For the purposes of my website, I will focus on the 3 species which I most commonly catch. The channel catfish, the blue catfish, and the flathead catfish. The information below will help you identify your catch 🙂
Channel Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus)
The channel catfish has a long slender body, a deeply forked tail, and a rounded anal fin with 24-29 rays. They can range in color from olive-brown to dark grey. Younger fish are easily identified by small black spots on their bodies, resembling freckles. Channel catfish are the smaller of the 3 species, rarely reaching more than 20 pounds. The world record is supposedly a 58 pound fish caught out of Santee Cooper in 1964.
Blue Catfish (Ictalurus Furcatus)
The blue catfish, while similar in appearance to the channel catfish, has some key differences. Lacking the spots of the channel catfish, blue cats vary in color from very light gray to a dark grayish-blue, with a white underside. Smaller blue catfish also have a beautiful iridescence when the sun hits them! Blue catfish have a forked tail, but not as deeply forked as the channel catfish. The anal fin has a straight edge and 30-36 rays. Larger specimens may also develop a hump on their back, giving them the nickname “humpback blue.” Blue catfish grow quickly, and commonly reach weights of 30-80 pounds. These catfish are one of the largest species of freshwater fish in the US. The world record was caught in June 2011 and weighed 143 pounds. It was caught right here in our very own KERR LAKE! 😉
Flathead Catfish (Pylodictis Olivaris)
The most distinctive of the three species, Flathead catfish are usually tan to greenish brown, but can even be almost black in some regions. This may be why some people call them “mud cats.” They have a long flat body, with a broad flat head resembling a shovel. Flatheads do not have a forked tail. The anal fin is rounded with less than 30 rays. Flathead catfish commonly reach weights of 30-60 pounds, and can get much larger. The world record is 123 pounds and came from Elk City Reservoir in Kansas.
