Everything about Channel Catfish totally explained
Channel catfish,
Ictalurus punctatus, are
North America's most numerous
catfish species. They are also the most fished types of catfish, with approximately 8 million
anglers in the
USA targeting them per year. A member of the
Ictalurus genus of American catfishes, channel catfish have a top-end size of approximately 40-50 pounds (18-23 kg). The world record channel catfish weighed 58 pounds and was caught in 1964 in the
Lake Marion,
South Carolina. Realistically, a channel catfish over 20 pounds (9 kg) is a spectacular specimen, and most catfish anglers view a 10 pound (4.5 kg) fish as a very admirable catch. Furthermore the average size channel catfish an angler could expect to find in most waterways would be between 2 and 4 pounds. Channel catfish flesh is prized by many anglers and the popularity of channel catfish for food has allowed the rapid growth of
aquaculture of this species throughout the United States.
Channel catfish are well distributed throughout the United States and thrive in small rivers, large rivers,
reservoirs, natural lakes, and ponds. Channel catfish are
omnivores who can be caught on a variety of natural and prepared baits including
crickets,
nightcrawlers,
minnows,
shad,
chicken livers,
frogs,
bullheads,
sunfish, and
suckers. Catfish have even been known to take
Ivory Soap as bait . Channel catfish possess very keen senses of smell and taste. At the pits of their
nostrils (nares) are very sensitive odor sensing organs with a very high concentration of
olfactory receptors. In channel catfish these organs are sensitive enough to detect several
amino acids at about 1 part per 100 million in water. In addition channel catfish have taste buds distributed over the surface of their entire body. These taste buds are especially concentrated on the channel catfish's 4 pairs of
barbels (whiskers) surrounding the mouth—about 25 buds per square millimeter. This combination of exceptional senses of taste and smell allows the channel catfish to find food in dark, stained, or muddy water with relative ease.
This combined with the fact that channel catfish will readily scavenge for food explains why cutbaits (fresh cut pieces of fish—usually minnows, shad, herring, sunfish, suckers, etc.) are particularly effective for catching this species of catfish. In addition prepared baits such as dipbaits, punchbaits, bloodbaits, and other "stinkbaits" can be effective in many situations. These baits usually are made from some combination of ground fish, chicken, beef, cheese,
crawfish, garlic, blood, sour grains, and many other "secret" ingredients. When removing the hook from a catfish, be careful of the spines on the pectoral fins and dorsal fin. Catfish
trapping is regulated in some states. Catfish traps include "slat traps," long wooden traps with an angled entrance, and wire hoop traps. Typical bait for these traps include rotten
cheese and
dog food. Catches of as many as 100+ fish a day are common in catfish traps.
Catfish trapping, however, has recently come under media scrutiny due to the recovery process. The inherent nature of a trap means that the fish can be confined to small areas for, at times, up to twenty-four hours before traps are checked. The channel catfish requires a full range of motion in order to perform
aerobic respiration, but since this isn't possible in many traps the catfish
suffocate.
Animal rights activists believe that federal regulations for larger trap sizes should be put in place.
In Aquaria
Channel catfish are commonly available in the aquarium trade as 3 to 4 inch youngsters. They will readilly consume many other fish species and grow large in tanks, often resulting in either their illegal release or even being eaten by their owners after they reach a large size. They make good scavengers in large tanks with fish such as Plecostomus, Oscars, cichlids, silver dollars, large Goldfish, and other large varieties.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Channel Catfish'.
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