How to Catch a Cooler Full of Florida Catfish

Freshwater catfish are among the tastiest fish swimming in Florida waters. Easy to target for anglers of all skill levels, freshwater cats can be found almost anywhere in our state, from small urban ponds to massive rivers and big lakes. Just about any kind of gear can pass as “catfish tackle,” along with just about any kind of natural bait or store-bought stinky versions specially made to attract catfish. Join in on the action, grab your rod and go! You’ll soon be “cool as a cat” and filling a cooler with tasty fish.

The first step in targeting freshwater catfish is to find decent fishable waters. You won’t have far to look because chances are, your closest body of water will have some type of freshwater catfish thriving in it. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, or FWC, curates a handy list of productive catfish waters. To find some of the best catfish spots in your area, click here then click on: Catfish Top Spots. Common freshwater catfish species targeted in Florida include channel catfish, white catfish, blue catfish, brown and yellow bullheads, and flathead catfish. Different types prefer different types of habitats and waters.

Channel Catfish

One of the most popular and widespread species of freshwater catfish found throughout Florida is the channel catfish. Channel catfish can survive in brackish water and even salt water but prefer to live in freshwater habitats. You can find them in just about every type of freshwater body of water including lakes, rivers, creeks, ponds, and many freshwater Fish Management Areas. While channel catfish reproduce very well in Florida rivers due to good spawning habitat, they typically do not reproduce well in smaller lakes and ponds. The FWC stocks around 500,000 channel catfish annually in public waters. Most of these catfish end up being stocked in small community ponds near large metropolitan areas for the public to enjoy catching and eating, but channel catfish are occasionally stocked in larger lakes as well.

Channel catfish have dark backs that transition into light or silvery sides with black spots scattered along the back and sides of smaller fish. Many anglers look for the presence of spots as a distinguishing characteristic of channel catfish, but not all channel cats will have spots. A large, deeply forked tail and rounded anal fin composed of 24 to 32 individual fin rays are the primary distinguishing characteristic. Sensory barbels (whiskers) give the channel cat excellent taste to help them easily locate prey. Common size of channel catfish at many FWC Fish Management Areas is between 1 and 3 pounds with larger sizes frequently caught along bigger bodies of water. They can certainly grow bigger! The state record channel catfish is 44.50 pounds, caught in Lake County.

Channel catfish are bottom feeders often preferring to feed on other types of fish, crawfish, or insects. Many anglers targeting channel catfish prefer stinky baits, the stronger the better. Chicken liver, beef liver, or chicken gizzards easily attract channel cats. Dead shrimp, cut fish, freshwater clams, dead shiners, and even night crawlers are also highly effective. Look for deep holes along river bends as good places to find channel cats. Isolated submerged logs, rip rap, and culverts or other flood control structures all can be excellent locations.

For the urban angler, it’s as easy as it gets. Simply try one of FWC’s Fish Management Areas that are annually stocked with channel catfish. Look for fish feeders that regularly distribute food to waiting fish and cast your baits near the fish feeders. Chumming up your fishing spot by throwing out pieces of bait can fire up channel catfish into a feeding frenzy and make them easier to catch. Baits specially made for catfish such as Berkley’s PowerBait Catfish Bait Chunks can be bought from many bait shops or sporting goods stores offering a simple “mess-less” packaging. Try rigging your preference of bait on a No. 2 or No. 4 size hook with enough weight to get your bait to the bottom. A small split shot will work on many shallow lakes and ponds while a heavier egg sinker is preferred for rivers with a moderate to swift current. Channel catfish will occasionally hit lures and are sometimes caught by accident while targeting bass or bluegill.

White Catfish

The second in popularity for Florida catfish anglers is the white catfish. Found throughout Florida in lakes, rivers, and streams, the white catfish is frequently confused with channel catfish, as the two are similar in appearance. White catfish have a much wider head and lack the spots on the back and sides which are occasionally found on channel catfish. White catfish have white chin barbels (whiskers) which distinguish them from other species. Coloration includes a bluish-gray back and sides with a white or light color belly. The tail is moderately forked with a rounder and shorter anal fin than channel catfish and blue catfish. The Florida state record for white catfish is 18.88 pounds, caught in Marion County.

White catfish forage on aquatic insects, crawfish, small fish, fish eggs and will even eat aquatic plants at times. To target white catfish, both freshwater and saltwater dead shrimp are hard baits to beat.

Minnows, shiners, and cut bait such as mullet along with store-bought baits such as Berkley’s Gulp! Catfish Dough Baits are preferred by many white catfish anglers. A small hook with enough weight to get your bait to the bottom is the ideal setup.

Blue Catfish

Blue catfish are frequently confused with channel catfish, however blue catfish have a much smaller range in Florida, primarily limited to big rivers and lower reaches of major tributaries in northern Florida. Blue catfish were originally only found in the Escambia and Yellow rivers but are now frequently caught in the Apalachicola, Blackwater, Suwannee and Choctawhatchee rivers. Blue catfish prefer sand, rock, or gravel bottoms along with swift current.

Blue catfish have stout bodies with a prominently humped back in front of the dorsal fin. They are similar in appearance to channel catfish but lack spots and have a longer and straighter anal fin. Blue catfish have a black to gray back that transitions into gray sides and lighter belly. The Florida rod and reel record is 69.5 pounds, but they can grow much larger. A 120.35-pound blue was caught on the Choctawhatchee River in 2018, but failed to meet the state record criteria, as it was caught on a trotline.

Blue catfish prefer to feed on aquatic insects, small fish, crayfish, and freshwater mussels. To target blue catfish, live or dead shad, cut mullet, minnows, and even dead bluegill (legal to use as bait when caught by hook and line) are excellent baits. A larger 1/0 to 3/0 heavy gauge hook and a heavier weight is recommended to win a battle with a blue catfish in strong river current. Look for current breaks in the river and intersections of deep creeks and canals with sand, gravel, or rock bottoms.

Bullhead Catfish

Bullhead catfish found throughout Florida involve two different species, brown bullhead and yellow bullhead. Brown bullhead catfish have distinct irregular brown mottling or spots along their back and sides. They have a creamy white belly and square tail. Brown bullheads live in a variety of habitats throughout Florida including murky lakes, ponds, drainage ditches including water bodies with very little oxygen. The Florida state record brown bullhead is 7.02 pounds, caught in Pasco County.

Yellow bullhead catfish, also known as “butter cats,” are frequently confused with brown bullheads but have a lighter overall coloration with lighter whiskers. Yellow bullheads live throughout the state of Florida. They prefer ponds, lakes, and streams and are very tolerant to polluted waters with low oxygen. The Florida state record yellow bullhead is 5.02 lbs. caught in Citrus County.

Both brown and yellow bullhead catfish regularly feed on insects, minnows, snails, freshwater shrimp, crayfish, worms, and leeches. Bullheads have very poor eyesight, and as a result stinky and smelly baits are most effective. Cut mullet, dead saltwater shrimp, chicken livers, chicken gizzards, beef liver, and live baits such as worms and minnows attract the attention of bullheads. Readymade catfish baits such as Berkley Gulp! Catfish Chunks can also be very effective baits to target bullheads. A small No. 4 hook with a split shot is the perfect tackle to target both brown and yellow bullhead catfish.

Look for bullhead catfish in roadside ditches, canals, small ponds, and lakes with little to no moving warm water. Heavily vegetated murky waters give bullhead catfish the ability to perfectly blend in with their surrounding environment with their mottled coloration. Bullheads can tolerate low oxygen levels and will often thrive in areas that you least expect.

Flathead Catfish

One of the hardest-fighting catfishes found in Florida is the flathead catfish. Flatheads are not native to Florida waters, but today are regularly found in many swift-flowing northern Florida rivers such as the Apalachicola, Escambia, Blackwater, Yellow, Choctawhatchee, Chipola, Perdido, Ochlockonee, and Suwannee, along with Lake Seminole at the Florida/Georgia border. There have been documented flathead catfish catches in the Hillsborough River and at Edward Medard Reservoir in Hillsborough County, however there is no evidence of reproducing populations at either of these two sites.

Flathead catfish are easily identified by a large flat head with tiny eyes. Flathead catfish have a yellow to brown coloration over a cream white belly. The Florida state record flathead catfish is 69.9 pounds and was caught in Santa Rosa County.

Flathead catfish commonly feed at night on other types of live fish such as bluegill, shad, and even other smaller catfish. Deepwater areas near dams, spillways, or around submerged objects in swift current are excellent places to target flatheads. Because flathead catfish are large and inhabit flowing water, heavy tackle is recommended. Flathead catfish fanatics prefer heavy braided lines with at least a 30-pound-test (and heavier) monofilament or fluorocarbon leader. A heavy weight is normally required to get your bait down and to hold the bottom in strong current. Look for current eddies at dams and spillways, as flathead catfish will position themselves in the slacker water while waiting for an easy meal to pass by.

No matter which species of freshwater catfish you prefer, you can often have an enjoyable day targeting a less-pressured fishery. Once you get dialed in to the proper location and bait, fast action can provide bounds of family fun, not to mention a cooler of freshly caught, tasty wild fish. Fire up your hushpuppies and cheese grits because you will be “cool as a cat!”

Florida’s Big Catch Recognition Program

Submit a photo and weight of qualifying freshwater fish to receive a Big Catch Recognition Certificate. Simply catch a fish that exceeds the qualifying weight or length and submit a photo of your fish to www.myfwc.com. Qualifying weights or lengths:

• Channel Catfish: 25" or 12.0 pounds
• White Catfish: 22" or 5.0 pounds
• Blue Catfish: 36" or 25.0 pounds
• Brown Bullhead: 16" or 2.0 pounds
• Yellow Bullhead: 14" or 1.5 pounds
• Flathead Catfish: 36" or 25.0 pounds

---

This article was featured in the March 2025 issue of Florida Sportsman magazine. Click to subscribe

---