CATFISH DERBY®

The Catfish Derby is held on the banks of the mighty Ohio River at a place club members respectfully call the "Hallowed Grounds!" The Ohio River has been known to be quite tricky in terms of relinquishing its bounty and many times even the best fisherman find its waters, well, very challenging.

But that challenge is made a little easier by the comfortable surroundings. Come enjoy the fun of camping out beneath the canopy of tall trees on the river's edge while fishing for the South's most sought after fish...the Catfish. Often, as the sun sets over the high river banks on the Indiana side of the river and the evening progresses, the tales and escapades of everyone's hunting and fishes adventures for the past year and years' past tend to unfold. And, of course, for those who don't like to fish on the river at night, it is always fun to wile away the hours listening to the various stories and waiting for the big catches to come in from the river.

After a long night of fishing (or in some cases story telling), there is nothing better or more refreshing than waking up after a good night's sleep in the tent than to breath in the fresh, cool morning air that rolls down the river's hillsides and to watch the sun coming up on the calm, still waters of the river while enjoying a nice hot cup of coffee or juice.

One of the most anticipated events is the Wild Game Cookout on Saturday night. This is the event where everyone empties their freezer of everything from venison to quail to shark (and naturally, each meal comes with many stories about how the tasty morsels were captured)! Dinner is served buffet style, so everyone gets a chance to enjoy a sampling of each Chef's creations. In addition to venison, quail and shark, past cookouts have included multiple samplings of turtle, rabbit, pheasant, alligator, squirrel, bass, bluegill, catfish, Cobia, scallops, boudain sausage (actually from The Sportsmen's Paradise state of Louisiana) and naturally, the standards of beef, chicken & pork. Saturday night's Wild Game Cookout gives everyone a chance to taste the true variety that nature offers to hunters and fishermen! If you go away hungry this night, it is your own fault!!!

 

2006 Catfish Derby Story & Pictures--Click Here

 

DATE: Begins---Noon, Friday and Ends---Noon, Sunday

WHERE: Hollowed Grounds in Westport, Kentucky

PRIZES: To be determined. If you missed last year's contest for the Lincoln Navigator, you'll want to be sure to participate this year (o.k., we're just kidding, we really do this for things far more valuable...pride & honor)!

 

AND...here's your quarry (except for the last one, of course, which has tormented many a Catfishermen over the years)!

Blue Catfish

“Ictalurus furcatus”

 

Ictalurus is Greek meaning "fish cat," and furcatus is Latin, meaning "forked," a reference to the species' forked tail fin. Blue catfish have a forked tail, and are sometimes very similar to channel catfish. The number of rays in the anal fin is typically 30-35, and coloration is usually slate blue on the back, shading to white on the belly.

 

Where mature populations exist, 50-pounders are not unusual. Rod-and-reel anglers have landed specimens in excess of 80 pounds. Like the channel cat, the blue catfish is considered an excellent food fish.

 

Blue catfish are primarily large-river fish, occurring in main channels, tributaries, and impoundments of major river systems. They tend to move upstream in the summer in search of cooler temperatures, and downstream in the winter in order to find warmer water. Their spawning behavior appears to be similar to that of channel catfish. However, most blue catfish are not sexually mature until they reach about 24 inches in length. Like channel catfish, the blue catfish pursues a varied diet, but it tends to eat fish earlier in life. Although invertebrates still comprise the major portion of the diet, blue catfish as small as four inches in length have been known to consume fish. Individuals larger than eight inches eat fish and large invertebrates. Blue catfish commonly attain weights of 20 to 40 pounds, and may reach weights well in excess of 100 pounds. It is reported that fish exceeding 350 pounds were landed from the Mississippi River during the late 1800's.

 

Channel Catfish

“Ictalurus punctatus”

 

Ictalurus is Greek and punctatus is Latin, meaning "fish cat" and "spotted," respectively. Channel catfish are easily distinguished from all others, except blue catfish, by their deeply forked tail fin. Unlike flathead catfish, the upper jaw projects beyond the lower jaw. Coloration is olive-brown to slate-blue on the back and sides, shading to silvery-white on the belly. Typically, numerous small, black spots are present, but may be obscured in large adults. The anal fin has 24-29 soft rays, in contrast to the blue catfish, which always has 30 or more rays in the anal fin.

 

Channel cats may be captured on a wide variety of baits including liver, worms, grasshoppers, shrimp, chicken, cheese and stinkbait, among others. The North American record stands at 58 pounds.

 

Channel catfish are most abundant in large streams with low or moderate current. They spawn in late spring or early summer when water temperatures reach 75°F. Males select nest sites which are normally dark secluded areas such as cavities in drift piles, logs, undercut banks, rocks, cans, etc. A golden-yellow gelatinous egg mass is deposited in the bottom of the nest. Males guard the nest, and may actually eat some of the eggs if they are disturbed. The eggs, if not devoured, typically hatch in about a week. Fry remain in the nest, under the guardianship of the male, for about another week. Adults are largely omnivorous, feeding on insects, mollusks, crustaceans, fish, and even some plant material. Sexual maturity is reached in two or three years in captivity, whereas data from natural populations indicates channel catfish reach sexual maturity in 3-6 years. Most are mature by the time they reach 12 inches in length.

 

Flathead Catfish

“Pylodictis olivaris”

 

Pylodictis is Greek meaning, "mud fish," and olivaris is Latin for "olive-colored." Flathead catfish are typically pale yellow (hence the name "yellow cat") to light brown on the back and sides, and highly mottled with black and/or brown. The belly is usually pale yellow or cream colored. The head is broadly flattened, with a projecting lower jaw. The tail fin is only slightly notched, not deeply forked, as is the case with blue and channel catfish. Young fish may be very dark, almost black in appearance.

 

Where mature populations exist, 50-pounders are not unusual. Typically, the largest fish are caught by trotliners, who have landed specimens in excess of 110 pounds. Rod and reel anglers may have the greatest success with flathead catfish just below reservoir dams.

 

Flathead catfish may spawn from late May through August. Males construct nests by excavating a shallow depression in a natural cavity (a hollow log, cave, or crevice) or near a large object. Females are encouraged by males to lay their eggs in the nest. Over 100,000 eggs may be found in a golden-yellow egg mass which is guarded viciously by the male. Young generally hatch in four to six days. They may school together for several days near the nest, but soon disperse and seek shelter under rocks or brush. Fingerlings feed on insect larvae, juveniles feed on small fish and crayfish, while adults feed almost exclusively on fish. Adults are usually solitary, each staking out a favorite spot, typically in deeper water or under cover, during the day. At night, they may move into riffles and shallow areas to feed.

 

Alligator Gar

“Lepisosteus spatula”

Lepisosteus is Greek, meaning "bony scale," and spatula is Latin for "spoon," referring to the creature's broad snout. Gars are easily distinguished from other freshwater species by their long, slender, cylindrical bodies, their long snouts, and the fact that they are equipped with diamond-shaped interlocking (ganoid) scales. Additionally, the dorsal and anal fins are placed well back on the body, and nearly opposite each other. The tail fin is rounded. Alligator gar may be distinguished from other gars by the presence of two rows of large teeth on either side of the upper jaw in large young and adults. Coloration is generally brown or olive above, and lighter underneath.

 

Gar have traditionally been considered rough fish by the majority of anglers. However, for relatively few mavericks gar fishing may be quite an exciting and enjoyable sport. Alligator gar are often taken by bowfishers or by anglers using nylon threads, rather than hooks, to entangle the fish's many sharp teeth.

 

Little is known about the biology of this huge fish. Alligator gar are usually found in slow sluggish waters, although running water seems to be necessary for spawning. They appear to spawn in the spring beginning sometime in May. Eggs are deposited in shallow water. Young fish may consume insects. Adults feed primarily on fish, but will also take waterfowl. This species is able to tolerate greater salinities that other gar species and feeds heavily on marine catfish when they are available.

 

Below you'll find some catfish web site links that might be helpful in your quest. We'll look forward to seeing you and...GOOD LUCK!!!

Catfish Connection---http://www.catfishconnection.com/

Woody's Cat House---http://mywebpages.comcast.net/stinkbait/index.html

Hooked On Catfish---http://www.hookedoncatfish.com/

Katchaser---http://www.stormpages.com/katchaser/

Procats---http://www.procats.com/page2/page2n.html

Catfishing Rivers and Creeks---http://www.thefishfinder.com/members/jack/

Catfishin---http://www.catfishin.net/

Barlow's Tackle Express---http://www.barlowstackle.com/catfishing-tackle.html

Catfish World---http://www.catfishworld.net/