Pond catfish

[zacharoo]

My Daughter has a pond that we stocked with bream and bass. There are now after about 3 or 4 years cat fish. The are two kinds. A green cat and some black cats. The green with white bellys go up to two pounds with 10 oz. to 1 lb. adverage. I skinned three green running 10 oz. to 1oz. The meat has a yellow tint to it. My wife says no dice. She won't cook it. Are they ok eaten catfish like this. I never saw yellow meat on one.  We never put any cats in the pond.

Zacharoo

[Graybeard]

I suspect the yellow to be fat but not having seen them dunno. I must say I've never seen yellow flesh on a catfish only white but have seen yellow fat on them. Do you have any photos?

I have only channel catfish in my pond and the flesh is nice and white after skinning them. I've caught and eaten yellow cats, appaloosa cats, channel cats and blue cats and never yet saw yellow flesh on a cat no matter how muddy the water. Is the pond really muddy?

[zacharoo]

All of meat is yellowish. From front to tail. Weard ain't it but true!!

Zacharoo

[kynardsj]

I've seen some yellow in catfish and like Bill believe it to be fat. As far as your catfish, I ain't skeered, I'd fry one and try it.

[blind ear]

That is what Bull Heads or Mud Cats are supposed to look like. If the water is on flavor the fish will be also and the fish should have a real good flavor. eddie

[zacharoo]

I have eaten many bream from this pond and they are fine. What in a bull head or mud cat. Here in Louisiana we have what is called a goughan it is a yellow bellled cat but the meat is white. Maybe we got some cat brought in by birds from some where else. Will try anyway. Ae you from else where? 
Zacharoo

[blind ear]

Zacharoo

I am from Mississippi.

Mud Cat is also refered to as turd hustlers because they can live in such bad water, shallow, hot, muddy, just before it drys up and the fishes backs are out of the mud they will finally die. They don't get much bigger than 3 to 5 pounds max.

If you see them in a small ditch in the spring early summer they will be black with lacy fins, very pretty. They are very tough and survive conditions many fish can't.

In commercial catfish ponds they are a terror. You can't get rid of them without killing everything in the pond. Catfish processors won't take them because of the Yellow meat, people won't buy it. It is very good meat though.

They raise them in northern areas because they get max size quick. Not commercially but in private ponds. eddie

[zacharoo]

Thanks man . I got an idea what you mean. That kind of fish is brought through birds. The are growing like bad grass in the pond. Can they  hurt the rest of the fish by over population. How big do they get. I have heard that you can shock cat fish and kill them. Will shocking hurt the scale fish. Been studing a bit since original post. Love fishing  in this pond with my grand daughter. Cat fish ar ranpant. When feeding the bream late in evening we have netted lots of small black cat fish. Are the ones you talked about black when real young?

Thanks for the info. Zacharoo

[blind ear]

Probably can hurt the pond culture because they are tenacious. They can kill fish several times thier size, plus crowding them out.

 If you don't want to kill the entire pond just fish them hard and don't throw any back. They are good to eat. They won't get over 3-4 pounds, 5 tops.

They are pretty black lacy finned when little but turn a grey green by the time they are getting a couple of inches long.

Don't know about shocking to kill them. They are the devil to get rid of. Bass and Yellow cat (if you can find anyone that can deliver yellow cat alive) might help control them. Good luck. eddie

[kynardsj]

On the catfish shocking. You use a DC current for cats and it won't affect the scaled fish. It takes an AC current to hit them. Pretty much illegal around here unless it's the Fish and Game folks doing it to count fish. Just a side note, a guy that used to come in the sporting goods store I owned  worked with them. About seven years ago they shocked up a world record spotted bass. Weighed her and put her back. Just wouldn't say where.