Catfish aplenty: Missouri's most popular catch

Jamie Durleth, with a nice size channel catfish she recently hooked from a pond.(Submitted photos)

The honor of being one of the most popular as well as abundant fish in Missouri goes to the catfish.

Especially popular with the fishermen is the channel cat. Channel cats are found in nearly all of the state's streams. Lakes and ponds that hold channel cats are common, and produce some good fishing.

July is a big month for catching catfish using jigging and night fishing methods. Although channel cats are found statewide, anglers brag of the big flatheads and blue catfish when they catch one weighing over 20 pounds. Commonly, flatheads are big water fish found throughout larger streams and big impoundments.

The state record flathead caught on a trotline weighed 94 pounds in the St. Francis River in June 1971. The record flathead caught by pole and line weighed 77 pound from the Missouri River in 1997. Flathead catfish are found principally in mud-bottomed areas and prefer deep waters in pools. They feed largely on insect larvae, crayfish, worms and live fish.

The blue catfish is the largest catfish found in Missouri, reaching more than 100 pounds, though fish in the 20-30 pound range are quite common. Both the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers are home to this monster fish.

The range of natural foods consumed by the blue cat is very wide. They live principally upon crayfish, worms, frogs, small fish and a host of other living and dead material.

Like the channel cats, they are omnivorous in their feeding and take everything that is available and palatable. The white catfish is considered by many as the best eating catfish in Missouri.

Getting back to the channel cats, the state fish of Missouri, like all catfish the channel cats have a well developed and keen sense of smell. This means they consume a wide variety of food items. The fish is most often attracted to "smelly" morsels of food. The diet of catfish also varies with the different seasons.

Some food sources are more available at one time of the year than another, and by being an opportunistic forager, they take what food is available at that time. Catfish food habits in the fall change as the water cools. Smaller fish are consumed and frogs become important for food as they move into streams before the onset of winter.

Missouri is blessed with many miles of streams and big impoundments that contain catfish. Table Rock Lake produces some big blue catfish while other area lakes including Pomme de Terre, Stockton and the Lake of the Ozarks have good populations of channel cats.

Many serious cat fishermen say that their favorite lake for catching catfish is Truman, where the water tends to be dingier and murky. Recently, Daniel Goodman D.D.S. and his son William of Bolivar, hit Truman to do some jug fishing. Goodman reported catching a lot of catfish by using shad as bait.

Dave Mitchell, Sedalia, who is a frequent visitor to Truman Lake, said, "Truman is my favorite place to catch catfish. There have been times that I set out trot lines and caught some big cats, including a 36-pound blue within hours after setting out the line.

"I also have taken some big flatheads by using small sunfish for bait. I almost always catch some channel cats so it's no wonder that Truman is my favorite catfish lake."

The popularity of catching blue catfish has caused a regulation at Truman Lake that gives fishermen the opportunity to catch and keep blue cats that measure up to 26-inches long. A slot limit has been put in place that any blue cat measuring between 26- 34 inches must be released back in the lake. Anglers may keep two blue cats over 34 inches in their 10 fish limit.

Three-year-old William Goodman checks out the white catfish he and his father, Daniel caught on a jug line at Truman Lake. Daniel said, "William wasn't sure he wanted to touch the big white cat, but was quick to tell anyone how big the fish he caught was."

Because of the slot limit, fishing for blue cats in the lake should bring some big trophy size fish.

July is a very good time to catch catfish. Some anglers go jugging for them, and some fish for them at night. Others fish for them whenever or wherever they can by using pole and line or setting out bank, limb or trot lines.

Anyway you fish for them they can give you a great battle and also make for that tasty table fare.