Channel or Blue catfish in Kentucky?

[westkybanded]

Went out with a buddy of mine fishing last night and we put out 7 jugs and drift fished. About two hours into the evening, he hooked into this guy...


http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/westkybanded/000_0555.jpg


31" long!! Nice fish...

The whole evening, I was telling him (very novice fisherman) what a BIG channel cat it was...
I kept him in a big rubbermaid container full of water overnight, and cleaned him this morning... Now I'm thinking it may be a blue being able to see it in the light of day...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/westkybanded/000_0557.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/westkybanded/000_0556.jpg


What say you?:confused:

[IL Hunter]

Looks like a blue to me, but there is one sure fire way to find out. You can count the rays on the anal fin. A blue cat will have more than 30 rays, and a channel cat will have 24 to 29 rays. The anal fin on the blue is also straigh and on the channel it is more rounded.

Welcome to the BOC!

[dreamer34]

i belive you got you a nice sizrd blue

[warcraft1975]

yep its a bluecat

[Redd]

I agree with the rest, a nice size blue! Awesome fish!

-Red

[westkybanded]

Thanks guys.

Kind of what I was thinking too. I was going to send in one of those trophy angler award forms for him, since it was the biggest fish he's ever caught. It would have qualified for the minnimum length for channel cats (28"), but missed the mark for blues (35")...

Still, all in all, I'm glad he got the experience.

[jdstraka]

Nice Blue Will!!! You can always tell a Blue by there bottom anal fin It runs even and straight at an angke, and a channel is rounded at the front and rear of the fin. I also belive a blue has betwene 28/34 spines on the anal fin and the channel has 26/28 not so sure about the count but it's something like that. Bigcatman0816.

[cornbreadnky]

Looks like a nice Blue!!!!! great job!! :big_smile:

[catfish_ken]

A channel had a more forked tail than a blue or any other cat.

[westkybanded]

Thanks guys!

I've noticed the forked tail thing becomes less pronounced as channel cats get bigger. It's real easy to tell on "willow cat" sized ones.

We're going fishing/hoggin the same area today...

We'll see what happens!

[RIP]

Well there you have your answer, here on the BOC just ask and you will receive. By the way nice Blue.

[westkybanded]

Well, we got into the same area today and decided to just leave the poles out of it and go hoggin. Only found one fish and my buddy grabbed him..
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/westkybanded/000_0558.jpg

Now, I KNOW that's a flathead.....

[Big Country]

yep thats what u got is a big blue

[1fishhead]

very nice blue, tony

[slimcat]

Will, you guys have a blue cat there. Nice cat.

[mullyden]

Yes, you got a nice blue about 5 months ago. Easy to tell, the lower fin is straight. Channelcat has curved fin. Very nice fish.

[catfishinginky]

by the looks id say that is a nice sized blue! congrats

[kyjake]

One can learn a lot here.Been fishing for over 60 years and thought they were the same,different name
Jake

[Vonroc]

Nice Blue - Blue 30 to 36 rays / Channel 24 to 29 rays

[Shanadoia]

I also have problems sometimes telling them apart..But no matter which one they are they still taste good would you not agree...Good catch and good fishing to ya friend.