Catfish NOW – Feb 2025

Reminiscing

by Dan Dannenmueller, Publisher

Recently, my mom passed away and is with all of Sue and I’s family in heaven. It was a painful time and one I can never forget. Her passing has pushed me to reminisce about the good years with our families. Looking at old pictures and keepsakes she had of Dad’s and hers caused many a tear to well up in our eyes.

We lived on the skinny as all our families did not have a lot of money, but our moms and dads and grandparents taught us well. Our heritage was farming, 100 acre or less family, self-made clearings, hay fields, big vegetable gardens which were the source of hundreds of canned goods in our dirt and concrete cellars.

The Ohio River’s Catfish Bounty By Anietra Hamper

Kevin Walters shows a nice blue catfish he caught in the Ohio River. (credit: Kevin Walters)   The Ohio River’s Catfish Bounty By Anietra Hamper New research highlights how catfish migrate along the Ohio River’s segmented pools. Kevin Walters grew up fishing for catfish on the Ohio River and still spends as much time as […]

Farm Country Cats Story and Photos By Brent Frazee

Jimmi Brown, a guide in central Iowa, holds proof that the Hawkeye State contains some trophy channel catfish.   Farm Country Cats Story and Photos By Brent Frazee Big channel catfish thrive in the lakes of Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas. Looking for a big, corn-fed channel cat? Head to farm country. Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota […]

North Dakota’s Other Rivers By Jeffrey Miller

Author Jeffrey Miller with a solid Sheyenne River catfish. The fish was caught on a piece of cut goldeye during the middle of the day. North Dakota’s Other Rivers By Jeffrey Miller It’s no secret that the Red River of the North, comprising most of the border between Minnesota and North Dakota and flowing in […]

Catfish Basics #174, Safely Handling Catfish Story and photo by Keith “Catfish” Sutton

A good set of catfish grippers can be used to avoid painful bites and stab wounds when releasing a fish or holding it up for a photo.   Catfish Basics #174, Safely Handling Catfish Story and photo by Keith “Catfish” Sutton Your smile of success will turn to a grimace of pain if you handle […]

Catfish Gear #85

Jazz Up Your Night Fishing With Glow Wraps This self-adhesive glow-in-the-dark tape should be in the tackleboxes of every catfish fan who fishes in the dark. https://ttiblakemore.com/product/boss-kat-superior-catfish-hooks-by-daiichi/accessories-3/boss-kat-glow-wrapz-radioactive-strike-indicator-bkgwq/ Boss Kat Glow Wraps are the perfect addition for nighttime catfish anglers. When attached near your rod tip, their intense glow helps show when strikes happen so you [...]

Pick It Up!

The foot of a bald eagle that got tangled in discarded fishing line and died because it could no longer catch its prey. Proper disposal of used fishing line can help prevent incidents like this. (Credit: courtesy of Coastal Raptors)   Pick It Up! Source: Arizona Game & Fish Department Discarded fishing line can harm […]

Page from the Past: Churning for Catfish From “Plantation Life Before Emancipation” by R.Q. Mallard

Page from the Past: Churning for Catfish From “Plantation Life Before Emancipation” by R.Q. Mallard In his 1892 memoir “Plantation Life Before Emancipation,” Robert Quarterman Mallard painted a vivid picture of life in the antebellum South, including a unique fishing practice he called “churning.” Mallard, a Presbyterian minister and Confederate chaplain, chronicled the customs and […]

New Record Wels in the UK

Ing with the big catfish, which he said weighs 150 pounds on the nose. (courtesy of Chigboro Fisheries) New Record Wels in the UK Source: Chigboro Fisheries Eight-foot monster released to be caught again. In late September, an enormous 8-foot, 150-pound catfish—believed to be the largest ever caught in the UK—made waves in the angling […]

CFN How-to Video with Keith “Catfish” Sutton

CFN How-to Video—Understanding Catfish Senses (Part 2, The Sense of Smell) In our last issue, CatfishNOW editor Keith Sutton taught you about the catfish’s incredible sense of taste. Now, in Part 2 of this four-part series about catfish senses, he discusses the olfactory system of our favorite fish and how whiskerfish use their sense of […]