CATFISH & CARP CONSIDERED

Author: Louis Bignami
Published on: Feb 7, 1998

Catfish and carp offer more action, more access and more fun near home than any other species save panfish. In Europe both species are treasured. In America far too many anglers accept the hype of lure or fly fishing for species like trout, salmon or steelhead. All of these are, in most of the country, in major trouble. I'd also be willing to state that "truck trout" by way of the local hatchery are about as much fun to catch and eat as watching the grass grow.

CATFISH

Both species deserve better. Let's look at catfish first. There aren't many freshwater fish that can top 100 pounds, but flathead catfish can. Note: If you check in Fine Fishing, you can read about the story of the once world-record catfish.

But catfish don't have to be huge to be worth the catching. Like bullheads, a species with which they are often confused, cats in the 10- to 16-inch range are delicious, and a lot of fun to catch. Far as that goes, I've caught channel cats, a riverine species, on plugs, spinners, streamer flies and spoons. They fight well too.

Broadly speaking, you can divide catfishing into still and moving water methods. Stillwater works best if you find a little current in a slough, lake inlet, etc. Simple rigs with a bell-sinker on the end and a couple of Size 4 or 2 hooks baited with a choice of nightcrawlers, "recently deceased" minnows or, if your personal hygene permits, any of a number of kinds of stink baits do the job.

This is nice sit-down bank fishing. The British who do it often bring chairs, umbrellas and a batch of other gear along to ease the day. However, I won't become planted in a single spot too long because if catfish are there they normally let you know with in a short time. Then too, in stillwater you can move to find fish.

In moving water, big deep holes, inlet streams and slackwaters along bayous and sloughs can produce. I'm always looking for evidence of catfisher's past — and I'm careful to pick up evidence of my presence when I find a good hole. Cruising the bank of a river or slough in a vehicle, or boating along looking for anglers can help you find decent spots. This is not brain surgery so basic tackle and techniques work.

Then, of course, there's cleaning catfish that, if kept in a wet sack, will probably make it all the way home. I kill my cats by inserting a knife in behind the head to sever the spine. If you're squeamish, you might want to do this at the bank as cats can wiggle for a bit.

Then you can either use the traditional, head-on-a-nail-pull-the-skin-off-with-pliers or take high-tech approach with a fillet or electric knife. With the knife cut down the backbone to the ribs and, if you can, "float" the knife over the ribs. Free the skin at the gills, but not at the tail.

If you do this right you should have a piece of meat with the skin on. Then flip it skin side down, reverse your knife and slide the knife along the skin as you press down. Filleting is, after all, merely cutting flesh off bones or skin. Do this on the other side of the fish and you're set.

Catfish are one of our best-eating fish and difficult to over harvest to enjoy! However, if you can't or won't clean them, leave them in the stream, OK?

CARP CONSIDERED

The first big fish I caught as a youngster was an 18-pound carp from a pond in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. I still think of these fish as "freshwater bonefish" and rarely pass up the chance to catch any. I even caught one out of the moot at the Forbidden City in Beijing last November! They are fun!

Most of the above, except for the cleaning, applies to carp. But carp can be taken with some exotic methods such as "Italian Dry Fly Fishing." We used to do this on California's Russian River when the steelhead action mudded out. A nice size 2 hook at the end of the leader and a crust of french bread got the job done. We used to start our own "bread hatches" by drifting stale bread out on the water then cast to slurping carp. Caution: if you have seaguls or ducks around, take care not to hook them!

Dough balls make good bait too and you can add all sorts of exotic ingredients and flavoring to them. Fish them with the above rig or use a sliding sinker rig — details at Water Gremlin — and expect action.

I do eat carp from reasonably clear rivers and lakes. The key is cleaning. You need to kill and ice carp immediately and skin them. The skin has much of the muddy taste that must be removed.

At home we'd prepare a big pot of water with a lemon and a tablespoon or two of pickling spices. We'd chunk the carp into three-inch-thick "steaks" and cook them for about 12 to 15 minutes. Then — and this is the trick — we'd insert opposing forks at the medial line that runs down the middle of the fish along the line of the spine. Wiggle these and lift and you should get two chunks of fish flesh while the "y-bones" stay put.

Cowards and the lame and lazy can simply grind up the carp and make gefilte fish or fish cakes.

Best of all, there's no city I know that's more than an hour from one or the other of these dandy fish.