When It Comes To Eatin'

Catfish, do you eat those BIG ones or do you tend to eat the smaller ones. So what is Big? What is small? You tell me. The only thing I know about Freshwater is, I drink it and take a bath in it!! Seriously, I see pics of some that are pretty big. Do you CPR those things?

I eat them all. Simple & plain. There are certain methods in cleaning & preferences over the variety. The very best though, is 12 to 14 pound Blues, as to eating, not filleted, but cut cross sections of the back straps into "B" or "8" steaks.

As to my divisive line, I would say small is up to 4 pounds. Medium is from 5 to 20 pounds. And big is over 20. However, I usually class BIG as being over 35 pounds.

If you keep a 12-14 lb Blue on my lake your breaking the law. There is a 30� slot limit on a number of lakes here in Texas. I for one am glad for the slot limit implemented on my lake. As far as what size to keep? Most guys keep blues that are 2-10 lbs and let the big ones go. Fortunately more and more anglers are beginning to understand the importance of conservation so we can all continue to catch big fish year after year. CPR all fish over 10lbs!

I do not keep any of them, my freezer stays full of crappie from the spring, I target big blues only in shallow water from Feb-April but the rule on my boat when I take people fishing is everything over 10 pounds is CPR. I let them keep the 2-10lb fish but nothing bigger.

2-5 POUNDS = yummy!!

Blues in that 2-5 pound range are the tastiest and easiest to clean imho. Anything bigger and I like to throw them back.

My favorite for eating is the 2 to 5 pound channel cat, and they are more plentiful in my neck of the woods. I can usually choke down a hot, crispy piece of fried blue cat, too.

I don�t keep fish much but 3-8 lbs range when I do. I don�t like filleting 1-2 lb Dinks.

Yes, I understand that certain variations apply here & there. I was not suggesting to break the law,but I am saying what I have found over the years, as to the best taste of Yellows, Blues, and/or Channels (lake or river)-- the 12 to 14# Blue is the PRIME. And where I have fished it was, or is, legal, as to the 12 to 14# Blues.

Meat fishermen/women or CPR fishermen/women is a choice each individual has the right to choose, be it either, or the balance they wish or prefer. If one chooses to fish certain lakes or rivers, they must follow the rules or guidelines that applies there. There should be no condemnation to others, as long as they are abiding by the law & their choice.

As you know, we have been hit by recent droughts, including the current drought. Lake Limestone was 10 feet low in late 2011. I am not sure if it got any lower, because about that time, I had heart & blood pressure problems at the start of 2012. What I am trying to say, is that the BIG drought is coming. It will hit very hard, as to fish, especially in the lakes. Many, including those CPRed, won't survive.

My suggestion is to fish right now, have fun, enjoy it, abide by local rules, while you can. And those that wish to, eat them (as long as they are safe to be eaten).

This is also one reason I hope to catch "The Giant" beforehand.

I like the 1 to 2 pound size and skin them to fry as whole fish. On bigger fish I like to cut steaks but like to stay under 8 pounds. Bigger fish than that go back in the lake.

God forbid someone eat a 14 lbs fish.

1 to 4 pounds! Fried or grilled!

2 to 5 is best frying size. 5 to 10 is good to bake or grill. Anything bigger, filet the filet. The bigger they are, the more grainer they get. By filet the filet, this helps with that. Just make sure the size is legal for the area you fish. Now if you can, get you some crawdads and make a sauce for those baked cats!

Ha!!! I keep hearin' the Judas Priest song in my head "Breakin the Law, Breakin' the Law!!".....I too am happy about the slot limit on Lewisville...Hopefully my grandkids will get to experience the thrill of a 30 or 40 pounder ....I'm not gonna lie I have eaten 15 and 30 pound flatties and they are soo dang delicious!!!!...My taste buds like them better than a 2 to 5 pound blue but that's just me

1 1/2 - 3 pounds. I don�t keep anything over 5 pounds most of the time but then again I don�t catch many over 3 or so.

I've never fished Lewisville, nor any lakes that I know of that have had slots for Catfish in recent years. So, there has been no breakin' the law here.

Back in the 80s, I used to stop & chat with Game Wardens on the Trinity River below TX 21. We would share back & forth. I was probably one of the first to tag my throwlines, as well as put a tag on both sides of my trotlines (the rules were back then, to only have one).

Whenever, I had a new idea, such as my "Planter" trotlines in the mid 80s, I sat down & shared it (the general design) with a Game Warden here in Bryan. He listened & told me that there was not a problem, it was completely legal.

I was just rattlin your cage Lynn...I break the law all the time amigo! You can eat all the big fish you catch and I will continue to CPR mine. My old man still shakes his head when I let a big fish go but it makes me feel good to watch a 40yr old fish swim off. I�m 44 and to think that some of these fish are as old as me or older gives me a different respect for them. They call the small ones �eaters� for a reason guys-Just sayin!

I can't agree with your post more. I wish more lakes had slot limits or we just had better regulations to protect the trophy fish. Catfish fishing is gaining interest at a faster rate than any other species. We have the potential to have incredible trophy production in many more lakes, and still have plenty of fish to eat.

I've taken a look at what other states are doing and we are in the stone age when it comes to trophy catfish conservation.

Well Said "catfish" Lynn, as long as the rules are met it's up to the individuals. I have heard Flatties taste the best and I also like to steak mine and pan fry the steaks without any breading

Slot limits, what can you say. Soon they will be on every lake in Texas. But if that lake don't have a good food chain, the right water temp., the right depth. The cats are only going to get so big. I have caught big cats all my life. Had a good teacher in my grandpa. I still keep a big flathead now and then. But rather have a nice 2 to 5 pound cat. It is your choice to keep a big one or let it go. All I ask of people who fish with me respect the cat and get it back in the water as quick as possible. I will not let a cat loose until I feel that twitch in it's tail telling me he's ready to go back to the deep. I hate to see any fish floating dead.

undr 10 lbs for me

Fortunately as most guys ability to catch big fish goes up so does the respect for sed fish. All the trophy bluecat anglers I know CPR big fish. The only fisherman I usually see keeping a big blue are ones that aren�t very successful at catching them. When they finally catch a biggin they dang sure ain�t gonna turn it loose. Lol Just think how terrible the trophy fishing would be if we all kept our big fish each trip. Back in the 80s when catch and release for Black Bass started gaining popularity, fisherman were in an uproar but look at it now, can�t hardly find a fisherman who keeps Black Bass these days. Like it or not guys, the times are changing. I�m not sayin catfish will ever become catch and release species like bass but hopefully protecting and growing the trophy cats will continue to gain momentum.

Many times you can make a judgement call based on fish population/pressure. On my local ponds and lakes I have certain limits for a variety of fish for when I start to throw back. On other bodies of water near me virtually no one fishes them, it would be almost impossible for me to make any sort of a dent. There I'll keep most all of the big cats, even bass cause it won't make a difference. Even though I did study ecology and population dynamics in college it doesn't take an expert to make a good decision most of the time.

Eric

mmmm There's another tasty fish EG!!!!!...ohh um nevermind!!!

Yeah, man, for me it's simple: If it fit in my cooler, I'll take it home and eat it. My cooler is less than 30 inches on the inside. Any catfish over 30 inch gets put back. That's less than my sate regs. that only allow one fish over 36 inch fish.

Seems like the record Large mouth bass was caught in 1992. Hasn't been broken yet has it? But you look at other states and the record is bigger. Water conditions and food chain make big fish. Fish are only going to get so big here. But releasing back gives a fish a chance to grow. If I catch a blue cat any size and it's back has a hump in it back, I throw them back. We use to call them humpback blues, they get huge! They are natural to the rivers around here. Every big cat I ever caught, has that hump. I grew up catching big cats. We used 15/0 to 20/0 hooks and perch the size of your hand of bigger. We would stock the freezer for winter. That was how we grew up. Some where down the road, I just stopped fishing for those big ones. Oh, I still catch them, but I find myself letting them go more and more. The biggest reason, you ever really skinned a big blue? That skin is tough to get off, I know electric filet knife, but I was taught not to waste any meat. So skinning and a sharp knife is how I go. Also it helps me stay old school by skinning cats. Plus, a big blue, the meat is tough and has blood in it. Takes more time to clean. Yellows or flatheads, they are tasty, but the pressure on them, I just don't really fish for them anymore. I would not be surprised to see them one day go the way of the alligator gar on laws. Your choice if you keep them or let them go. Myself, I don't judge any one any way. But I do not and will not fish for any Bass. Any fish that will eat plastic, something that shines or rubber, I draw the line. I much rather have one that eats stinky things.

mmmm There's another tasty fish EG!!!!!...ohh um nevermind!!! [/quote]
I see ya Serj! You can�t hide behind that little wall big man! I gotcha!

For channel cats I like the 14"-16" range for frying up whole. Blues I prefer the 2lbs-10lbs range. Anything bigger I almost always CPR; not because the meat isn't as good, I just prefer to let the bigger ones live. I have only ever kept one fish over 20lbs and it tasted just as good as the rest IMO.

Well, Big Zee, I guess you�d better stop fishing for cats since I�ve caught quite a few on plastic, shiny things or rubber while fishing for bass! Lol

I eat all of them, but I prefer giant Flatheads. I love having as much meat in one flathead as I can get. We just had some friends over last night, and one fillet from a 50 lbs FH fed 8 of us. The bigger the better on FHs.

What the heck does CPR mean

Catch Photo Release

Thought so but not sure
Thanks