The blue catfish is one of the most familiar catfish, to angle for and matures to above one hundered pounds. The current competition for the U.S. record of 124 lbs. is from the Alton Illinois 5 22 2005. There are 572 million lbs. of catfish grown in commercial ponds. Recent , 6 28 2005, discovery of the Lacantunia enigmatica catfish in Mexico is the only known specimen of catfish of prehistoric origins dating back to the time before the ice age.

World's largest catfish, was weighed at 646.2 lbs., caught in the Area of Ton Le Sap in Cambodia., May 2005, and is known as the Mekong Giant Catfish, and is being studied as a critically endangered species.

The channel 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 color denotes the second heaviest freshwater catfish. The American recordbook is ninety eight and a half, pounds, Lake Palestine, Texas, in Dec. 14, 1998. Flathead catfish could survive 19 years and longer. Most varieties of catfish from running water is very good dining.

Catfish Stinkbait in the traditional stink bait, subsidise live bait for the preferred lure for catfish.