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SALT LAKE CITY -- Hot summer days in the West usually push anglers to early morning fishing for bass or a trip into the mountains for trout. One of the most overlooked and misunderstood summer fish is beginning to amass in Utah in large numbers. Channel catfish are making a comeback.
Catfish are a great family fishery because all you need is a kid, a fishing pole, a bobber and a nightcrawler. These bottom dwelling predators are known to take all types of bass tackle too. Catfish are one of the easiest fish to catch from shore. During the hottest time of the summer, grab some shade, some lunch and drinks in a cooler and your simplest fishing tackle for great fishing fun. What better way to get young anglers excited about the sport we live for.
It has been nearly ten years since the last regular stocking of catfish in Utah. Now, thanks to expansion of their warm water pond rearing program, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is back in the catfish business. They have begun raising their own fish to meet the unique angling needs and management advantages these whisker fish provide.
Rearing ponds save money and produce more fish
At DWR's warm water rearing pond facility near Lake Powell they have fish pushing three pounds. At its newest facility in Salt Lake City called the Lee Kay Center ponds there are some 30-thousand fingerlings growing every day and awaiting their chance to challenge anglers throughout the state.
Both pond facilities have the right combination of food supplies and the best water temperature to get the fish to grow fast. At Lee Kay the fish went from sac fry to two-inch fingerlings in only days. That is rapid growth.
The need to raise their own fish came like many other programs have at the DWR; by necessity. Disease control and budget cuts put the Division in a position where they could save money and have a nonstop supply of healthy fish most every young angler loves to catch during the hottest time of the year.
The majority of the catfish are slated for Utah's community fishing program. These urban ponds offer local anglers easy access to some great fish and a quick escape from the daily grind to enjoy time alone or with family and friends. The Division had been paying nearly $2 a pound for catfish to stock into the community ponds. The nearly $250,000 saved can now be spread around to the warm water rearing ponds and other aquatic programs.
Size and technique
At 20 inches and just over three years of age, channel catfish will switch their diet from omnivores taking crustaceans and plankton to fish. At that size, they also become a valuable management tool helping biologists regulate panfish numbers in some of Utah's most prolific waters. Frankly, a catfish that size makes a nice meal too.
When the water temperature hits 68 degrees catfish begin to get active. By the time it hits 80 degrees the fish are looking for whatever you have to offer. Some of the simplest techniques require a treble hook, cheese bait or worm and a cold drink. Add a bobber if you like. If using a spinning reel, keep the bail open. Let the catfish take bait and run before setting the hook.
Many bass fishing techniques are effective too. Work a Senko slowly along the bottom. The ‘slide and stop, slide and stop' motion gets the attention of many fish, but catfish tend to bite more when the Senko sits for a bit.
