There are many persistent myths about catfish, including one whopper about
monster cats near dams that are large enough to swallow divers.
Catfish Basics #167—Catfish Fact & Fiction with Keith “Catfish” Sutton
For those of you just learning how to catch catfish, it might be a good idea for us to try to dispel some myths about catfish you may have heard. Some of these ugly rumors are as persistent as the old wives’ tale about toads causing warts. The truth may be much different than what you’ve heard.
What you may have heard: Catfish are strictly bottom-feeders.
The truth: Catfish are well-adapted for feeding on the bottoms of rivers, lakes and ponds, but if you think they never feed at mid-depths or on the surface, you’re wrong. Catfish are opportunistic and take their food where they find it. They often feed on grasshoppers, cicadas, frogs and other creatures (floating catfish chow, too) found on the surface, and prey on baitfish such as shad and herring in midwaters. If bottom-fishing doesn’t produce, try presenting your bait elsewhere in the water column.
What you may have heard: Catfish are lazy scavengers that only eat dead, rotten foods.
The truth: Catfish, particularly young catfish, will eat some dead and decaying food items, but they also are highly efficient predators adept at chasing down and ambushing live prey.
What you may have heard: The smellier the bait, the better it is for catfish.
The truth: Catfish anglers have been mixing up smelly brews of secret-recipe specialty baits for centuries, and these “stinkbaits” can be great cat-catchers. Stinkbaits don’t work because they stink, however. In fact, what stinks to anglers can’t be smelled by catfish; the chemistry of olfaction is much different in catfish and humans. The truth is, many superb catfish baits stink no more than baits used for walleyes or bass.
What you may have heard: If a catfish sees your hook, it won’t bite.
The truth: Catfish don’t look at a hook and think, “I better not bite that or I might get caught.” The truth is, you’ll probably catch more cats if you leave the barb of the hook exposed.
What you may have heard: Catfish thrive in muddy, often foul water.
The truth: Catfish can tolerate poor-quality water that might kill other species and are able to feed in warm, muddy water that would stress many creatures. But just like smallmouth bass, trout and other fishes, catfish need clean water in which to thrive. If the water is too turbid, too hot, too polluted or too low in oxygen, catfish will not be in prime condition.
What you may have heard: The best fishing for catfish is during summer.
The truth: Catfishing can be great during hot weather, particularly at night or near dawn and dusk. Summer, however, is not the best season for catfishing. Anglers who learn to find and pattern catfish during other seasons often discover the bite is even better when the water, and the weather, is cooler. Catfishing during winter often produces more and bigger fish than fishing in warm months.
What you may have heard: Catfish only bite at night.
The truth: Catfish feed around the clock—morning, noon and night. In clear water, the bite may be better during hours of darkness. The more turbid the water, the more likely the bite will be good when the sun is high.
What you may have heard: Catfish are dumb compared to other fishes.
The truth: A study conducted by Missouri fisheries biologist Gordon Farabee tested the comparative learning ability of different fishes. Catfish learned quickest and achieved the highest overall scores, far above other popular sportfish such as bass, trout, pike and bluegills.
What you may have heard: Catfish make their croaking sounds using their swim bladder.
The truth: Actually, the swim bladder does not produce the unusual vocalizations of North American catfish. The sounds are made when the catfish moves the fins on the sides of its body. The bony spine in each pectoral fin has an enlarged base that rubs adjacent bones to produce the catfish’s weird voice. Many species vocalize in this manner.
What you may have heard: Divers working on dams have seen incredibly large catfish—so large, in fact, the divers refused to go back underwater because they feared being eaten!
The truth: This tale surfaces frequently throughout the country, but it’s just not true. While some catfish can weigh more than 100 pounds, they don’t get big enough to swallow humans. One indication these stories are nothing but myths is the fact the people telling them aren’t the ones who saw the catfish. It’s always some anonymous person or a friend of a friend who isn’t available for verification. That’s a key element of all such myths.
