Catfish Digest

Before you can catch a catfish, you need to know what they are. Catfish are bottom feeders, so mostly all of your fishing will be on bottom. Most of them have barbels or whiskers on either side of their mouth. Catfish do not have scales, they have skin. They also have broad fan like fins which are usually towards the front of the body.

Catfish can get pretty big, some over 100 lbs. and well over taller than a man. They are a thrill to catch and land. They will fight you as long as they can to get off that hook. Watch out for their dorsal fin (fin on top of body) and their pectoral fin (fin on under body closest to head). Both fins have a strong, hollow, bonified leading spine-like ray that will stick outwards and can inflict severe pain. Catfish use that defense to deliver a stinging protein to their prey. The sting has been known to hospitalize humans.

Catfish usually feed at night, so be prepared for some long nights. I have been known to catch a good bit of catfish during the early morning, as well. They will eat just about anything, but live bait works best. I will go into further detail about catfish bait later on.

We have a few common species of catfish here in the United States, mainly the Blue Catfish, Flathead Catfish and the Channel Catfish.

Blue Catfish are the largest specie of catfish in North America. They are blue to white in color. The Blue Catfish's anal fin is flat and the tail fin is forked.

Flathead Catfish only feeds on live fish. They are found in deeper, darker waters away from strong currents. The Flathead Catfish's lower jawbone sticks out further than its upper jaw bone. Flathead Catfish, like their name states, has a flat, wide head. Their upper tail fin is lighter than the rest of the fin and it is square.

Channel Catfish are the most sought after catfish. They are typically the smallest of the three type. The Channel Catfish is found just about everywhere in the United States. Their upper jawbone sticks out further than their lower jawbone. They are usually narrow and long. The Channel Catfish's anal fin is rounded and the tail fin is forked.

Hopefully now you have a better understanding of catfish, the most popular types of catfish and when you need to be ready to catch them. Catfish are wonderful creatures that provide an awesome fight when hooked.

I prefer to make my own catfish bait, rather than buy it. It is often cheaper and you can almost bet that you will be the only one using that bait at the lake or river. To get the proper mixture, it will take trial and error. Make a batch and try, if it doesn't work, make something new. You will need your own blender to mix everything up good. Your better half will not appreciate you using hers.

The most common ingredients I know of in homemade catfish bait are:

* Fish- Catfish eat fish, so they usually go in my mixture
* Bread- Pretty good at holding everything together
* Garlic Salt/ Powder- The smell attracts catfish
* Chicken livers- They work amazing on their own
* Cheese- Let it rot and then throw it in
* Corn- I heard it was good, I tried it once, had pretty good luck
* Hot dogs- I don't know what it is about them, but I've caught catfish on hot dogs alone
* Hot Sauce- The smell maybe?

Pretty much anything that smells horrible, has blood running from it, or it rotten will be a good ingredient in your homemade catfish bait. I usually make a enough to fill those plastic shoe boxes and leave it closed and outside for a few months. It smells real good after it has been fermenting for a few months. Throw some in a bait holder or panty hose and try your luck.

Servings: 4

1 egg, beaten

1 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs

4 catfish fillets (about 6 ounces each)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

4 hamburger buns

1/2 cup prepared pesto sauce

8 jarred roasted red pepper halves

8 lettuce leaves

8 thin slices provolone cheese

In separate shallow bowls, place egg and breadcrumbs. Dip each catfish fillet into egg, then coat in breadcrumbs, shaking off excess. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook the fillets, a few at a time, until golden brown and opaque in the center, 3 to 4 minutes on each side; drain on paper towels. Spread cut sides of the rolls with pesto. On bottoms of rolls, layer roasted red peppers, lettuce leaves and provolone; top each with a catfish fillet. Place roll tops on fish.