PUBLISHER
Dan Dannenmueller
EDITOR
Keith “Catfish” Sutton
SR. WRITER
Ron Presley
ART/ CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Matt Mullikin
WRITERS
Alan Clemons
Brad Durick
Brent Frazee
Michael Giles
Anietra Hamper
Terry Madewell
Ron Presley
Richard Simms
Keith Sutton
Brad Wiegmann
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Cover Photo Credit
South Carolina anglers Kevin Davis (left) and Mark Shealy land a trophy flathead while fishing in Lake Marion, one of the world-renowned Santee-Cooper lakes. Photo by Keith Sutton.
Growing Up Catching and Eating Catfish
Growing up in the Missouri Delta, part of our diets were all types of catfish or whatever we caught. We had fried fish almost once a week. Many times, these included the bullhead catfish, bowfins, bluegills, crappie, bass, and once, turtle and gar. Yes, just once!
We caught yellow, brown and black bullheads regularly, and I must say they were good eating. The trunk of my grandmother’s car carried a wash tub we filled with water to keep the fish we caught alive and well. After cleaning them, we would soak them in salt water until they became pretty white. Then they were placed in Rubbermaid containers with water and frozen if not eaten within a day of the catch.
Fishing for them was a lot of fun. But there were always prep days and times spent netting crawfish for bait in the ditches that retained water most of the year, digging earthworms or capturing grasshoppers. Another favorite bait was frozen bait shrimp, and catawba worms when in season. Once in a great while, we would buy minnows.
Most of the time, the catfish were now large but perfect eating size, with a big one coming now and then. There was always a contest of who caught the most fish. Grandma, my brother and I were very competitive and always ensured the counts were accurate. Grandpa didn’t really care about being in the race as long as he could smoke his favorite cigar and watch the wildlife. Once in a while, a cane pole of his would race off the shoreline, and wading could happen as long as snakes were not around.
I am sure all the catfish in those ditches and the Mississippi River are appreciative that we now longer fish for them! I grew a great appreciation for all the bird songs, fish and wildlife we got to experience and grew to love. I will remember those days as long as I live.
Take your children and grandchildren fishing, build a great set of memories for them. Catfishing can get in the blood.
God Bless,
Dan Dannenmueller, Publisher
