Catfishes of
N.C. Angler Recognition Program Minimum Weight or Length Channel 10 lbs. 30 in. Blue 30 lbs. 41 in. Flathead 30 lbs. 41 in. 4 lbs. 21 in. White Catfishes of North Carolina Catfish Fishing Tips Catfish Regulations Bullhead, channel and white catfish: worms, cut bait, chicken livers and scented baits. • Live fishes, including sunfish, may only be used as bait on hook and line, but not on trotlines, set-hooks or jug-hooks. Blue catfish: live fish, cut bait, crayfish, clams, shrimp and scented baits. Flathead catfish: live fish, such as shad and sunfish, and crawfish. Catfish Hotspots Measuring a fish Bullheads: The Yadkin River upstream of Idols Dam (near Winston-Salem) and practically all lakes and rivers in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. Fish should be measured to the nearest ¼ inch. Lay the fish on a flat surface. Using a measuring rule, measure from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail with mouth closed and tail lobes pressed together. Channel catfish: Lake Gaston, the Black, Cape Fear, Lumber, Neuse, Roanoke, Yadkin/Pee Dee rivers. Community Fishing Program sites are also good spots, as these sites are stocked routinely with channel catfish. Visit www.ncwildlife.org for locations. White catfish: Yadkin and Catawba River impoundments; Tar, Roanoke and Chowan rivers. Blue catfish: Cape Fear and Neuse rivers, Lake Norman, Gaston and Yadkin River impoundments. Flathead catfish: Cape Fear and Yadkin rivers, Yadkin River impoundments and Lake Sutton. For More Information Visit www.ncwildlife.org for more information on catfish species, regulations, lakes and rivers containing catfish, access areas, fishing tips, Community Fishing Program sites and the N.C. Angler Recognition Program. For information on fishing in public, inland waters, call the agency’s Division of Inland Fisheries, 919-707-0220. Fish illustrations: Duane Raver/USFWS Cover: Brian Newberger holds a 78-pound flathead catfish he caught from the Cape Fear River in September 2005. 15,000 copies of this publication were printed at a cost of $1,260.94. ? • Fishes may be used as cut bait on trotlines, sethooks and jug-hooks. • Fishes with a length limit may be filleted for bait but the head and tail cannot be removed. • When using a fish for bait that has a creel limit, you cannot possess more than its daily limit or render it so that it cannot be identified. Help Protect Your Sport Flathead catfish have been introduced by anglers into many of North Carolina’s rivers and lakes. While they are an exciting fish to catch, flatheads grow very large and feed almost exclusively on live fish. As a result, flathead introductions can result in the decline of native fish populations. Introducing any fish species into a lake or river can impact native fish populations through disease, predation and competition. Furthermore, it is illegal to stock fish into public waters without a permit issued by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. Did You Know . . . . . . blue and flathead catfish can exceed 100 pounds? . . . flatheads feed primarily on live food, especially fish and crawfish? Division of Inland Fisheries N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission www.ncwildlife.org . . . bullheads, although often overlooked by anglers, are among the easiest catfish to catch and are considered excellent table fare? . . . catfish have exceptional hearing? They can detect even slight vibrations that other fish, such as bass and trout, can’t detect. . . . catfish have taste buds on their whiskers, skin and even around their gills? These adaptations allow them to find food at night and in muddy water. Catfish Identification Tips White catfish Moderately forked tail Ameiurus catus Sides silvery gray, with no spots Anal fin rays 19-23 Squatty body shape; length rarely greater than 15 inches Profile steeply sloped and straight Ameiurus species Tail rounded, square or slightly forked — not deeply forked The picture above depicts a brown bullhead. There are four other bullhead species in North Carolina — the yellow, black, snail and flat. Color varies from gold to black. Blue catfish Ictalurus furcatus Bullheads Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus Deeply forked tail Sides often spotted, especially on juveniles Deeply forked tail Sides pale gray or blue with no spots Edge of anal fin straight, with 30-36 rays Anal fin rounded, with 24-29 rays Flathead catfish Pylodictis olivaris Flattened head with protruding lower jaw Upper jaw has large tooth patch with extensions going back into the mouth on both sides Entire body mottled Tail square or slightly forked; upper part often pale Anal fin rays 14-17
© Copyright 2024