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While this one is found in lakes and impoundments, the channel cat is very much at home in streams, even those of relatively fast flow. Sometimes, the older a channel cat gets, the more it prefers slower waters. Consequently, this is one of the catfish species often fished for in tailraces of manmade dams. They tend to be blue-black in color, the males particularly dominating with this shade at spawning time. Unlike some other catfish species, the channel cat favors clean water, so it's common to find them around rocks, gravel, and sand bottoms. Dense weeds are not their figurative cup of tea. Their favorite foods are all manner of aquatic life, including other fish, insects and crustacean. Its not at all uncommon to take a channel cat on crank bait or many other types. This species is also well known for it's excellent table qualities: plus, as far as sport fishing is concerned, the channel cat ranks near the top. Although they're capable of growing much larger, typical lengths are from one to 2 1/2 feet.
THE BLUE CAT
The color sets the blue cat off, a silvery pale blue above, brightening to a near milk white belly, plus a deeply forked tail. Turbid colored water is not the type the blue prefers, and this species also has a hankering for the swifter currents. Because the blue cat likes river and stream bottoms of sand, rock, gravel and bedrock, the damming of many watersheds has not been a good thing for this species. Damming has eliminated much of their prime habitat. Diet preferences lean toward other fish and crayfish. this is the largest of the catfish family, capable of reaching 100 pounds, though one even half that size is still a whopper.
THE FLATHEAD
While the blue has a deeply forked tail, the flathead has square-like posterior. Naturally, it's head is somewhat flat, as well, plus there is a very short anal fin. Coloration is a mottled dark brown. it's most favored habitat tends to be the long pools associated with our major rivers, but it prefers hard bottoms when available. one flathead trait is to lie quietly on the bottom, mouth open. Bait fish make the mistake of sensing they're entering an inanimate object, the flat head's mouth, but down comes the mouth once the bait is inside. When a flathead can get it's food in this manner very little effort is involved, and that can make enticing one of them to your bait very difficult. While three- and four- pounders are common, the flathead can also approach 100 pounds, and they tend to be excellent eating.
THE WHITE CAT
The white catfish is popular at "pay lakes," but this species also does well in natural surroundings. Typically, they run 10 to 18 inches in length and provide exceptional eating. further, they're real "suckers" {no pun intended} for a number of live baits. they prefer more sluggish waters. Coloration is bluish on top, tapering to silvery on the undercarriage, and there's a slightly forked tail. Often there's a marked difference between the two colors, sort of a "line."
THE BROWN BULLHEAD
Large and lengthy barbels typify the brown bullhead, although all catfish have these "whiskers." They tend toward "pan fish" in size, with eight to 15 inches being common. Bullhead prefer slow-moving waters, and they'll feed on aquatic life as well as plant life.Weeds, thick weeds, can be a favored habitat. Often they feed at night {so do the other cats}, using their sensitive barbels to feel for food. Their color is a brown-yellow, a bit of mottling, lighter toward the undercarriage. Live bait is the ticket to catch them.
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