Photo by Michael Skinner

Fishing for catfish was once looked upon as being a sub-par activity to more popular sport fish, such as bass, crappie, trout and others. Times have definitely changed. In fact, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) assistant director of fisheries, Gerry Buynak, says catfish now rank second among anglers as the most popular species pursued. Bass still rank as No. 1, followed by catfish, with crappie just slightly behind in the No. 3 slot.

The KDFWR has not really had a long-term management plan for catfish per se. They have only recently begun to put more emphasis on managing specifically to enhance our catfish fisheries and to provide more opportunities for anglers. Some of these strategies involve stocking, harvest regulations, and better research to understand more about population levels, spawning, reproduction, growth rates and harvest data.

We have three main varieties of catfish here in our state: Channel, blue and flathead catfish are all present in good numbers. However, these fish have different habitat and feeding preferences and are not all found in the same locations. Many of our waters also have bullheads, but they generally do not exceed 12 inches.

Our natural populations of catfish provide tremendous fisheries throughout the state. Most all of our ponds, rivers, impoundments and large reservoirs provide some degree of catfish opportunity. Some of our waters, especially the tailwaters below major dams, provide some excellent potential to yield trophy-sized blues and flatheads.

The stocking effort by the KDFWR is greatly enhancing our natural fisheries and boosting fishing opportunities in some areas. Most of the fish stocked are channel catfish, but there is some stocking of blues and flatheads at times. The catfish are reared at the Peter W. Pfeiffer Fish Hatchery in Frankfort.

Flatheads are not often stocked. They were used during restocking efforts after two fish kills in the state. Flatheads were stocked in the Kentucky River after the spill from the Wild Turkey Distillery and also into the Tug Fork River in far eastern Kentucky after a fish kill from a coalmine mishap.

Blue catfish have been stocked in some areas and there is currently a research study ongoing to monitor their success. These catfish are being used to help control bluegill populations and also hopefully provide some trophy opportunity in the near future. If successful, some of our small state-owned lakes will be able to provide some unique trophy situations for blues as well.

Channel cats are stocked in many waters from farm ponds up to mid-sized lakes. Most of these locations are stocked every year or every other year. Waters the size of lakes Malone and Beshear are about the largest being stocked. The catfish stocked are from 6 to 12 inches long, with the average stocked fish being around 8 inches.

The KDFWR has implemented a 12-inch minimum size limit on catfish at some locations, especially in the central and north-central part of the state. This, according to Buynak, is to help slow the harvest on small fish to allow them to reach a larger size before being taken. Research indicates survival rates in some locations from one year to the next can be as low as 20 percent for channels and around 50 percent for blue catfish. By controlling the harvest of small fish, biologists hope to create more productive fisheries.

Anglers can find excellent catfishing in most every part of our state. One doesn't have to travel far to locate a fishing spot for channels, blues or flatheads. Here's a look at five areas in the state where anglers can specifically target catfish and find good success.