What Type Of Catfish Is This?

[esox niger]

local guys fishing thought it was a blue. i thought the anal fin seemed rounded, but looking at it in the picture it looks pretty straight. can you tell?

got im on a nymph 7 ft under a strike indicator fished up tight to a submerged tree.

Thanks

[eric1978]

Looks like a blue to me. Bet that was fun on the fly rod! How long did it take to land him?

[flytyer57]

I would have to call that catfish "DINNER."

[fozzie.]

Tough call- to me it looks more like a channel, albeit a helluva big one. Was it in the river, or a smaller impoundment? Most folks don't stock blues in small impoundments as they tend to eat everything else. Either way, I'm sure it was a blast! Last Easter I caught a channel, about six pounds or so, in a family farm pond. I was very confused until I got a good look at it, but man was it fun!

[Trav]

local guys fishing thought it was a blue. i thought the anal fin seemed rounded, but looking at it in the picture it looks pretty straight. can you tell?

got im on a nymph 7 ft under a strike indicator fished up tight to a submerged tree.

Thanks

http://mdc.mo.gov/fish/fishid/catfishid.htm

I would say by the brown tint on its back, it is a trophy sized channel. A real nice one. The big ones lose their spots. Also...the anal fin looks to have dark to black tips, another indication it is a channel. Although in this pic it looks straight but it is deceptive.

Like a blue, it is fact both can have a major slope from the nose to the dorsal. It varies due to current and habitat.

My opinion is against it being a blue from this pic. I might be able confirm it if I knew where it was caught.

[esox niger]

took about 2-3 min with my 8 weight, was plenty fun. id like to do it again tmrw

it was caught about a mile up a very minor tributary of the missouri river, here in st. louis. some local guys said they were catching alot of smaller blue cat...like 20-30 (looked like channels to me) with their limb lines, said it was weird cus usualy they catch the channel cats( they shoulda known). i caught one blue last year about 7inches long. it had a distinct flat anal fin.... I thought this was a channel cat when i landed im. i paid special attention to that fin...and it was not straight but also not broadly arching. i did not notice dark tips, might have been the light.

I might have a better pic of the fin. let me check.

[Trav]

took about 2-3 min with my 8 weight, was plenty fun. id like to do it again tmrw

it was caught about a mile up a very minor tributary of the missouri river, here in st. louis. some local guys said they were catching alot of smaller blue cat...like 20-30 (looked like channels to me) with their limb lines, said it was weird cus usualy they catch the channel cats( they shoulda known). i caught one blue last year about 7inches long. it had a distinct flat anal fin.... I thought this was a channel cat when i landed im. i paid special attention to that fin...and it was not straight but also not broadly arching. i did not notice dark tips, might have been the light.

I might have a better pic of the fin. let me check.

It very well could be a blue then...cold dirty water in both the Missouri and the Sippi tends to tint blue cats a bit of a tan after a long cold winter.

I may be wrong but if you caught it shallow my guess is still leaning toward a channel cat. They are usually quick to move when the water starts to warm because they chase more live bait than any other species of cat. I have caught channels off of spinnerbaits and roostertails often this time of year in Iowa.

Did it bark? Channels tend to growl also...

[esox niger]

It very well could be a blue then...cold dirty water in both the Missouri and the Sippi tends to tint blue cats a bit of a tan after a long cold winter.

I may be wrong but if you caught it shallow my guess is still leaning toward a channel cat. The are usually quick to move when the water starts to warm because they chase more live bait than any other species of cat. I have caught channels off of spinnerbaits and roostertails often this time of year.

[Trav]

Very nice channel cat....be proud of that one. You see how the anal fin curves back and doesn't come to a point?

[esox niger]

Very nice channel cat....be proud of that one. You see how the anal fin curves back and doesn't come to a point?

yeah, I think so. thanks for your help.