04-07-2008, 10:43 AM
Many people, as you have stated, have misconceptions about catfish. In fact, catfish are classified as not scavengers but predators. Once the catfish reach about 20-21 inches long, they feed almost exclusively on smaller fish, crayfish, frogs, mice, etch. They will, if presented the opportunity, eat dead things, that is why they can bo caught on hot dogs, chicken, liver, etch. However, big cats are not often caught on these things. All the record cats have been caught on artificial lures or whole or live minnows and fish. Catfish are also smarter than bass, trout, carp, and just about any other game fish in North America. They have bigger brains, and can detect electric fields far greater than other North American game fish. They can search for prey just like sharks, that is why they are found in murky waters, and grow to huge proportions in the right environment. A forage fish has the maximum amount of energy that can be gained by any game fish, so it will be the preferred food for all predators. What all this means is that catfish deserve alot more credit than we give them. Cats are supreme and efficient predators.
As an aside, there are also huge catfish in Flaming Gorge and Lake Powell. In fact, the DWR biologists conducted a study on them, and concluded that once the Flaming Gorge cats reach 22 inches, they are the fastest growing cats in the continental United States! They begin to chase smaller fish, just like lake trout. In 2002 I caught a catfish at Flaming Gorge, right where the Henry's Fork river enters Linwood Bay. The cat weighed about 15 pounds and was caught on a whole dead Utah Chub, around midnight. Divers I have spoken with tell me that Lake Powell has catfish with mouths large enough to fit around a man's head. One way such large cats are caught is to troll or drag a huge real fish, like chubs or something bigger, preferably at night. During the day, they choose their "shelter" spots, and become almost inactive, except when they spawn in spring. The periond right before their spawn, with water temps 62-68 degrees, is the best time to target them. So far, I have not had a chance to go down to Lake Powell during this period. I would encourage anyone who goes down there in the next 2-4 weeks to try and catch some big catfish. The hard thing would be to locate their spawning grounds. But if found, the state record may well come from Lake Powell. Perhaps a 40-60 pound channel cat is possible to catch there.
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As an aside, there are also huge catfish in Flaming Gorge and Lake Powell. In fact, the DWR biologists conducted a study on them, and concluded that once the Flaming Gorge cats reach 22 inches, they are the fastest growing cats in the continental United States! They begin to chase smaller fish, just like lake trout. In 2002 I caught a catfish at Flaming Gorge, right where the Henry's Fork river enters Linwood Bay. The cat weighed about 15 pounds and was caught on a whole dead Utah Chub, around midnight. Divers I have spoken with tell me that Lake Powell has catfish with mouths large enough to fit around a man's head. One way such large cats are caught is to troll or drag a huge real fish, like chubs or something bigger, preferably at night. During the day, they choose their "shelter" spots, and become almost inactive, except when they spawn in spring. The periond right before their spawn, with water temps 62-68 degrees, is the best time to target them. So far, I have not had a chance to go down to Lake Powell during this period. I would encourage anyone who goes down there in the next 2-4 weeks to try and catch some big catfish. The hard thing would be to locate their spawning grounds. But if found, the state record may well come from Lake Powell. Perhaps a 40-60 pound channel cat is possible to catch there.
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