Blue Cats - Who knew?

[EMSer]

After striking out at Podickery yesterday, I hit the Little Magothy in search of White Perch to save the skunk. I was able to pull in about 15 in short order. As I tossed my spinner bait under a dock, I felt something decidedly heavier than the perch I had been hauling in. When I got it to the boat, I discovered I had a 21" catfish that I didn't recognize on the end of the line. Surprised to catch a catfish on a spinner bait, I checked it out and let it go as I had been doing with the perch.

When I got home, I looked it up and discovered that it was a Blue Cat and that the DNR has a "Keep all you catch" request. I felt a little foolish for letting this guy swim away. Had I realized, the outcome would have been different.

I am posting the DNR notice here for any, who like me, may not know about it.

Blue cats.jpg

[M1A4ME]

Those can get really big. I think they catch them (down here in the James River) over 60 lbs. quite often.

I've caught cat fish while casting rattle traps (they seem to like the fire tiger color) and trolling bomber 6A's and Storm rattle tots (both in fire tiger color again). My dad wondered if the fire tiger color simulated a small blue gill as cat fish are known to "like" blue gills for supper, or any meal.

Haven't caught one on a spinner bait, yet.

Thinking about it, I can remember my dad and his brother bringing home stringers of fish from their night fishing trips on the Greenbrier River back home. They used their jitterbug lures (surface lure if you're not familiar with them) and they'd catch small mouth bass, red eyes (or rock bass), and catfish (don't know what type of catfish I just remember the catfish being alive long after the other fish had died in the big wash tubs they put the fish in till after they'd slept some and eaten breakfast).

[buzz]

Surprised you've never caught one before. There are tons of them around. The majority of the catfish I catch in the Potomac and the Bay are blues. They are very aggressive and fun to fight. Once when I was short on bait, I cut one up so I could catch some more.