Catfished

[SumoNinja]

SU x Toxic Collab Hoggs. This is the second catfish I got that hit a bait while waking 

What kind of catfish is this? I initially thought channel....but that head looks different 

[Phil A.]

Its either a blue cat or a black bullhead but I'd have to see it in person to tell for sure. But if you caught it in a  northern lake it's most likely a black bullhead, if caught in the south it's most likely a blue catfish. 

[Phil A.]

If caught in California, it's most likely a black bullhead.

[bassbass]

Nice one

[SumoNinja]

4 hours ago, Phil A. said:

If caught in California, it's most likely a black bullhead.

California....I know there are channels and flatheads here in this particular lake but I didn't know we had blues or bullheads 

[Phil A.]

4 minutes ago, SumoNinja said:

California....I know there are channels and flatheads here in this particular lake but I didn't know we had blues or bullheads 

To kind of tell the difference is a bullhead usually has a really big head and lips but generally a slender body where a blue cat has a lot of the same features but it's body is built more like a football. I'm sure you probably fish mostly for sport but both species tend to have a lot of fatty red meat so they really aren't good to eat like a flathead, being the best, or a channel cat. Being that I'm from Mississippi we have most catfish species and before I got addicted to bass fishing it used to be one of the species I targeted, not so much anymore. Good luck with your fishing adventures!

[CG_Fishes]

It's a male channel catfish. Bullhead will never get that big, nor do they have that forked tail. Blues will have a squared anal fin instead of a rounded anal fin. The head looks weird because it is a spawning male, they get that weird growth pattern and get super dark when its time to get down. It definitely is not a flathead though.

[SumoNinja]

1 hour ago, CG_Fishes said:

It's a male channel catfish. Bullhead will never get that big, nor do they have that forked tail. Blues will have a squared anal fin instead of a rounded anal fin. The head looks weird because it is a spawning male, they get that weird growth pattern and get super dark when its time to get down. It definitely is not a flathead though.

You're probably right because I didn't believe we had blues in there 

[FishDr]

Nice catfish! Looks like a big channel cat to me. I think there are some blue cats stocked in the Santa Ana lakes but I don’t believe they are elsewhere in CA.

[Phil A.]

Hey guys, my apologies! After seeing Connor's comments and as hard-headed as I can be sometimes I had to find out for myself. My cousin stopped by and catfishing in the Mississippi River is just about all he ever does. He also says it's a male channel catfish too that maybe trying to spawn and do to his aggressiveness may be the reason you caught it on a wake. Our state record black bullhead is only about 6 lbs. We also have like a brown or yellow bullhead that I knew of that probably averages 2 lbs. but we've just always called it a mudcat. But my cousin does claim that he's seen black bullhead near 8 lbs. but to us they are trash fish so not everyone cares to be in a record book for such a fish. Enjoy!

[Born 2 fish]

Nice one looks like a channel to me.