They’re kind of an “other” fish that many anglers catch incidental to fishing for something else. It’s a tasty tradition, and most people have eaten catfish at one time or another. Catfish from the Snake River are also tasty fish, but there’s a consumption advisory from Idaho Health and Welfare that recommends balance and moderation for catfish consumption, especially for children and pregnant or nursing women. Channel catfish are widespread throughout the Snake River. "One easy way to minimize contaminants contained in catfish is eat the younger, smaller ones in the 1 to 4 pound range, eat only the white meat, trim off as much fat was you can prior to cooking, and bake or broil fish on a rack so the remaining fat drips away while cooking.
Crickets are also a popular catfish bait, especially Mormon crickets when they’re available. There are many options for bait, and you might start with a common nightcrawler. Highest densities occur in the Yakima and Snake River. “They will eat anything in the river they can get their mouths around.” There are many species of catfish, but they all seem subject to the same stereotype: they live in slow-moving, muddy rivers scavenging dead stuff from the bottom. Channel cats average about 4 to 6 pounds and lots of them range above 10 pounds. Even if you decide to release the catfish you catch, you will have a blast catching them. Imagine no more, because this place actually exists, and it’s only minutes from Idaho’s most populous region. Kozfkay noted the fish are very migratory and move in and out of reservoirs, so you may have to move around to find them.
So anglers should take note and fish for them in different places. As previously stated, they’re omnivorous and will seek out a variety of food, including hunting live prey. The state record is 31 pounds and 38 inches, but it’s practically a runt compared to the record flathead catfish, which weighed in at 58.5 pounds. It's rare to have a plentiful population of big fish so close and available to so many anglers. Fish are a good source of protein, vitamins, minerals and Omega-3 fatty acids. “That reinforces the myth that all they do is hang out in deep, dark holes, and all they do is scavenge,” Kozfkay said. A good basic set up is the “sliding sinker rig' that Fish and Game requires for sturgeon anglers. But experiment with different bait, such as shrimp, cutbait from any oily fish such as carp, sucker or pikeminnow.
Another thing attractive about catfish fishing is its simplicity. It’s unlikely you’ve caught all the catfish in the hole, it’s that the fish may recognize something is amiss in their world. In fact, there are so many that Fish and Game captures catfish from the Snake River and transplants them into Treasure Valley ponds and elsewhere to provide more fishing opportunity. Catfish are also available in many of the Snake River’s tributaries, including the Weiser, Payette and Boise Rivers, typically in the lower stretches. Those include both channel catfish and their larger cousins, flatheads, with channel cats being by far the most common. You don’t need a whole tackle box full of lures and baits, you just need some large bait hooks (4/0 circle hooks work really well), some swivels, and some pyramid weights.A good basic set up is the “sliding sinker rig' that Fish and Game requires for sturgeon anglers. Catfish, like carp, release a pheromone that signals danger to other fish. And these catfish aren’t the little bullheads many people are familiar with catching. So when you hook, fight and land a fish, there’s a good chance it will release that pheromone, and the remaining fish will catch a whiff of the scent and flee or stop feeding. But much of the stereotype is inaccurate, especially for channel catfish. Catfish are well distributed throughout Southwest Idaho, but here are some favorite places where anglers can target them: 1. Catfish also live in many lake and reservoirs, making them a great fishing opportunity for anglers across the state. Catfish are adapted to living in dark, murky water, and those barbels (whiskers) that give them they’re name are highly sensitive to taste and smell, so they don’t have to rely on their eyesight to find food. Crickets are also a popular catfish bait, especially Mormon crickets when they’re available. Catfish will find your bait pretty quickly if they’re feeding, so if you go 10 or 15 minutes without a bite, move to another spot.Fishing for catfish can be pretty simple. Despite being in the Snake River since the 1940s, catfish fishing doesn’t have a rich tradition in Idaho.
That’s when you know it’s time to move and find more fish. Catfish will find your bait pretty quickly if they’re feeding, so if you go 10 or 15 minutes without a bite, move to another spot. Catfishing doesn’t have a strong tradition in Idaho, but it could. But experiment with different bait, such as shrimp, cutbait from any oily fish such as carp, sucker or pikeminnow.
Use pikeminnow, panfish or other fish as bait for the whiskered catfish, which are popular to eat when breaded and fried. There’s enough truth to support some of the stereotype.