Originally posted by denythestatusquo
They should breed these fish and then few would go hungry. Those things would feed a whole village and then some. I wonder what it tastes like? Rubber?

It would most likely taste like catfish, which tastes rather delicious.

Off course the Vietnamese are going to eat it, they eat rats. I lived there for two years and I have never eaten so many strange things in my life. Catfish is actually quite expensive.

Not if you catch it, clean it, and cook it yourself.

I wish I could find a bass that big It would prolly be a bit wormy though

I can't believe people actually eat catfish?! Here in Australia they are getting thrown straight back. Perhaps we're rather spoilt with our chioces down here..

Originally posted by kojac
I can't believe people actually eat catfish?! Here in Australia they are getting thrown straight back. Perhaps we're rather spoilt with our chioces down here..

HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?!! Catfish is amazing. Not as good as walleye, but still good.

perhaps they get so big for a couple of reasons well the only reasons I can think of.

firstly someone mentioned about the size of the river and it being the main drainage channel for south east asia. perhaps nutrients etc get washed down and a high concentration of them in one place makes it larger.

Or maybe there is a higher level of oxygen in the water. if you look at fossils etc you will see that insects in pre historic times were much larger due to a higher concertartion on oxygen were talking giant dragonflys, milipedes etc. maybe that could be a reason.

Oh I thought of another maybe its just a different type of catfish like no one questions how elephants get so big or sharks perhaps its just a species of huge catfish.

also someone mentioned a wells catfish in england? I've never heard of it and I live here also Wells happens to be my last name so if its true then thats cool I have the same name as a giant catfish!

Originally posted by LDragonFire


I have not heard of any deaths due to noodling, but hey what a way to go..LOL. Besides catfish in the US don't get as big as those cats in the photos.

My grandfather was present when a man was killed noodling. The guy actually dove down into a large catfish hole in the side of the river bank and the catfish rolled over and speared the guy with one of those pokey fins they have. It was a 112 pounds.

I've personally seen a 108 pound brought out of a river near here. The two guys were carrying it on a pole on their shoulders and it was dragging the ground. I saw a 130 pound one in a tank at the Tyler, TX zoo. Funny thing about catfish is they seem to grow in spells. They appear to reach a length and then get fat as all get out - stop growing in length and just get wide-bodied. Then it appears they grow to a new length and then get fatter again.

[edit on 10-24-2006 by Valhall]

Originally posted by kojac
I can't believe people actually eat catfish?! Here in Australia they are getting thrown straight back. Perhaps we're rather spoilt with our chioces down here..

You stop it now. Catfish are good. I ate catfish for lunch today. Yum yum in the tummy yum yum. It's the type of catfish that determines whether it's worth eating. Blue cat and channel cat - good! mud cat - ick - RUN AWAAAAAAAAAY!

I had Popeyes Catfish for lunch. Good stuff

There are many types of catfish. Only the Channel (Blue) Cats are good to eat in my opinion and the farm raised are much better than wild because they control the food. What I grew up calling a "Mud-cat" tastes like crap. Can I say crap on ATS??? They have a nasty mossy flavor. I think lots of people get turned off to catfish because they try one of those first. I always threw them back and only kept the Channels. Good eatin. There are no catfish where I live now and I miss them. The Halibut and Salmon make up for that though.

My biggest was a 48 lb Channel caught on the Columbia at the Snake River Confluence. They don't get near as big as the Mississippi Blue Cats which are the same species I think. I think environment determines how large they can get.