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SPOTTED CATFISH

they where caught on a minnow

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Comment by Mike Stacy on April 30, 2011 at 11:49am: No, not flatheads, but more closely related to flatheads than blues or channels. Kissin' cousins. And I WAS WRONG ABOUT THE NAME... my bad, sorry... they're brown bullheads. Here's a link to the identifier.

http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/fish/freshwater-fish/

But they ARE the same type of bullhead that tastes so much better than the others. I'll vouch for that, and throw a dozen breeders in Moms pond, if I can ever find a close place to catch them!

And I love to eat bream... but I'm a Mississippi boy, so I was probably eating catfish before I could walk or talk. It's fine stuff, in my opinion... but some kinds are less fine, and others are more so! If you ever catch a fish like the ones in this picture [they'll scarf up a cricket or worm meant for bream] EAT THEM! Trust me, these kind are a real treat.

Comment by Jeff Soto on April 30, 2011 at 11:27am: Well I did an image search for "Grey Bullhead" and all I could find was a line of women's clothing. Those catfish in the pic really don't look like Flatheads, but I guess it's possible. Or they could be large Brown Bullheads, with that coloring and mottled markings they have.

Comment by william lint on April 30, 2011 at 10:46am: Nice KATS...WE BAG OUR LIMIT USING CHICKEN BREAST & wd-40

Comment by Tobias Jackson Jr. on April 30, 2011 at 10:25am: ---> CANT BELIEVE YALL REALLY LIKE CATFISH LIKE THAT. I PREFERR PANFISH THOUGH. BUT GOOD FACTS AND THOUGHTS AND TIPS THAT MY DAD WILL MOST LIKELY USE, SINCE HE LOVES CATCHING CATS.

Comment by Zach Pierce on April 27, 2011 at 5:10am: Flathead in my opinion is one of the best fish to eat. As you mentioned the belly meat is the best as well for what ever reason. Again I have never caught a grey bullhead let alone eaten one but will take your work for it.

I do however plan to try to cook bullhead one more time if I catch one again. I really would like to try to feed some out in a small pond just to see if they would taste any different if on feed as compared to whatever the eat off the bottom.

But that may be years down the road but I can still dream of doing it.

Comment by Mike Stacy on April 25, 2011 at 8:25pm: Mississippi boy here, and I've always loved the whisker fishes... you are truly correct to call them one big tastebud, and I'll vouch for the predatory instints of them ALL: I've caught channel cats and every bullhead type on plastics fishing for bream and bass. No doubt they hunt! And stink bait has no place in my world... FRESH cut shad fills the cooler! Chicken livers are just so much easier... it's the path of least resistance, but not the prime bait. Live bream are hard to beat, but anywhere that has lots of bream will have catfish cruising, and they've straightened my aberdeen hooks too many times! The pond I'm living by now is where 99% of my bream pics come from... if you check my posts, and I swear it's true, they will only bite one type of bread... the type the neighbors have been throwing to ducks for years: Natures Own 100% whole wheat. I've thrown crickets, wigglers, beetle spins, and every plastic in my crappie box... no takers! I catch fish on that stuff everywhere else, but it doesn't work in this pond... and back to the whiskerfish: when the sun goes down, the black bullheads bite on stop on the same bait, one after the other, non stop! I only wish they tasted as good as the greys... but I'm fishing to feed myself, and they cook up nice enough. I catch HUGE bass, check my pics, but I'd rather go hungry than kill a beautiful fish that's taken so long to get big. I just like pulling on their faces and making them dance! I'd truly love to find some water loaded with grey bullhead... or a place to catch a dozen healthy breeders to dump in this pond! All hail the whisker fish! Gods gift to a hungry man...

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on April 25, 2011 at 7:17pm: Another catfish lover, Mike Stacy!

Actually all catfish are predatory to some degree. I like to think of them, generally, as one big taste bud... which also happens to possess a predatory fishes full array of senses.

Now, it is true that some are more opportunistic in their feeding habits, which has won them the reputation as being garbage mouths. They also tend to be "lazy" feeders and don't chase their food much. But across the spectrum, the catfishes will take live forage foods as readily as anything.

In fact it's fairly understood that the largest cats PREFER live bait, or the freshest of cut bait. As you note, chickens livers, dough baits, and even hotdogs will fill a freezer with the smaller cats. But the really big ones want live and cut bait.

Comment by Mike Stacy on April 25, 2011 at 6:46pm: Mushy and strong flavored is the rule... but GREYS are PRIME! Have you ever enjoyed flathead catfish? I'd rather eat the belly meat off of a flathead than the fillets of of the nicest channel or blue. Flatheads are recognised as predators, not bottom feeders, and they are much more closely related to bullheads than to the other common north american catfish. Squared tails, jutting jaws... and they all bite HARD when you try putting them on a stringer! I've got a suspiscion that grey bullheads are more of a predator than other bullheads... and the taste of them is good enough to back me up on this one, I'm thinking... they're truly PRIME! I've got the FL record black bullhead in my freezer [2.6 lb, vacant record, and I'd file if I had the fees] and about 10 lb of black bullhead fillets, cleaned live, not mushy at all, but definitely strong flavored... The yellows are better tasting than the blacks, but the greys are tops in my book! RRREALLLY good eating! I'd like to find a place known for good ones, and night fish with live bait... I'd bet they hit the live bait better than the chicken livers... but chicken livers will fill a freezer, and I eat fish! Sure would LOVE to fill my freezer with grey fillets though... truly tasty!

Comment by Zach Pierce on April 25, 2011 at 3:14pm: just never heard of them. I only know of Black, Brown, Yellow.

Either way nice looking fish.

The bullheads I have kept here have all been mushy and have a strong flavor. Would try one more time if I could ever catch them again.

Comment by Mike Stacy on April 25, 2011 at 12:56pm: I bet it's different up there... I'm in the DEEP south. Everyone hides from the sun, fish included!