STORY AND PHOTOS
BY P.J. PEREA

They used to poke fun at catfish and the anglers who sought them. The fish was stereotyped as a funny-looking, whiskered, scaleless, bottom-feeding trash fish that occasionally emitted weird grunts. Catfish anglers were known more for the smell of their odorous stinkbait than their fishing skills. Yet, many anglers fervently fished for catfish. Sometimes in secret, oftentimes at night, when the rest of the angling world was snoozing away.

Things seem to have changed as catfish are now farmed in aquaculture facilities much like the rows of corn that line the fields of Illinois. Catfish fillets grace the menus at seafood restaurants alongside pricey shrimp, lobster and swordfish. They have been praised as a healthy, low-fat, protein-rich food.

And slowly, the secretive world of the catfish angler has revealed that the stinky concoctions, while effective, are not always necessary to catch the double-and triple-digit weight leviathans that inhabit the rivers and reservoirs. In fact, the big fish prefer their food live, like the many predatory fish that are sought by competitive and recreational anglers. And it takes considerable skill to consistently find and catch these elusive trophy fish. The monster fish require gear more suited for ocean fishing than standard freshwater gear.

Biologists have learned that these shy fish are far more complex than first believed. Some species appear to migrate and spend time in specific locations, depending on the time of year. The whiskers and scaleless skin are part of a finely-tuned sensory system able to detect electrical signatures of prey and their distinct smell, even when it is diluted to mere molecules among millions of others in the water column. And the croaking sounds that some species emit may be a type of communication. Diet studies have revealed that catfish are voracious predators. They are willing to chase or ambush gizzard shad, carp or whatever unfortunate aquatic denizen, finned or otherwise, that makes the mistake of passing in front of their cavernous maws.

The formerly stereotyped, slimy bottom-feeder is actually an intelligent, finely tuned predator, almost a freshwater version of the shark—minus the teeth, of course. Considering its fierce reputation and hard-nosed fighting

Once the brunt of many jokes, the catfish has become a highly sought-after game fish prized for Its fighting ability and challenge to trophy anglers.

ability, it is surprising that the sport of competitive fishing did not embrace this fish sooner.

The past few years have seen an explosion of interest in the catfish. There are websites, tournaments, chat rooms, clubs and magazines dedicated to the pursuit of the catfish. Specialty rods and reels are now designed to handle the punishment inflicted by the powerful fish. And there is a growing movement among anglers to promote catch and release of the trophy fish that often take decades to grow to their massive sizes.

Big cat competitions Illinois Catfish Association Tournament Series 2002 July 13th Illinois River at Pekin Aug. 10th Illinois River at Meredosia Sept. 7th Illinois River at East Peoria Oct. 5th Illinois River at Lacon The Illinois Catfish Association can be found on the web at http://members. aol.com/ladoz2/catfis.html. For more information, phone (309) 674-0048, fax (309) 674-0213 or email blue catill@msn.com. USCATS Tournament Schedule July 13 Louisiana, Mo.—Mississippi River July 27 Junction City, Kan.—Milford Lake Kansas Aug. 10 Chamois, Mo.—Missouri River Aug. 24 Noren Public Access, Jefferson City, Mo.— Missouri River Sept. 21 Paducah, Ky.—Ohio River Oct. 5 Evansville, Ind.—Ohio River Oct. 26 Memphis, Tenn.— Mississippi River Nov. 9 Washington, Mo.—Missouri River The USCATS website can be found at www.uscats.org. For more information: USCATS P.O. Box 95 409 N. Main St. Chamois, MO 65024 Phone: (573) 763-5466 Fax: (573) 763-5326 Email: a3711@aol.com

Earlier this spring, 128 anglers braved the floodwaters of the Illinois River at Havana to fish in the Adventure Sports Outdoors and USCATS annual catfish tournament. Despite the five inches of rain that fell during the competition, anglers still found decent fish up to 10 pounds and managed to put on a good show. Several USCATS competitions have seen teams turn in 50-plus pound fish and one-day individual tournament weights of more than 100 pounds for only 10 fish. Tournament premiums have increased with cash and prizes valued up to $10,000. More anglers are finding competitive catfishing as challenging and financially rewarding as many other species tournaments.

The secret world of catfish angling is no longer a secret. The competitive angling world is waking up to the smell of freshly cut gizzard shad. Maybe the stinkbait was just a ploy to keep other anglers away from the good fishing spots!

Anglers interested in testing their skills against some of the most talented catfish anglers in the country can join the tournament trail locally with the Illinois Catfish Association or nationally with USCATS.

Fish caught during the tournament are quickly processed (right) and released (below), so they can grow and possibly be caught again.

July 2002  15