(09-25-2023, 11:18 PM)holycrepes Wrote: Went out with some family to Willard Bay on Saturday morning. We started the day at around 7:45 a.m. at the North Marina fishing docks but moved to the South Marina at around 10 a.m. after only getting nibbled on worms and hot dogs. upon moving to the South Marina my brother-in-law caught his PB channel catfish at 24 inches and 4.5 lbs. We were fishing in the channel next to the boat ramp. Besides the one catfish we caught two tiny bluegills (I was still excited because I had never caught one), and two small perch. We wouldn't have kept the perch if they hadn't completely swallowed our hooks. The area we were fishing had tons of snags and I think we lost a combined 4 or 5 hooks. We had a couple of fish we lost because they got themselves wrapped in the snags. It was a hectic day overall but we got the one good catfish. I soaked the fillets in milk overnight since I heard that removes some of the muddy flavor. I then used the fillets to make catfish po boys on freshly baked hoagie rolls for Sunday dinner, which were delicious (second picture below). 

Now onto some questions. I tried to bleed the catfish immediately and get it on ice as soon as it was out of the water. The top quarter of each of the fillets still had an orangish tint to it. I was told that comes from not bleeding it well enough. When fishing for kokanee and other smaller fish I have learned to just cut the gills and they bleed out on their own. Is there more than that I need to do for catfish?

(09-25-2023, 11:18 PM)holycrepes Wrote: Went out with some family to Willard Bay on Saturday morning. We started the day at around 7:45 a.m. at the North Marina fishing docks but moved to the South Marina at around 10 a.m. after only getting nibbled on worms and hot dogs. upon moving to the South Marina my brother-in-law caught his PB channel catfish at 24 inches and 4.5 lbs. We were fishing in the channel next to the boat ramp. Besides the one catfish we caught two tiny bluegills (I was still excited because I had never caught one), and two small perch. We wouldn't have kept the perch if they hadn't completely swallowed our hooks. The area we were fishing had tons of snags and I think we lost a combined 4 or 5 hooks. We had a couple of fish we lost because they got themselves wrapped in the snags. It was a hectic day overall but we got the one good catfish. I soaked the fillets in milk overnight since I heard that removes some of the muddy flavor. I then used the fillets to make catfish po boys on freshly baked hoagie rolls for Sunday dinner, which were delicious (second picture below). 

Now onto some questions. I tried to bleed the catfish immediately and get it on ice as soon as it was out of the water. The top quarter of each of the fillets still had an orangish tint to it. I was told that comes from not bleeding it well enough. When fishing for kokanee and other smaller fish I have learned to just cut the gills and they bleed out on their own. Is there more than that I need to do for catfish?

(09-27-2023, 02:14 PM)TubeDude Wrote: I have caught and eaten catfish from all over the USA.  And I have caught and eaten a whole lot of catfish from Willard Bay...since the late 1970s.  I might be qualified to render an opinion.  And I believe everyone is entitled to their own opinions...as long as they don't try to force them on others.

My opinion is that Willard Bay catfish are some of the cleanest and best eating catfish in the country.  Unlike the cats from dirty, stagnant, algae-filled waters elsewhere Willard Bay cats require very little extra care to make them palatable.  You can bleed them, soak them in milk, salt water or other solutions if you want.  But most of that is largely unnecessary.

Keep your fish alive in a live well or basket and then kill and fillet them as soon as possible when you get in.  And then cook them thoroughly when cooking.  They are a dense and oily fleshed fish and it takes more cooking than it does for thinner white fleshed fillets from perch, walleyes or similar.   And if you coat them, don't use a batter.  It will be overcooked before the fish inside is completely done.  A dry coating is better.

Also, the fillets will cook faster and more thoroughly if you don't cook them whole.  Cutting into "finger strips" or trimming them to get more or less even sized pieces will help insure that all pieces are cooked completely.  See the attached pic for the way I like to trim Willard sized cats for frying, simmering or baking.  Also attaching a writeup I did a long time ago on basic cat filleting. 


There are two things I routinely do in the trimming.  One is to slice out the red flesh along the sides.  Some folks call this the "blood line".  In truth, it is sensory tissue along the lateral line that enables the fish to feel and interpret vibrations in the water.  The second thing I MAY do...depending on the fish...is slice out the yellow oily tissue on the top and bottom of the fillets.  This is not present on all cats.  Just the ones that have been eating well and storing extra oil in their tissues.

Lastly here is a link to a video I put together on CATFISH..HOOK TO PAN.   LINK TO VIDEO
It shows actual video of filleting and cooking that might help make things a bit easier for newbies.

(09-29-2023, 10:36 PM)holycrepes Wrote:

(09-27-2023, 02:14 PM)TubeDude Wrote: I have caught and eaten catfish from all over the USA.  And I have caught and eaten a whole lot of catfish from Willard Bay...since the late 1970s.  I might be qualified to render an opinion.  And I believe everyone is entitled to their own opinions...as long as they don't try to force them on others.

My opinion is that Willard Bay catfish are some of the cleanest and best eating catfish in the country.  Unlike the cats from dirty, stagnant, algae-filled waters elsewhere Willard Bay cats require very little extra care to make them palatable.  You can bleed them, soak them in milk, salt water or other solutions if you want.  But most of that is largely unnecessary.

Keep your fish alive in a live well or basket and then kill and fillet them as soon as possible when you get in.  And then cook them thoroughly when cooking.  They are a dense and oily fleshed fish and it takes more cooking than it does for thinner white fleshed fillets from perch, walleyes or similar.   And if you coat them, don't use a batter.  It will be overcooked before the fish inside is completely done.  A dry coating is better.

Also, the fillets will cook faster and more thoroughly if you don't cook them whole.  Cutting into "finger strips" or trimming them to get more or less even sized pieces will help insure that all pieces are cooked completely.  See the attached pic for the way I like to trim Willard sized cats for frying, simmering or baking.  Also attaching a writeup I did a long time ago on basic cat filleting. 


There are two things I routinely do in the trimming.  One is to slice out the red flesh along the sides.  Some folks call this the "blood line".  In truth, it is sensory tissue along the lateral line that enables the fish to feel and interpret vibrations in the water.  The second thing I MAY do...depending on the fish...is slice out the yellow oily tissue on the top and bottom of the fillets.  This is not present on all cats.  Just the ones that have been eating well and storing extra oil in their tissues.

Lastly here is a link to a video I put together on CATFISH..HOOK TO PAN.   LINK TO VIDEO
It shows actual video of filleting and cooking that might help make things a bit easier for newbies.

Thank you so much for the information! Having grown up on the coast in the Pacific Northwest I am in completely new territory with things like catfish. There seems to be a lot of hearsay like with any type of fishing. I have always gone fishing because I like eating and I love to experiment with different ways of cooking.

(10-01-2023, 12:25 PM)Gone Forever Wrote: I remember, way back, when we used to have BFT get togethers of you cooking your catfish for the party.  It was the best I had ever had, cooked to perfection and the perfect coatings cooked just right.  That has been the hard part for me. Getting the fish cooked enough without burning the coating.  It was there that I learned to cut them into small pieces to help make them finish cooking together.
As far as taste, In Utah, Willard is way up on the list but I think the Lake Powell fish are a little cleaner tasting, it could have been time of year or recent weather making Willards water murky that made the difference.

(10-01-2023, 02:54 PM)TubeDude Wrote:

(10-01-2023, 12:25 PM)Gone Forever Wrote: I remember, way back, when we used to have BFT get togethers of you cooking your catfish for the party.  It was the best I had ever had, cooked to perfection and the perfect coatings cooked just right.  That has been the hard part for me. Getting the fish cooked enough without burning the coating.  It was there that I learned to cut them into small pieces to help make them finish cooking together.
As far as taste, In Utah, Willard is way up on the list but I think the Lake Powell fish are a little cleaner tasting, it could have been time of year or recent weather making Willards water murky that made the difference.

Oh yeah, the good ol' days.  See pic below. 


Glad you liked my "Kitty Krispies".  As I tried to demonstrate, they cook better with a dry coating...after being cut into equal sized pieces to cook more evenly...and then cooked until they are completely done.  (See attached writeup on the recipe). 

As far as making comparisons on catfish caught from different waters, a true kitty connoisseur will take into account such variables as water quality, water temperatures, primary diet, size and age of the fish, etc.  All of those things can make a detectable difference in the same fish from the same waters under varying conditions.

(10-01-2023, 02:54 PM)TubeDude Wrote:

(10-01-2023, 12:25 PM)Gone Forever Wrote: I remember, way back, when we used to have BFT get togethers of you cooking your catfish for the party.  It was the best I had ever had, cooked to perfection and the perfect coatings cooked just right.  That has been the hard part for me. Getting the fish cooked enough without burning the coating.  It was there that I learned to cut them into small pieces to help make them finish cooking together.
As far as taste, In Utah, Willard is way up on the list but I think the Lake Powell fish are a little cleaner tasting, it could have been time of year or recent weather making Willards water murky that made the difference.

Oh yeah, the good ol' days.  See pic below. 


Glad you liked my "Kitty Krispies".  As I tried to demonstrate, they cook better with a dry coating...after being cut into equal sized pieces to cook more evenly...and then cooked until they are completely done.  (See attached writeup on the recipe). 

As far as making comparisons on catfish caught from different waters, a true kitty connoisseur will take into account such variables as water quality, water temperatures, primary diet, size and age of the fish, etc.  All of those things can make a detectable difference in the same fish from the same waters under varying conditions.

(10-04-2023, 02:37 PM)Gone Forever Wrote: [quote pid="1149219" dateline="1696172061"]
As far as making comparisons on catfish caught from different waters, a true kitty connoisseur will take into account such variables as water quality, water temperatures, primary diet, size and age of the fish, etc.  All of those things can make a detectable difference in the same fish from the same waters under varying conditions.