mud cat q's

[fish4fish]

I have never been catfishin but i have been reading the posts on here and i was wondering what was the difference between the mud and the channel cats besides the size. are the mud's not good to eat? or is it just that there are so many of them that it takes the thrill out of catching cats? I'm just wondering cus one of these days i will have to make it to utah lake to try for cats.
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[loanfish]

I personally think the mudcats taste just as good. I dont care for them as much because i keep having to take em' off of my hook and that's time away from the chance at that big channel. But if your just going for dinner several larger muds should suffice.
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[TubeDude]

[cool]"Mud cats" are really black bullheads. They don't get as big as channel cats, but they are prolific and eager feeders. For that reason, they are a good species with which to introduce kids to fishing...as long as you take them off the hook the first few times, to prevent puncture wounds from the sharp spines.

Fishermen have a general tendency to look down their noses at any fish that is ugly and is too easy to catch. It also doesn't help a fish's image if they are perceived as a "poor man's fish", due to their popularity with people who harvest them as a welcome food item to help stretch the budget. In Utah, bullhead cats also have to compete with trout and other more glamorous species in the image department. Things are better these days, but it used to be that anything that didn't have stripes or spots was considered a trash fish.

The reality is that "mud cats" have saved a lot of trips that would otherwise have become a blank for the angler. Myself, I would rather play with those eager little guys than watch a motionless rod all night, in the light of the lantern, when the channels don't want to cooperate. And, since they smack lures on occasion, they can't be all bad.

Anyone who consumes enough fish to know the difference will recognize that bullheads have a stronger taste than channel cats. It is similar, but the distinctive "catfish flavor" is more pronounced. One of the reasons is that the bullhead has a higher percentage of the dark sensory tissue along the lateral line, beneath the skin. Slicing out as much as you can, after filleting and skinning, will help reduce that taste. So will soaking in a mild salt water solution or milk overnight in the refrigerator.

As I mentioned in a previous thread on filleting catfish, they also should be cooked thoroughly, to cook out as much oil and moisture as possible before eating them. Use of a good light coating mix, thorough cooking in hot peanut oil and a dipping sauce will all make "mud cats" more appreciated when you invite them home for dinner.

For those who might wonder, the bullheads from murky Utah Lake do not taste any stronger than the same species from waters with more clarity. I have caught and munched bullheads from a lotta waters, and haven't noticed a whole lotta difference. Do not blame any strong tastes on poor old Utah Lake. It's just the "nature of the beast".
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[fish4fish]

Hey thamks guys now i know if i do catch any of these when i do go and try for them i know i will have at least an ediable fish. do any of you know where i could try for some cats in southern utah?
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