The blue catfish is one of the most popular catfish, to angle for and matures to above 120 pounds. The current competition for the U.S. record of 124 pounds is from the Alton Illinois May 22, 2005. There are 572 million pounds of catfish grown for profit. The recent June 28, 2005 discovery of the Lacantunia enigmatica catfish in Chiapas, Mexico is the only specie of catfish of prehistoric origins dating back to the time of dinosaurs.

The World's heaviest catfish, was weighed at 646 lbs., captured in the Chiang Khong Region,Thailand, May 1,2005, and is also known as the Pangasianodon gigas Catfish, and is being studied as a critically endangered species.

The river catfish grow to 45 pounds averaging 14 years but are known to live to 20 years.

The flattened head, of the appaluchion and the yellow skin denotes the second heaviest freshwater catfish. The American recordbook is ninety eight and a half, pounds, Lake Palestine TX, in 1998. These catfish could live nineteen years and more. Virtually all varieties of catfish from clean water is very good eating.

Catfish Bait in the traditional stink bait, subsidise dead minnows for the favorite lure for catfish.