their belly. They have a smaller belly than the blue catfish. Most channel catfish have small spots on their backs. The largest channel catfish ever caught was fifty eight pounds. The blue catfish gets much larger than the channel catfish, with many over one hundred pounds.

White catfish (Ameiurus catus) also known as the fork-tailed catfish, are primarily a tidal water species that inhabit waters having a salinity of 5 percent, but also is found in freshwater lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. This type of catfish is much smaller in size. The record white catfish is only twenty one pounds eight ounces.

The blue catfish,(Ictalurus furcatus), is one of the largest species of North American catfish. Blue catfish are opportunistic predators and will eat any species of fish they can catch, along with crayfish, freshwater mussels, frogs, and other readily available aquatic food sources. Catching their prey becomes easier if it is already wounded or dead. Blue catfish often feed beneath schools of striped bass in reservoirs or feeding on wounded baitfish that have been washed through dam spillways or power generation turbines.

The flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) is the second largest species. The flatheads prefer live baits. The best time to catch flatheads is after dark. The record for flatheads is one hundred and twenty three pounds.For more great information on Catfishing and great catfishing products look at Catfishing Products.

Good Luck and Happy Fishin’, Gary

Best Spots to Catch Channel Catfish

Best Spots to Catch Channel Catfish

Do you love to fish for channel catfish? Here are just a few of the best places to catch them.
One of the top spots has to be the Cheatham Reservoir in Tennessee. Channel catfish as big as twenty five pounds have been have been caught there. Local fishermen report you will leave with a stringer full here.

Another hot spot is Merritt Reservoir in Nebraska. The fishing there is totally awesome. The only problem is that this lake is virtually in the middle of nowhere. For those who make the trip the fishing will be well worth it.

The Chotawhatchee River in Florida is one of the best kept secrets in the nation. This river runs from Alabama into Florida. There’s plenty of deep water. You can catch all you want here. There are many twenty pounders and bigger cats caught here every year. "The big channel cats were everywhere, shallow and deep, with a 32-pounder our best fish of the season.”

The Rock River in Illinois is an excellent place to fish for channel catfish. There are many cats in the ten to twenty pound range
Newmans Lake in Gainesville Florida is also a popular spot for catching channel catfish. It has deep waters, but has limited access unless you have a boat. You can catch plenty of catfish there almost year round.

Mississippi River in Illinois is another channel catfish hotspot. Around Alton, Ill., there is some of the best channel catfishing there is. Catches of 25 to 50 fish a day are typical, and the action is usually fast. It's a great place to introduce your kids to the fun of fishing.

A good spot to fish for channel cats is in Lake Erie, Pennsylvania. You can find them anywhere from rock and clay bottoms to the deepest parts of the basin.

Powerton Lake located in Peoria, Illinois is another fantastic place to go for channel catfish. A great number of channels can be found here due to plentiful spawning.

La Salle Lake in Illinois is another great place to find channel catfish. Fifteen pounders are frequently caught here.

Another place to find channel catfish is Lake Bentonville Arkansas. A large quantity of the fish can be found here and you have easy access to the shoreline around the entire lake.

Lake Conroe in Texas is a great catfishing spot. They can be caught in 20 feet to 25 feet of water on the edge of the river channels and on the creek edges. Catfish Killer Cheese Dip Bait fished 2 to 3 inches off the bottom works well. Small pieces of peeled shrimp, or shad dipped in Catfish Killer Cheese Baits in the blood or shad scent are work best for catfish from 1 to 5 lbs. Chicken livers are also work well here to catch catfish.
Some larger catfish, mostly blue catfish can be caught using fresh shad or cut perch. in 15 to 40 feet of water.

If you don’t live near one of this great fisheries don’t sweat it, there are great places to cat channel catfish all over the country, just find one near you.
If you have a great place to catch channel catfish let us know about it.

Good luck fishing. Gary

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