Freshwater Catfish
Catfish come in hundreds of different species. Some are saltwater catfish while others are freshwater catfish. Freshwater catfish have their own set of unique characteristics that set them apart from the rest. It is important to know whether a catfish is a saltwater or freshwater whether you are shopping for an aquarium or fishing for fish. These are some of the primary freshwater fish that anglers will run into.
Flathead Catfish
Flathead Catfish are one of the most popular catfish species in North America as well. These fish are so popular because they are extremely abundant in freshwater lakes, streams, and rivers. Sitting beside the lake all day without getting a nibble can be frustrating, but no one has to worry about that when they are fishing for flatheads. These fish are also known for their size, with the largest one weighing over 140 pounds. This is another reason that most people enjoy fishing for them.
Electric catfish are not commonly found in North America, but this freshwater catfish can easily be found in Africa among anglers searching for other freshwater fish. The family of electric catfish contains a little over twenty species, all of which are capable of producing an electric shock to stun their enemies, including unsuspecting anglers.
Bullhead catfish are found in certain parts of North America as well as northern South America, such as the Gulf of Mexico. These freshwater fish thoroughly enjoy various habitats and are one of the few species that are easily found in muddy water with a low level of oxygen. These fish are not known for their size, so most fishermen catch them as an accident or if they know that they are already there. One of the largest bullheads caught was a mere eight pounds.
Blue catfish are commonly sought after by anglers in North America. They are named after their gorgeous blue color and commonly referred to as beautiful catfish because of this. Their belly may turn a gorgeous white or off white color. This coloring combined with their forked tail makes it easy to determine when a person has a blue catfish at the end of their line.
One common reason that these fish are sought after in North America is because of their size. They remain known for being one of the larger species of catfish on the continent as it is common for them to grow to forty pounds. The largest blue catfish caught so far was almost 150 pounds.
Channel catfish are another popular freshwater catfish in North America. These catfish are popular among fishermen because they are easy to catch, and there are so many of them it’s hard not to catch one of them. These fish are known for being bottom feeders, for their distinct taste and for their size.
Channel cats are commonly found in rivers, streams and accidentally caught by most fishermen that are lake catfishing.
The most popular freshwater catfish for anglers inhabit lakes and rivers throughout North America, northern South America, or areas of the ocean along the coast where the water is closer to freshwater. The most dangerous one that anglers try to avoid remains the electric catfish. No one wants to deal with one of those! There are many other freshwater catfish species, but these remain the most well known.
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