Just curious what everyone's take on this is.

In just a short while, the catfish will start their yearly ritual of procreation. I'm wondering about what everyone thinks of targeting really big fish during the spawn. I don't know enough about catfish to really have any real opinion yet about this. When I was bass fishing full time, there were different schools of thought about targeting bedding females and I'm sure there still are. Since the biggest females produce the best offspring, should they be left alone? Plenty of guys will say that you can go right back in twenty minutes and she'll still be there on the bed, but other guys will say there's too much risk of stressing her out and ruining it's spawn.

I don't know if this applies to big cats or not. I mean, blue cats are really hearty fish. Am I just over thinking this and coming from a different fishing mind-set? I just know that a lot of the big ones make a run up the river and you can do well on them but should you? I don't know. I just want to see what other people think about it. I'm certainly not talking about eaters either. I'm gonna catch all I can of the 3 and 4 pounders because that's our freezer fodder for the year.

Just curious.

My take on this is a little different. I don't like to harvest fish in the spring. I am always disappointed when I clean a fish and I find eggs. My goal is to let them all spawn big and small. As far as targeting big fish on the nest, I'm not sure it's an issue. Once the female lays eggs she's gone. and when the male is on the nest I don't think they are interested in eating. They instinctively focus on guarding the fry. I think if you catch a fish during the spawn they are either spawned out or they haven't started yet. To me, this is why you see big fish that are obviously emaciated post spawn.

Now, let me say I am not against anyone harvesting fish anytime of the year. You do you... And I will take a few eaters but I will try and take only males if I can. That's just me. Long answer to a short question is fish away! Target them as you wish but as always CPR the big ones!

GB & TL...

Ok here is my understanding on the spawn.Big fish are very seldom caught because they get into places that are not fishable. Also, my understanding is that a big fish will not eat unless its a threat to the nest and on top of their nose. They do not look for food during this time, they live off of their fat. I also thought that both the male and female protect the fry, unlike bass where its usually just the male.

Also, I have always heard that blues do not get sexually mature until around 30" and the 10 pound mark, which is why you hear CPR on everything 10 pounds and over. The small fish still go thru the spawning cycle but the males and females are not fertile, so they are not producing any babies.

I have a friend that stocked his big pong with blue cats and we never catch small fish out it. Everything we catch is 6-8 pounds. Never seen any evidence of a spawn.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong. I have researched this and some articles I read are conflicting.

You are correct Matt. Some blues will begin to spawn at 24” as well which is around 5-6 lbs. That is why we still catch boatloads of fish in the 2-5 lb range during the spawn. I can count on 1 hand the number of trophy fish I have caught during the spawn in the last 15 years.

The spawn usually starts around late May here in north Texas. Blues will rarely eat during the spawn. That is why they are feeding heavy right now They will however defend their nest and if you drag a bait across their nose they will attack it. You certainly can’t target big fish with any consistency though. When you pull one of those fish into the boat you will wish you hadn’t! They stink like Boys Town Nuevo Laredo on half price night if you know what I mean. They are nasty!!. I spoke to a biologist at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries in Athens and he told me that when you pull a big fish out of their spawning hole that they thrash the nest and other fish instantly go in and start eating the eggs. Even if you return the fish to the nest, the damage is already done. Nest is destroyed, eggs are scattered, and the male usually leaves and goes and finds a different female to start all over with.

Blues will start producing eggs at around 20 inches but they are just going through the motions and those eggs don’t usually hatch. This is the reason that during the spawn you can still load the boat with 2-5 lb blues with the occasional fish in the 10 lb range. It is rare to get one over 10 because their feeding is switched off and all they are thinking about is reproducing.

Cool thanks Chris. 3 weeks until the get together. really looking forward to it

My newbie knowledge is shining through lol. I did not know any of that. Makes sense now why I catch so many small blues during the spawn. It's fascinating the difference between species when it comes to their individual spawning habits. Good to know that blues can't really be targeted during their spawn. I love learning about all this stuff. I'm a student of the game.

Tim, I respect your view of the spring season. The more I think about it, there's a part of me that thinks I'm taking liberties with them by harvesting during that time. It's almost an unfair advantage. While saying that, I'm also thinking well, I hunt deer during the rut so, I guess it just needs a little more thought on my end.

Matt and Chris, It's so interesting to me that they don't become sexually mature until they get to a certain size or age. It really cements the CPR process for big fish. I can't imagine killing a fish over 5 to 8 pounds now for food. Knowing how long it takes for one to reach 50 or 60 pounds makes you realize how special these slippery beasts are.

Thanks for everyone's input. I learn something new every day now. So glad I ventured into Blue Cattin! It has been very fulfilling. and VERY addicting!

Dang, I didn't now any of this.

Good thread, and my brain is now suitably expanded.

I am right there with ya. Soaking up so much info it is hard to process and apply. Also as with bass fishing which I have done for over 40 years I am sure i will learn tricks while fishing. Just got to do it more. But it is always a bonus when a kitty vet shares tips.

I'm the same way. Caught several egg laden female sandies yesterday, as well as two fat crappie full of eggs. Turned them all back. I try not to keep fish during the spawn.

I don't target Blues during the spawn but Channels get my undivided attention. All blues no matter what the size get returned immediately.

I don't keep anything over 6lbs,anything bigger is harder to filet and they are headed to trophy status.I stop fishing blues all together at the end of May. June through September I target hybrids,striper,crappie,white bass,bluegill and FLATHEADS.I haven't kept a flathead since I was 12 years old,48 years ago I caught a 30 plus on rod and reel.My grandfather said,as we were cleaning it,"he'd be a helluva lot more fun to catch at a hundred".Haven't kept a flathead since,haven't caught that hundred either.........my pb is 48 lbs but still trying bust 50,then we'll work on 60.

Good luck catching a big catfish when they’re spawning anyway. The only people who get them are the noodlers, otherwise they’re holed up in cavities and cuts banks and don’t leave, this is why you rarely catch a big flathead once they go on the spawn. I’d argue that for blues and channels it doesn’t matter too much, there is a huge abundance of both in area lakes. Flatheads are a little different, they’re a slow growing fish.