Catfishes are becoming more and more popular with the recreational fishing public. They are even receiving increased attention from fisheries biologists. Want an example? Hundreds of catfish anglers and fisheries biologists got together at the first ever International Ictalurid Symposium in June 1998 just to hear and talk about catfish.
In 1996, a nation-wide survey by U.S. Department of Commerce indicated there were 7.4 million catfish anglers in the United States. In the fall and winter of 1997-1998, two Missouri fishery biologists surveyed fish and wildlife resource agencies from the U.S. states where catfish fisheries existed. Of primary interest were blue, channel, and flathead catfish, but an “other” category was include which lumped bullheads and white catfish together. A catfish expert from every state responded to the survey. The results might surprise you.
Importance of Catfish Thirteen states (30%) ranked catfish as highly important, 13 (30%) ranked them as moderately important, and 21 (40%) ranked them as having low importance.Twenty eight states (56%) support both recreational and commercial catfisheries. However, 17 of the states limit their commercial fisheries to large rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Forty-six of the states (92%) indicated that they had self-sustaining populations of catfish. Alaska has no freshwater catfish species. Maine, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire only have sustaining populations of bullhead and white catfish (others). Management Thirty-five states manage their catfish populations by creel (catch) limits
or gear restrictions. Some states with small impoundments (reservoirs) actually
have stock-and-catch fisheries where catfish are stocked seasonally. Ten states
(20%) use size limits as a management tool. Thirty-three states (66%) stocked channel catfish. These states stocked channels mostly into small impoundments or reservoirs where self-sustaining populations were less common. Five states (10%) stocked blue catfish into small impoundments, and three ((6%) into reservoirs. Only Mississippi routinely stocked flathead catfish into reservoirs. States reported a broad range in stocking size fish and numbers. Catfishes were stocked for a variety of reasons, including establishing new populations, maintaining put and take fisheries, supplementing existing populations, and even for controlling over-abundant panfish populations. Flathead catfish were used more for predator control of panfish populations in small impoundments. Population Assessment Electrofishing, gillnets, and hoop nets were the tools of choice for
assessing catfish populations. Several sates used only creel to assess catfish
populations. The “perfect tool” for sampling has not been found yet. The major constraints in catfish management include: low agency priority, low angler interest, inadequate habitat, and in some cases, a shortage of fish for stocking programs in small impoundments (Not in Florida!). Catfishes provide a unique fishing experience throughout a broad geographic range of the country. At this time very few agencies intensively manage catfish populations. Catfish populations are difficult to sample, and consequently the populations are difficult to assess or manage. Where game fish populations are not diverse or plentiful, some states invest somewhat heavily in catfish stocking. As long as sampling is difficult and catfish are a low priority, management will continue to be challenging.
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