Blue Catfish – American Monster Fish

Paul Katsus is an electrical utility professional who really enjoys fishing and sharing his passion for the sport. Blue catfish have been among the largest fish ever caught by Paul Katsus, although he has not caught any truly monster fish. The blue catfish can be a monster fish that is among one of the largest species of North American catfish. These monster fish can grow to a length of approximately 66 inches and have been reported to weigh up to 153 pounds, but the average length is 25 – 46 inches. Not too shabby for a fish found in a majority of lakes and rivers throughout the United States. This tremendous size potential is due to the long life span of the species, which can be upward of twenty years.

Because blue catfish can adapt to brackish water in some regions of the country they have colonized along inland waterways of coastal regions. In one such body of water, the Chesapeake Bay, they have become an invasive species. In the James River in Virginia, Blue catfish make up 75% of the fish population, much to the dismay of some fisherman of other game species. In the case of the James River, they have out competed with the smallmouth bass for food and even heavily feed on the smallmouth bass population. In the case of the James River, The introduction of the blue catfish in the James River had some unintended consequences, which resulted in the serious decline of the smallmouth bass fishery.

The blue catfish have two sport advantages going for it which are; the large size potential and their excellent table fare. This makes the blue catfish a tempting fish for fish and wildlife departments across the nation to stock for recreation purpose. Fortunately, the sheer size is of the species is not limited to one region of the United States; rather the trophies are spread throughout the country. In Indiana, a 104 pound record for a blue catfish was set in 1999 by Bruce Midkiff, which was caught in the Ohio River. A record 130 pound blue catfish was caught in Missouri by Janet Momphard, with the help from her boyfriend. On May 22, 2005, in the Mississippi River, Tim Pruitt caught a 124 pound record blue catfish, which broke a previous record of 121.5 pounds caught in Lake Texoma, Texas. On June 22, 2011, Nick Anderson of Greenville, North Carolina, caught a blue catfish of 143 pounds and had set a new state record for rod and reel. On February 7, 2012 a 136 pound fish was caught in South Carolina, but it was not a (near) record because it was not caught on a rod and reel.

For excellent sport and tasty fish, the blue catfish is hard to beat, in this author’s (Paul Katsus) view. Just imagine the chance to catch a 100 + pounds fish, probably close to your house. What other fish species affords you this opportunity without traveling and great expense? Yes, to Paul Katsus, the monster blue catfish is within the reach of most people in the United States.

Buffalo Carp

 

Paul Katsus is a Katy, Texas native with interests in all types of fishing. Paul Katsus likes to share information on the sport of fishing, especially in fishing opportunities for the average fisherman without a boat. Paul Katsus will share information on other species of fish that offer low cost options and easy access to the average angler. To distinguish the Buffalo Carp from the common carp, their backs and are tan or light brown and/or sometimes dark with a coppery or greenish tint. They have a light yellow varying to white belly. Smallmouth buffalo have large scales and are easy to confuse for the common Carp. The Buffalo Carp has one easy to tell difference – there are not the barbells around the mouth as in the common Carp. Smallmouth Buffalo Carp have a mouth that points downward, as opposed to the common Carp which has a mouth more or less like any other fish.

Buffalo Carp are commonly thought of as a “trash fish” by many anglers in the United States. In other parts of the world all varieties of the Carp species are valued for their sporting excellence, as well as, for their flesh. A Buffalo Carp can grow to surprisingly huge proportions, providing quite a fight. Pound for pound, the carp is greatly underestimated by American anglers for the thrills these huge fish can provide. Dough balls and canned corn can sometimes be used to entice these freshwater monsters into biting. When one is on the line the angler better be prepared for the strong steady pull these fish provide. Don’t expect a large fish leaping out of the water but what you can expect is the drag screaming with tension unleashed by these underrated giants.

Bluegills -Easy to Catch & Tasty

Paul Katsus has worked for twenty five years for a major utility company in the Houston, Texas area as a Service Consultant. Paul Katsus enjoys fishing for a variety of fish species in his spare time. Paul Katsus had begun catching Bluegills, as his first species of fish, as have many young fishermen. Bluegill and other sunfish, are sometimes called bream, and are often referred to as perch. But the Bluegill is not a Perch. Perch are very different and actually belong to a separate family of fish not related to bluegill or other sunfish. The most common species from the perch family include walleye, sauger, yellow perch and darters. Bluegills are an important species when it comes to fisheries management Bluegill provide an excellent forage species for bass due to their ability to reproduce at a rapid rate. During one summer, a female bluegill can spawn up to three times releasing 2,300 to 81,100 eggs per spawn. This rapid rate of reproduction helps to provide the necessary numbers of bass forage to help maintain a balanced bluegill/largemouth bass fishery. The Bluegill has a thin saucer-shaped body with a smallmouth and a black or navy gill flap. It is mostly olive green with an orange to yellowish belly. Bluegills are usually 4-6 inches but it is not uncommon for them to grow to 12 -14 inches. They have been recorded to weigh up to four pounds.

Bluegills can be found in lakes, ponds, reservoirs, streams, creeks, and rivers, in other words, just about any body of fresh water. While, most experienced anglers might say they prefer to catch  other fish such as trout, largemouth bass or crappie, they probably learned to fish while catching bluegills with their bobber baited with worms or liver. Almost any bait (live or dead)  or small spinners will catch Bluegills. Paul Katsus would recommend introducing newcomers; especially children to Bluegill fishing because they are relatively easy to catch and will readily take a huge variety of baits