The flathead catfish is a popular species because there are populations in much of the United States and they are well known to grow to trophy class sizes, all in addition to being excellent table fare. They are slate gray on the upper sides and back.

The blue catfish is a long fish with a flat dorsal fin and deeply forked tail. Spawning: Spawning usually takes place in late May or early June when the water temperature reaches 75 degrees F. Hollow logs, overhanging underwater ledges or holes under mud banks are typical nesting places. The male, sometimes with the help of the female, selects and guards the nest site in dark secluded areas such as cavities in drift piles, logs, undercut banks, and rocks. Individuals larger than eight inches eat fish and large invertebrates. In the lower Mississippi River, it moves farther down river where the water is warmest in winter, and it runs upstream in summer. When preparing their nesting sites, males use their tails to sweep aside debris and use their jaws to remove larger objects. Yellow Cat, Opelousa Catfish, Opp, Appaloosa Catfish, App, Pied Cat, Shovelhead Cat. While adult blue catfish have few natural predators in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, they are among the preferred prey of both osprey and bald eagles.

Most fish in Missouri “look” like fish and could never be confused with anything else. Blue catfish are a popular recreational catch. Blue catfish are a popular recreational catch. Fishes live in water, breathe with gills, and have fins instead of legs.

Required fields are marked *. Thanks, Bob. They typically weigh between 20 and 40 pounds and are most often round in large […], Your email address will not be published. Yes, it’s a pigment mutation. The male fish select nest sites (like other species) which are typically selected in very dark secluded areas like cavities in rock piles or rip rap, logs, trees, undercut banks etc. Catfishing (dall'inglese catfish, in italiano letteralmente pesce gatto) è un tipo di attività ingannevole su social network che prevede la creazione e l'utilizzo di un sockpuppet o di un account con falsa identità da parte di una persona, allo scopo di raggirare altri utenti; tale persona viene definita "catfish".

Blues are fast growers and have an estimated life span of between 20 to 30 years.

Their preferred habitat is deep pools of creeks where water is cloudy and currents are very slow. When they are young they will feed on aquatic insects and small fish, as they grow they will eat crayfish, mussels and other fish. Your contact information is used to deliver requested updates or to access your subscriber preferences. Filed Under: Catfishing Tips Tagged With: behavior, Behavior Patterns, blue catfish, catfish species, Channel Catfish, flathead catfish, habitat, high fin catfsh, types of catfish, white catfish, Chad Ferguson is a pro catfish guide with over fifteen years experience fishing professionally for catfish, outdoor writer, photographer and noted authority on catfish fishing. Their varied diet includes worms, clams, small crustaceans, mussels, crabs, insects, frogs and variety of smaller fish, including other blue catfish. Channels however have a deeply forked tail (instead of slightly notched) and have a protruding upper jaw (instead of lower jaw). I can’t tell you how many times over the years I’ve received emails about the latest “lake record” channel catfish on one of our local lakes only to find that the angler caught a blue catfish and identified the fish incorrectly. Discussioni su 'blue catfish' nel forum English Only, ⓘ Una o più discussioni del forum combaciano perfettamente col termine che hai cercato. But when they get about 14-15 inches they start getting very fat, ugly and even Blacker. The blue catfish apparently is somewhat migratory, moving seasonally in response to changes in water temperature. Their belly and even the inside of their mouths are black. In our part of the country, blue catfish spawn in late spring or early summer, probably May and June. It is the largest species of catfish in North America. […] type of catfish is known for a blue fin appearance and a forked tail. Content of this site copyright Texas Parks and Wildlife Department unless otherwise noted. This is a summary of basic catfish species information for blue, channel and flathead catfish as well as some of their basic behaviors and habitats and information on how to tell the difference between blue catfish and channel catfish. Blue cats won’t thrive in a pond. (Photo courtesy pmk00001/iNaturalist CC BY-NC), A juvenile blue catfish. Blue catfish are an invasive species that have dramatically increased and spread in the James River and surrounding region. Blue Catfish Slate blue to white coloring Anal fin is flat (when laid flat it forms a straight line) Anal fin has between thirty and thirty six rays, Channel Catfish Olive brown to grey coloring Rounded anal fin (laid flat it curves out like a letter “c”) Twenty four to twenty nine rays in the anal fin Often has dark spots, but these spots can be absent in adult fish, [Tweet “How to tell the difference between blue catfish and channel catfish.”]. They eat a variety of animal life, including fishes, immature aquatic insects, crayfish, fingernail clams, and freshwater mussels. The young are hatched in about one week and the male will guard the young for a week or so at the nest sight. Excellent info, Chad. Also wondering how the behavior of flathead or yellow catfish differ from thier natural environment? 1999). Thanks. But, the part about the “high fin blue catfish” was a little confusing because of the grammer. [Tweet It], Hump-back blue, high fin blue, hi-fin blue, Mississippi white catfish, blues. Adults usually grow to be less than two feet long, but can be as long as five feet and weigh more than 100 pounds.

I’ve even heard arguments over the years that “high fins” even have slightly different feeding habits and a more ferocious strike.

They have adapted well to the Arkansas River System. They are known for putting up a good fight and really making it exciting for the angler. Privacy Policy, Chesapeake Bay Program One study in several Oklahoma reservoirs demonstrated that less than 1% of blue catfish would ever reach 30" in length.

Ever see one?

In Missouri, it's most common in the Mississippi, Missouri, and Osage rivers. Blue catfish have the ability to “taste” their surroundings with sensory tissues on their barbels and skin, which they use to detect and hunt prey. Can you put all 3 different cat fish in one pond? Learning to pattern shad is the simplest approach to learn how to find blue catfish. I love fishing even for the bait to catch the flathead oh, yea what is the absolute best fishing bait for 30-40 lb flathead catfish? Many anglers will argue that the “high fin” is a different fish and this “species” of blues has a higher dorsal (back) fin that the traditional blue catfish. Channel catfish can be caught with a variety of baits including natural baits like worms, bait fish, crawfish or other natural baits but most popular is prepared catfish baits like punch baits, dip baits and soap baits. It never has dark spots on the back and sides. Since then, they have spread rapidly to major tributaries in Maryland and Virginia, and the surrounding Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Once they have prepared the nest’s foundation, males release pheromones that attract females to the nest. It is much sought after by sport fishers along the Osage, Missouri, and lower Mississippi rivers. Blues can exceed 100 pounds.

How To Hold a Catfish (and Do Catfish Sting). Blue catfish are opportunistic bottom-feeders. Get more exclusive catfish fishing tips here by email, make sure to subscribe to my Youtube channel and follow me on Instagram and Twitter. The Chesapeake Bay Program is a unique regional partnership that has led and directed the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay since 1983. I’d really appreciate it if you’d help me out! Knowing the basics behind each catfish species is half the battle to understanding them, now it’s time to get on the water and catch a few so you can see these amazing fish up close and personal.

Because of the coloring of the channel catfish they are often confused by inexperienced anglers with the flathead catfish. White Cat; Silver Cat; Blue Fulton; White Fulton; Blue Channel Cat, Blue_Catfish_Ictalurus_furcatus_5-25-13.jpg, August A. Busch Jr. Memorial Wetlands at Four Rivers Conservation Area, Wildflowers, Grasses and Other Nonwoody Plants.

They need swifter moving water like deep spring fed streams and rivers. WordReference English-Italiano Dictionary © 2020: Forum discussions with the word(s) 'blue catfish' in the title:Discussioni nei forum nel cui titolo è presente la parola 'blue catfish': In altre lingue: spagnolo | francese | portoghese | rumeno | tedesco | olandese | svedese | russo | polacco | ceco | greco | turco | cinese | giapponese | coreano | arabo, Principal Translations/Traduzioni principali, Manca qualcosa di importante? Blue catfish feed mostly on or near the bottom and, to a lesser extent, in midwater. The blue catfish is often misidentified as a channel catfish, and most early reports of enormous catfish caught along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers almost certainly referred to the blue catfish. Hi, love cat fishing! We have a small pond and I think all three varieties of Cats.

Catching a trophy blue catfish is a fisherman’s dream. A blue cat as small as 4 inches in length may eat some fish, but most of the diet of smaller blue catfish is composed of small invertebrates. Plant matter, worms, clams, small crustaceans, mussels, crabs, insects, frogs and smaller fish. Terms of Use | While you may be able to line up fifteen different blues from the same body of water and identify one or two that have a taller dorsal fin or even other distinguishing factors that vary slightly, this is no different than lining up fifteen people, they’re all different. Before 1900, specimens weighing more than 100 pounds were common in Missouri waters. As with other catfish, blue cats use their sensitive barbels for detecting food.

After hatching, fry are attended for a short time by the male as they feed in a dense school. Blues are native to major rivers of the Ohio, Missouri, and Mississippi river basins. Perhaps the take-home point is to realize that introducing any nonnative species into an ecosystem can have potentially profound and unforeseeable effects.

None are olive or brown. Many fishers prefer gizzard shad and skipjack herring above all other baits because these are said to release oil into the water that is attractive to catfishes. The underside is usually a much lighter cream color or pale yellow color. Probably bullheads and channel catfish but can’t be sure without seeing them.

I like to be well informed.

Spawning season runs typically from May through August when water temperatures are between seventy five and eighty degrees.