I like both channels and blues. Blues have whiter meat, but I don't think the channel yellow meat affects the flavor. Flatheads are by far the best in my mind.

only catfish i had was from cajun restaurant serving po-poy. fried and was good. i would assume that would be channel. I would like to try blue or flathead someday.

I am thinking when fried, they all kinda similar. i had a whole red snapper fried once, it was good. but, wasn't sure if i was really tasting red snapper or something else.

The catfish you ate were most likely farm raised channelcat and they do not compare to wild blues and channels.

Channel cats taste like mud and some are worse than others blue catfish is a more desirable meat. I ate both today and that muddy crud from the channel cat I can still taste it. IBTL

I am with you the 12-15in channels are one of the best ones to eat I try to tell the guy i take out that they are a very clean tasting fish I think it has to do with the water they come out of I wont eat the farm raised cat fish they have a muddy taste to them do to the water being very dirty. I have seen a few catfish farms and the water is pretty nasty. I dont have not found this to be true with wild caught channels at all. even my wife and mother in law who are Thai can tell the difference that they will eat any thing that swims more or less. they prefer the smaller cats over the larger ones not saying they wont take them and cook them up but they prefer the 12-15in fish so do my kids a lot of the larger channels i catch they will give to friends and keep the smaller ones that yellow meat has not different taste then the rest of the fish I know a lot of people wont eat it but it tast just fine the boys and I went out and caught kept about 40 fish we were tossing all the somber ones back and only keeping the 2-5lb fish that is when i noticed my wife would give some to her friends she told me not to keep so many of the larger ones so now if its legal i keep it when i take people out during the week some dont want any thing less then 15in so every thing under I keep

Catfish co-ops (the good ones) have an expert who checks suppliers fish for flavor and appearance. Some ponds produce fish that just can't be sold, the taste just isn't right. These suppliers are typically farm ponds all within 25 miles and virtually all sell channel cats.

So absolutely the body of water makes a huge difference.



Edit: changed coops to co-ops

Agree

I personally don't eat blues or channels...Imo the only catfish worth eating are flathead. And my size preference is about 20#-45# no bigger. No smaller. The smaller taste too fishy and gamey to me. Where as the bigger ones...well. they are trophies...the average adult flathead is around 40# give or take...but that size range of flathead with all the dark meat cut out out and blood and mud streak gone. Cut into thin strips. Rolled in a bowl of mustard then covered in a seasoned bowl or cornmeal and flour. Then deep fried.....I've had dozens of people who swear they won't eat fish or even just catfish absolutely love it...the mustard gets any of that unpleasant strong fish taste if there is any which is rare. And it also gives it that little extra kick...mmmmm. just thinkin about it I'm gonna have to go thaw me out a bag for tonight. Lol

This is a good example of why everybody has a different preference for taste. Like the debate over Ford VS Chevy this will never stop.
A true connoisseur of catfish will never put a bunch off flavored up meal stuff on their fish to hide the taste. Yellow cornmeal and salt and nothing else for the purest and elite catfish eaters. BTW, why would anybody ruin good flathead fillets with mustard? Back at cha

I dont know how true this is but for those that say channels are fattier then Blues according to a neutrinal value on a chefs web site 6 oz of channels cat fillet has 231 cals from fat Blues 278 per 6 oz no flat head was not on there and i cant fined the web site gain i look for 30ins

Well. I must not be a true connoisseur of catfish by your standard. Lol. But also. I only keep 2-3 flathead a year. 5 at most...and when I cook them. It's normally for a big fish fry or cookout. And not alot of people eat fish or like it...so I came up with my own recipe for deep frying that Everybody can enjoy together...I've experimented with alot of different ingredients and whatnot with little success til I learned of a Cajun way of frying catfish and that was coating the fillet strips in mustard or dijon mustard instead of soaking the fillets in milk and eggs..and then I simply roll the fillets in cornmeal and flour with seasoned salt and creole seasoning....and I I don't understand how mustard would ruin the way flathead taste? Lol. But anyways. I prefer it cooked that way. And it works out great since when I make fish I am making for a group of more than 15 people..some of whom don't even like fish at all like I said...and even they love it..so you can dog on me for using mustard and seasoning lol. But I've never had anything but great compliments on my recipe

My Blue Heeler would love it. Heck she even eats raw japalenos and loves cucumbers too.

I like a 2 lb channel cat.


MO

Better questions sb best recipe for channels? And best recipe for blues? Having said that I prefer blue catfish, more meat, white, better texture suitable for verity of cooking styles...

My favorite recipe for channels is grilling or smoking them whole until skin fold away disappeared and meat becomes a little crispy, eat them with lemon squeeze, and salt and pepper.

But "Twok blue catfish taste like butter" said a real life chef who cook fish in many ways except deep frying. He and I used to fish for stripers in the same spot but I kept catfish he doesn't... until I convinced him to try blue catfish... well the rest is history.