Once an angler has hooked into a blue will have a long, tough battle, not only because of the size but also because of their strength and determination.

They will bite artificial baits but most anglers prefer to fish for them with live bait or freshly dead bait. The fish prefers bait with a strong scent trail so anglers that use fresh dead cut bait have a tendency to use fish that is very oily for bait.

Blue catfish are opportunistic feeders and are often known to be found feeding under schools of striped bass or white bass picking up shad or other baitfish that they have injured.

They are also known to feed heavily in tailraces of dams picking up injured, killed, or shocked baitfish as it comes through the tailraces of the dams. Many anglers fish for them on the bottom as they do feed on the bottom but blue catfish are also known to suspend in the water column and even feed on the top of the water on occasion.

Blue catfish can be caught in very deep water or in very shallow water depending on the time of the year. The current world record is pounds. There have long been rumors of blue catfish as large as to pounds though none this large have ever been caught and officially weighed.

There are only one species of blue catfish and that is as described above. This is FALSE , and nothing more than confusion and bad information being passed along by anglers.

Channel Catfish can easily be identified in comparison to blue catfish and flathead catfish by paying a little attention to the distinguishing features of the species. Channel catfish have a deeply forked tail similar to blue catfish but the coloring is much different than that of a blue.

Because of the coloring of the channel catfish, they are often confused by inexperienced anglers with the flathead catfish. Channels however have a deeply forked tail instead of slightly notched and have a protruding upper jaw instead of the lower jaw.

The coloring of channel catfish is most often olive-brown to slate in color and even with shades of blue and grey at times on the sides. The underside or bellies of the fish are white or silvery-white. Typically there are numerous small black spots present but these may be absent in larger fish.

The anal fin has 24—29 rays in comparison to a blue catfish which has 30 or more. Channel catfish typically spawn in late spring and early summer when water temperatures reach 75 degrees.

The male fish select nest sites like other species which are typically selected in very dark secluded areas like cavities in rock piles or rip rap, logs, trees, undercut banks, etc.

Eggs are laid in the bottom of the bests and the male fish guard the nest. Biologists have also noted that male channel catfish may actually eat some of the eggs if disturbed.

Young channel catfish less than four inches in length feed primarily on smaller insects. Adult channels are omnivorous feeding on mussels, crustaceans, fish, plants, and insects. Most channel catfish will reach sexual maturity in three to six years or when they reach about twelve inches in length.

Channel catfish are most abundant in large streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs with low or moderate current. Channel catfish are one of the most popular species of fish in the United States ranking second only to bass in many areas.

Part of the reason for the popularity is that they obviously make excellent table fare but also because they are abundant and readily available in most lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. Channel catfish can be caught with a variety of baits including natural baits like worms, baitfish, crawfish, or other natural baits but most popular is prepared catfish baits like punch baits, dip baits, and soap baits.

One popular technique used with prepared baits is chumming with soured grains like wheat or milo or using range cubes as chum. The flathead catfish is a popular species because there are populations in much of the United States and they are well known to grow to trophy class sizes, all in addition to being excellent table fare.

The existing world record flathead catfish weighed in at lbs. The flathead catfish like other species of catfish has smooth skin no scales , whiskers around the mouth, and long sharp spines on the back dorsal fin and sides pectoral fins.

Flathead catfish can easily reach lengths of three to four feet and can easily exceed one hundred pounds in weight. They are typically pale yellow to light brown on their backs and sides and this coloring is also very mottled with additional coloring for black and brown.

The underside is usually a much lighter cream color or pale yellow color. The young are often very dark brown. The lower jaw projects out. Tail fins have a slight notch in them and are not deeply forked like the typical tails of blue and channel catfish.

Unlike the channel and blue catfish that are scavengers or opportunistic predators flathead catfish prey only on live fish as a general rule.

The young feed primarily on crayfish, worms, invertebrates, and crayfish. Once they grow larger the diet consists entirely of fish of any species including other catfish.

The spawning season runs typically from May through August when water temperatures are between seventy-five and eighty degrees. Once a nesting site is selected the male fish improve the nesting site by creating shallow depressions in the mud for the female to lay the eggs in.

Marine biologists have estimated in the past the female fish will lay eggs for every pound of her body weight which is why it is important to live release the larger fish back into the waters by practicing catch and release. Adult flathead catfish are most often solitary fish known to pick out a favorite spot under a tree, log or undercut bank and remain alone in deeper water.

At night the flathead catfish will move into shallow water areas to feed. Their preferred habitat is deep pools of creeks where water is cloudy and currents are slow. Despite the fact that these catfish species are very different, they are often confused by anglers.

The vast majority of the time the angler caught a blue catfish and identified the fish incorrectly. Here are the key identifying characteristics of blue catfish and channel catfish and how you can tell the difference between these catfish species.

Blue Catfish Slate blue to white coloring The anal fin is flat when laid flat it forms a straight line The anal fin has between thirty and thirty-six rays. Knowing the basics behind each catfish species is half the battle to understanding them. Go catch some fresh shad and get started fishing! To get more detailed and in-depth information to get on the fast track to locating and catching catfish check out the Catfish Edge products , all designed to help you catch more and bigger catfish.

Chad Ferguson is a pro catfish guide with over fifteen years experience fishing professionally for catfish, outdoor writer, photographer and noted authority on catfish fishing. Get more exclusive catfish fishing tips here by email , make sure to subscribe to my Youtube channel and follow me on Instagram and Twitter.

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Learn how to register your vessel, boating laws and more. Channel Catfish The Channel catfish is very highly regarded for its food and sports value. How to identify a Channel Catfish The distinctive Channel catfish can often be recognized at a glance by its deeply forked tail and spots on the body.

Where to catch Channel Catfish The Channel catfish is currently distributed through most of the U. The following list includes places where you can catch Channel catfish: Gradual Shores Inlets and Outlets Piers, Docks and Pilings Spring Holes Walkways and Bridges Holes Open Water Shoreline Shallows Sunken Objects Freshwater Weed Beds.

how to catch Channel Catfish The Channel catfish feed mainly on crayfish, fishes, and insects generally at night in swifter moving currents. The following are fishing methods you can use to catch channel catfish: Drift Fishing Still Fishing. Find Channel Catfish View Map.

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The hardhead catfish is the bait stealer or the trash catfish to coastal anglers. Hardheads are notorious for gulping their food rather than biting, which allows them to abscond with bait more easily than other fish. Hardheads are easy to identify compared to gafftop catfish. The easiest way to distinguish between the two species is by looking at the dorsal fin, anal fins, and color of the two fish.

The dorsal fin on a hardhead will come to a point and not extend toward the anal or adipose fin. The anal fin of a hardhead catfish will contain rays.

The coloration of a hardhead will range from greenish to light grey with a whitish belly. The typical size for a hard head is about 16 inches in length, and it can weigh up to 12 pounds at the largest sizes.

Gafftopsail catfish Bagre marinus , often called gafftops, are found on the east coast of North America, the Gulf of Mexico, and the east coast of South America.

The gafftopsail catfish is commonly caught among coastal anglers but is often confused with hardheads. To identify the gafftopsail catfish, anglers should look at the dorsal fin, anal fin, and color.

The gafftopsail catfish dorsal fin is distinguished in that the fin looks ribbon-like at the tip and extends farther toward the anal and adipose fins.

Gafftopsail catfish anal fin will contain anal rays, as where the hardhead catfish will have fewer. The coloration of a gafftopsail catfish is greenish-to-blue with a silverish stomach.

The average size of gafftopsail catfish is about 18 inches, with the largest reaching lengths of up to 27 inches and 10 pounds in weight. The walking catfish Clarias batrachus , sometimes called the Thai catfish, is native to Southeastern Asia.

Walking catfish get their name due to their ability to wiggle and jump their way to new areas. This family of fish has lung-like organs that allow them to gulp air as they leap and squirm to their new home.

The walking catfish is important for aquaculture farms that raise fish to distribute to fish markets and is popular among subsistence anglers who use this fish to feed their families. Walking catfish are preferred in fish markets because they can easily be kept fresh due to their ability to survive outside of water.

As long as the fish stays wet, the fish can survive for several days out of water. Common Plecostomus Hypostomus plecostomus , sometimes called plecos or armored catfish.

Plecos are popular among aquarists and individuals who want to add some variety to a fish tank and attempt to control algae growth in the aquarium.

The sucker mouth is easy to identify due to its dark-colored body, armored plating on the upper body, downturned mouth, and light-colored belly. Their entire body is covered in black spotting. Although, plecostomus are desired in aquaria, they are unfortunately an undesirable invasive species throughout the southern United States.

As they outgrow their aquaria, they are often dumped into local waterbodies, which can negatively affect the native plant and fish populations. While at Tarleton, Bardin worked for Harrell Arms at Arms Fish Farm and Bait Company. In he founded Texas Pro Lake Management. He strives every day to take a scientific approach to helping his clients maximize the production of their fisheries.

Outside of TPLM Bardin has written for Wired2Fish, taught as an adjunct professor for Tarleton State University, and served as an instructor and camp coordinator for Bass Brigade youth leadership camp.

In , Bardin helped Major League Fishing found their Fisheries Management Division and leads their conservation efforts today. Bardin is a member of Texas Aquatic Plant Management Society, Texas Chapter of American Fisheries Society, Southern Division of American Fisheries Society, Society of Lake Management Professionals, Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame Board, Texas Brigades Board, Texas Freshwater Fisheries Advisory Committee, and the Major League Fishing Anglers Association Board.

You can follow him on Facebook and Instagram. Fishing Tips. By Season. Spring Fishing Tips. Summer Fishing. Fall Fishing. Winter Fishing. Ice Fishing. Tackle Tips. Chatterbait Tips. Crankbait Tips. Topwater Tips. Swimbait Tips. Jerkbait Tips.

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Big Fish News. Industry News. ICAST News. Pelvic fins will have 8 to 9 soft rays and one spine. The adipose fin of channel catfish is small in size and found just before the caudal peduncle. The adipose fin has no rays or spines and is fat filled. The tail of the channel catfish will be dark pigmented, with a noticeable forked appearance.

The color of the channel catfish will vary throughout their lives and can be affected by water clarity, water color, depth, time or year, age, sexual maturity, and individual sex. The back and head of channel catfish can be pale blue, olive, brown, black, or gray.

Their coloration will typically lighten down the body and become white to dusky gray on the stomach. The lateral line can be evident as a straight line from behind the gills to the base of the caudal tail. Channel catfish may have black spots that develop as fingerlings and become absent with age.

The fins of juvenile fish will have a distinct black margin on the tips that also fade with age. To most easily identify channel catfish from blue catfish, use the anal fin.

It is rounded in shape in channel cat and has a squared-edged for blue catfish. Blue catfish will have 30 to 36 rays on the anal fin while channel catfish have 27 to 29 rays. To most easily identify channel catfish from the bullhead and flathead catfish, use the caudal tail.

The channel catfish has a forked tail while bullhead and flathead catfish will have a non forked square or rounded tail. Channel catfish are native to North America, primarily the Gulf states and the Mississippi and Missouri River basins.

Their home range extended north throughout the Great Lakes and into southern Quebec and Manitoba. To the west channel catfish could be found in Montana and Wyoming but not west of the Rocky Mountains.

To the south they stretched into northern Mexico and along the entire US portion of the Gulf of Mexico. It is debated where their eastern boundary was found but most continue to support that the channel catfish did not reach the Atlantic coast, except in Florida and Georgia.

Channel catfish can now be found throughout the contiguous United States, Canada, Mexico. The popularity of channel catfish in aquaculture has led to their expansion well beyond North America.

They have been established in over 25 countries including Nigeria, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, Panama, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Fiji, Brazil, and even the US Hawaiian islands. Channel catfish are crevice, hole, or cave spawners.

The male channel catfish will select or build a nest in a secluded dark area. Nesting sites could include undercut banks, in or under logs, under rocks, in tires, or even in buckets. Channel catfish may spawn directly on the bottom out of a cavity if they are within a highly turbid fishery.

To prepare the nest the male channel catfish will fan its tail and push water into the crevice, removing silt and exposing the hard bottom. When the nest is completed the male attracts a female, during this time other males may challenge him for the spawning location, causing male channel catfish to exhibit head wounds or scars during spawning season.

When a female enters the nest the pair will spawn for up to 6 hours. During this time multiple short duration egg and fertilization attempts are made. A female will eventually deposit all of her egg mass which could be 2, to 4, eggs per pound of body weight. Immediately after spawning concludes the male will push the female from the spawning bed and begin aerating the eggs using his fins.

At this point the male is extremely aggressive to anything entering the spawning bed and fights off all intruders. The fertilized eggs are yellow,. The eggs hatch in 3 to 10 days depending on water temperature. Once hatched, channel catfish fry will spend the first 2 to 5 days absorbing their yolk sac.

The fry will then make a long swim up to the surface to fill their swim bladders with air. Fry will then live in large schools in shallow water with abundant cover. During this time the fry are vulnerable to predation and survival rates are much lower in clear waters with high visibility.

Growth in reservoirs depends highly on the location of the fishery, fertility, temperature, and competition. First year growth can range from 3 to 6 inches, with an additional 2 to 3 inches of growth per year. Males mature at 12 inches in length which could take 2 to 3 years, females mature later at 14 inches and 3 to 5 years.

Sexual dimorphism can be found at 6 months but becomes more evident during spawning season. Males will develop heads that are wider than their body, and have swollen cranial muscles behind their eyes. Female heads will be more narrow than their body and will be smooth in shape. In aquaculture facilities, 3, to 5, pounds of channel catfish can be raised and harvested per acre per year.

Channel catfish live 6 to 10 years in the southern parts of their range and years in the north parts. The oldest channel catfish found in scientific research is a 40 year old fish from Canada found in the Handbook of Freshwater Fishery Biology , Kenneth Carlander Catfish not only have taste receptors on their barbels but also throughout their entire body.

These taste receptors allow catfish to locate food items from far distances in low to no visibility. Due to their mouth location they must feed on the surface in a fairly vertical position or expose their heads above the water to vacuum food off the surface.

If you have ever fished for channel catfish , you know they will feed on all types of bait , they are highly omnivores in all stages of their lives. As juveniles they feed on benthic material like detritus, zooplankton, and aquatic invertebrates.

As channel catfish grow their diet incorporates aquatic vegetation and terrestrial invertebrates. At 10 inches in length they incorporate fish such as minnows and crayfish.

Adult channel catfish can be found and adapt to almost all habitats in reservoirs, ponds, rivers, creeks, or even brackish marshes.

In reservoirs throughout the day they prefer deeper cooler water moving to shallow water to feed at dusk and overnight. Often they can be found near rip rap rock, above or below water control gates, at standing timber, and around emergent vegetation.

They commonly can be found at the base of trees with roosting birds. In water with current they will often be found in deeper pools or behind current breaks. Water quality can be a limiting factor to channel catfish abundance.

Their growth slows at dissolved oxygen of 4 ppm, they avoid dissolved oxygen below this level and will experience widespread fish kills at 1 ppm.

They prefer a neutral pH and a salinity below 5 ppt. Today, through stocking programs, expanded range, and harvest regulations, channel catfish are relatively stable and experience only fishery-specific population issues.

Significant flooding events, severe drought, loss of river connectivity, siltation, and increase in reservoir fertility can cause substantial shifts in forage availability, egg survival, and migration that limit the reproductive success of channel catfish.

These events over extended periods can lead to less spawning and species abundance. Due to the lack of scales on the catfish body many parasites and bacterial infections can impact individuals, especially in aquatic environments.

One common parasite is Ichthyophthirius multifiliis or ich. This is a protozoan that can be just below the surface of the skin and has a white salt like appearance. It is also a common aquarium parasite treated by increasing salinity and temperature. Another common disease for channel catfish is winter catfish disease, winter catfish syndrome, or winter saprolegniosis.

This is often noted in northern fisheries covered in ice for long periods of time but can occur in southern reaches of their range.

The Saprolegnia fungus is often associated with skin lesions, loss of mucus, and sunken eyes. Its onset appears to be due to rapid temperature drops followed by extended cold duration periods.

While at Tarleton, Bardin worked for Harrell Arms at Arms Fish Farm and Bait Company. In he founded Texas Pro Lake Management. He strives every day to take a scientific approach to helping his clients maximize the production of their fisheries.

Outside of TPLM Bardin has written for Wired2Fish, taught as an adjunct professor for Tarleton State University, and served as an instructor and camp coordinator for Bass Brigade youth leadership camp.

In , Bardin helped Major League Fishing found their Fisheries Management Division and leads their conservation efforts today. Bardin is a member of Texas Aquatic Plant Management Society, Texas Chapter of American Fisheries Society, Southern Division of American Fisheries Society, Society of Lake Management Professionals, Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame Board, Texas Brigades Board, Texas Freshwater Fisheries Advisory Committee, and the Major League Fishing Anglers Association Board.

You can follow him on Facebook and Instagram. Fishing Tips. By Season. Spring Fishing Tips. Summer Fishing. Fall Fishing. Winter Fishing.

Channel catfish can be caught with a variety of baits including natural baits like worms, baitfish, crawfish, or other natural baits but most popular is prepared catfish baits like punch baits, dip baits, and soap baits.

One popular technique used with prepared baits is chumming with soured grains like wheat or milo or using range cubes as chum. The flathead catfish is a popular species because there are populations in much of the United States and they are well known to grow to trophy class sizes, all in addition to being excellent table fare.

The existing world record flathead catfish weighed in at lbs. The flathead catfish like other species of catfish has smooth skin no scales , whiskers around the mouth, and long sharp spines on the back dorsal fin and sides pectoral fins.

Flathead catfish can easily reach lengths of three to four feet and can easily exceed one hundred pounds in weight. They are typically pale yellow to light brown on their backs and sides and this coloring is also very mottled with additional coloring for black and brown.

The underside is usually a much lighter cream color or pale yellow color. The young are often very dark brown. The lower jaw projects out. Tail fins have a slight notch in them and are not deeply forked like the typical tails of blue and channel catfish.

Unlike the channel and blue catfish that are scavengers or opportunistic predators flathead catfish prey only on live fish as a general rule. The young feed primarily on crayfish, worms, invertebrates, and crayfish.

Once they grow larger the diet consists entirely of fish of any species including other catfish. The spawning season runs typically from May through August when water temperatures are between seventy-five and eighty degrees. Once a nesting site is selected the male fish improve the nesting site by creating shallow depressions in the mud for the female to lay the eggs in.

Marine biologists have estimated in the past the female fish will lay eggs for every pound of her body weight which is why it is important to live release the larger fish back into the waters by practicing catch and release. Adult flathead catfish are most often solitary fish known to pick out a favorite spot under a tree, log or undercut bank and remain alone in deeper water.

At night the flathead catfish will move into shallow water areas to feed. Their preferred habitat is deep pools of creeks where water is cloudy and currents are slow. Despite the fact that these catfish species are very different, they are often confused by anglers.

The vast majority of the time the angler caught a blue catfish and identified the fish incorrectly. Here are the key identifying characteristics of blue catfish and channel catfish and how you can tell the difference between these catfish species.

Blue Catfish Slate blue to white coloring The anal fin is flat when laid flat it forms a straight line The anal fin has between thirty and thirty-six rays.

Knowing the basics behind each catfish species is half the battle to understanding them. Go catch some fresh shad and get started fishing! To get more detailed and in-depth information to get on the fast track to locating and catching catfish check out the Catfish Edge products , all designed to help you catch more and bigger catfish.

Chad Ferguson is a pro catfish guide with over fifteen years experience fishing professionally for catfish, outdoor writer, photographer and noted authority on catfish fishing. Get more exclusive catfish fishing tips here by email , make sure to subscribe to my Youtube channel and follow me on Instagram and Twitter.

Find us on Facebook , Youtube , and Instagram. Privacy Policy. Terms Of Service. Home Products About Catfish Guide Service Blog Catfish Rigs Catfish Bait Catfishing Tips Catfishing Gear Catfish Boats Techniques Podcast News Videos Contact. Habitat Blue catfish are primarily large-river fish, occurring in main channels, tributaries, and impoundments of major river systems.

Distribution Blues are native to major rivers of the Ohio, Missouri, and Mississippi river basins. Other Where mature populations exist, pounders are not unusual.

Blues are fast growers and have an estimated life span of between 20 to 30 years. THERE ARE ONLY ONE SPECIES OF BLUE CATFISH. Studies are currently underway to determine their impact on other aquatic species.

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JavaScript Required JavaScript is required to use content on this page. Please enable JavaScript in your browser. Skip to Content Accessibility Information. Invasive Fish.

Blue Catfish Northern Snakehead Flathead Catfish. Invasive Fish are not native to Maryland's ecosystem and have been known to cause significant economic or ecological harm, such as:. Northern Snakehead Channa argus Snakehead can be identified by their protruding lower jaw and sharp teeth.

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The dorsal fin on a hardhead will come to a point and not extend toward the anal or adipose fin. The anal fin of a hardhead catfish will contain rays. The coloration of a hardhead will range from greenish to light grey with a whitish belly. The typical size for a hard head is about 16 inches in length, and it can weigh up to 12 pounds at the largest sizes.

Gafftopsail catfish Bagre marinus , often called gafftops, are found on the east coast of North America, the Gulf of Mexico, and the east coast of South America.

The gafftopsail catfish is commonly caught among coastal anglers but is often confused with hardheads. To identify the gafftopsail catfish, anglers should look at the dorsal fin, anal fin, and color.

The gafftopsail catfish dorsal fin is distinguished in that the fin looks ribbon-like at the tip and extends farther toward the anal and adipose fins.

Gafftopsail catfish anal fin will contain anal rays, as where the hardhead catfish will have fewer. The coloration of a gafftopsail catfish is greenish-to-blue with a silverish stomach.

The average size of gafftopsail catfish is about 18 inches, with the largest reaching lengths of up to 27 inches and 10 pounds in weight. The walking catfish Clarias batrachus , sometimes called the Thai catfish, is native to Southeastern Asia. Walking catfish get their name due to their ability to wiggle and jump their way to new areas.

This family of fish has lung-like organs that allow them to gulp air as they leap and squirm to their new home. The walking catfish is important for aquaculture farms that raise fish to distribute to fish markets and is popular among subsistence anglers who use this fish to feed their families.

Walking catfish are preferred in fish markets because they can easily be kept fresh due to their ability to survive outside of water. As long as the fish stays wet, the fish can survive for several days out of water. Common Plecostomus Hypostomus plecostomus , sometimes called plecos or armored catfish.

Plecos are popular among aquarists and individuals who want to add some variety to a fish tank and attempt to control algae growth in the aquarium.

The sucker mouth is easy to identify due to its dark-colored body, armored plating on the upper body, downturned mouth, and light-colored belly. Their entire body is covered in black spotting.

Although, plecostomus are desired in aquaria, they are unfortunately an undesirable invasive species throughout the southern United States. As they outgrow their aquaria, they are often dumped into local waterbodies, which can negatively affect the native plant and fish populations.

While at Tarleton, Bardin worked for Harrell Arms at Arms Fish Farm and Bait Company. In he founded Texas Pro Lake Management. He strives every day to take a scientific approach to helping his clients maximize the production of their fisheries.

Outside of TPLM Bardin has written for Wired2Fish, taught as an adjunct professor for Tarleton State University, and served as an instructor and camp coordinator for Bass Brigade youth leadership camp. In , Bardin helped Major League Fishing found their Fisheries Management Division and leads their conservation efforts today.

Bardin is a member of Texas Aquatic Plant Management Society, Texas Chapter of American Fisheries Society, Southern Division of American Fisheries Society, Society of Lake Management Professionals, Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame Board, Texas Brigades Board, Texas Freshwater Fisheries Advisory Committee, and the Major League Fishing Anglers Association Board.

You can follow him on Facebook and Instagram. Fishing Tips. By Season. Spring Fishing Tips. Summer Fishing. Fall Fishing. Winter Fishing. Ice Fishing. Tackle Tips. Chatterbait Tips. Crankbait Tips. Topwater Tips.

Swimbait Tips. Jerkbait Tips. Fishing Rigs. Neko Rig Tips. Ned Rig Tips. By Species. Fish Biology. Where to Fish.