It would be nice to see different screen shots or pictures of what catfish look like on graphs here. I know it would help me a lot to see what catfish look like on down imaging and side imaging. In this post put graph pics, a brief explanation, and what kind of unit you are using would be helpful. Let's use these photos to better our fishing experience, they do this in the crappie section so why not in the Catfish section.
Let's try to help people identify and catch more Catfish.

I've always wondered why there wasn't one in this section. There isn't one in the Striper section either but they get posted often.

They used to have a thread in both sections as a sticky on top. A quick search for those threads, but could not find them.

Gentlemen, it usually takes a crappie about 5 years to reach toad status and there is tons of em. It usually takes a bluecat or flathead about a decade and a half to 25 years or more to reach toad status and there is " not " a ton of em... It's a different world and a little bit harder to just cough em up Lol! , but anyways heres the deal. I have come to learn that you can send people some awesome images but it doesn't usually do the ones that are really struggling much good. For some reason they need to see and do at the same time and the best thing for them is a good guide trip or a trip with a buddy that's got it down. But heres another hickey. It's not gonna take one trip to seal the deal. It's gonna take several trips and then you need to put a ton of time on the water and do it yourself and watch it go down. You need to see the good times and the bad and even the times that are right in the middle. If your chasing monster-fish, you gotta dig down deep and truly understand that you are not going after fish that any regular person can simply locate and catch easily no matter if your trotling, jugging or using rod and reel. These fish are special and becoming more and more sacred every minute we breathe air. Now, with that being said, I want to tell you this. Looking and finding small fish on a fish finder is real easy to do but harder to dial in on the exact look or see perfect definition of the fish so to help determine what species you are looking at you have to learn and look for " traits of the group " or the way a certain species will generally look while moving or holding together. For instance, Tom Gravely once said " that groups of channel cat look like popcorn if I remember correctly ". Cracks me up too because they do. Lol! So does a group of small blue kitty. When you are looking for larger Trophy Fish, it is actually easier because you can get a bigger and better picture along with more definition. And here's the funny thing. When looking at large fish on a fishfinder they usually look exactly like they look when you are viewing them out of water with one exception. If you ever get a chance go to Cabelas and watch the Monster Bluecat swim around in the aquarium, you'll notice that as they swim they are moving around each other and obstacles in the tank so they have to juke and jive to get around things. They will angle nose up or nose down at times. They will roll to the left or roll to the right. They'll sweep sideways. They'll pull 180 and 360 spins. Anyways I guess what I am trying to say is that when looking at a group of large catfish on a fish-finder screen you have to understand that they can all be at a different angle at the time your fish-finders signal transmits so what you are looking for is that one good signal of at least one of the fish that will really define him or her and tell you what it is. When looking for large fish in deepwater, you can locate fish with side image and down image but when you get on top of em use " sonar definition to verify ". When in shallow water, you can use side image to locate fish and use " shadow definition to verify ". If you do not " verify " you will very rarely catch the fish you are after and you need to do it on your own fish-finder. So for the ones that feel they truly struggle, start doing a lot less fishing and a lot more looking and try to capture as many images as you can by yourself on your own machine. Until you do that, you will never be comfortable and you will also never really truly cherish the fish you catch. Also, If you hang around the forum long enough every now and then one of us or somebody will feel fruity that day and release a dang good image or images...

Well said Rick!

"A large school of catfish looks like popcorn." I heard the exact same words from a very good guide when I was just getting into this great sport.

I'm still trying to figure out my New Helix7 Si............

Now we know why all the channel cats ended up in the cast net. Funniest looking gizzard shad I ever saw.

Anyone got a graph pic of this popcorn?

I love looking at my down scan and seeing the fish and structure. But to be honest, I use my chart plotter and sonar much more to find catfish. Find structure, drop offs, curves in the rivers and so on. Contour is what I look for, not fish. Like I said, I love my down scan, but it is my 3rd string team player. Find the right contour to match the structure, you got fish.

They do look like popcorn.

A lot of good info,but the man just wanted pictures,yall answered like a politician. Lmao

Lol! Kinda what I was thinking. Probably should change the title now..

I need to get my unit dialed in as good as his is.

I million pissant minnows ..........