Reproduction takes place once a year, with the female blue catfish laying 1,500 to 2,000 eggs per pound of body weight. A former world-record blue catfish, caught in Texas in 2004, reportedly lived to be 23 years old. Lifecycleīlue catfish can live up to 25 years, according to scientists. This makes them plentiful in most areas of the United States. These plentiful freshwater fish travel the rivers and tributaries, moving with the seasons. You can find blue catfish in all the major rivers of the United States, including the Mississippi River, Missouri River, and Ohio River. The blue catfish reaches an average weight of 20 to 40lbs and they can grow to up to 65 inches in length. They are the largest species of catfish found in the United States. Size:īlue catfish are a large freshwater fish and commonly reach more than 30lbs, ranging up to 100 pounds or more. Ictalurus Furcatus which means fish cat with the forked tail. Anglers like blue catfish, also sometimes called high fin blue catfish, because of their massive size and their mild taste. You can find these gentle giants in most states’ large rivers and their tributaries. The largest catfish species in the United States is the blue catfish. Which is the easiest catfish species to catch?īlue Catfish You can find blue catfish in all the major rivers of the United States, including the Mississippi River, Missouri River, and Ohio River.

Which is the best catfish species to eat?.

Why you Need to Know The Different Catfish Species.

How To Tell The Difference In Blue Catfish and Channel Catfish.

We will examine each of these freshwater catfish varieties and create a list of catfish species essentials to help you identify and catch different types of catfish. There are small variations between species of the catfish family, but all catfish have similar characteristics.

Each of these catfish species is abundant, and catfishing is allowed in all fifty states. While there are many catfish species worldwide, anglers in North America target three types: blue catfish, flathead catfish and channel catfish. Most catfish species live in major river systems of the world, in both freshwater and saltwater, but some types of catfish prefer the still water of small lakes and farm ponds.Īnglers all over the world go in search of different types of catfish because they are fun to catch, taste great and provide an excellent source of protein and reach record sizes. There are more than 3000 different catfish species in the world, including the Asian Mekong giant catfish, the large Wels catfish and the tiny cory catfish found in South America.

Fishing planet michigan catfish