Happy spring everyone. The weather is finally warming up and with that the fish will start to become more active. For this weeks fish of the week we're going to look at a fish that is particularly easier to catch during warm weather; catfish. Catfish derive their name from the cat like whiskers that they have. These whiskers actually are for sensing movement in the water and less for appearance. There  are many different species of catfish such as blue, flat head, and channel catfish. (These are the common species native to the U.S.) Catfish are opportunistic hunters who will eat anything they stumble across. While they tend to look for things that are already dead, they will go after live food as well. Some live things could be crawdads, shrimp, small fish, frogs, and mice. (Mice sometimes fall into lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams.

Catfish can be on of the best fish to catch in my opinion. When caught from clean water and cooked properly they are great fried or baked fish. However, they are even more fun to catch. Catfish can grow very large as they get older both in length and weight. The Indiana state record for a blue catfish weighed in at a whopping 104 pounds! Now I don't want to get everyone's hopes up that they are going to catch a monster sized fish. That record was set in 1999 so it has been 17 years since a fish of that size has been recorded, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try for one! I personally know plenty of people who have caught catfish in the 30-50 pound range.

So now that I have everyone interested in catfish lets talk about how to catch them. Most of the time catfish will be towards the bottom of whatever body of water you are fishing so sinking your bait down to the bottom or just above it is the best place to be. What bait to use for catfish is widely disputed. Some people swear by dough baits (conglomerated balls of flour, oats, and flavorings) while other people feel that cut bait (cut up chunks of other fish) is the best bait. What bait you use will depend on what you have available and what is legal in your area. (Using other game fish for bait is prohibited in some places) Please refer to the wildlife management documentation provided via the federal government when making decisions about certain baits and fishing practices. (These can be found online and in sporting goods stores)

If you want more information about the specifics of catfish bait check out http://www.gameandfishmag.com/fishing/catfish/12-catfish-baits/