New York State Record Channel Catfish

Channel Catfish

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recently announced that on May 8, 2022, Bailey Williams of Watertown set a new State record for channel catfish.

Williams landed the 35-pound, 12-ounce channel catfish from the Black River in Jefferson County using cut bait while bottom fishing.

Williams' record-breaking catch surpassed the previous State record catfish, caught from Lake Ontario in 2017, by 9 ounces.

Channel catfish are the largest catfish that live in New York. They feed primarily on the bottom and are most often caught using live bait such as worms or baitfish. They can also be caught with artificial lures, especially soft plastics worked along channel edges or other bottom structure. 

Williams submitted details of his winning catch as part of DEC's Angler Achievement Awards Program, which tracks State-record fish.

Through this program, anglers can enter freshwater fish that meet specific qualifying criteria and receive official recognition of their catch and an embroidered patch commemorating their achievement.

The three Angler Achievement Awards categories are: Catch and Release, Annual Award, and State Record.

A photo of the new state record channel catfish can be found on the New York State Freshwater Fishing Records page of DEC's website. For more information about the Angler Achievement Awards Program, visit dec.ny.gov.

The Black River originates in the western Adirondacks and follows the divide between the Tug Hill Plateau and the Adirondack foothills to Carthage. The lower section of the river follows a wide curve to Watertown and then a gorge leading to Lake Ontario.

The stretch of the river around Watertown contains a variety of fish species and habitats ranging from riffles and pools to weedy backwaters. The lower Black River is popular with kayakers and other small craft enthusiasts.

Blue Catfish vs. Channel Catfish

When monster blue cats are landed, there is no mistaking which species they are but when smaller individuals are caught, identification is not as obvious.

Blue catfish are similar in appearance to channel catfish, however young blue catfish do not exhibit the “freckled” coloration that is characteristic of young channel catfish.

Another identifying feature is the anal fin. The edge of the anal fin of the blue catfish forms a straight line and is longer than that of channel catfish, which is curved.

Both species are caught in rivers and lakes throughout much of North America.

How To Catch Catfish

A variety of baits are effective for catching catfish in North America. Some anglers a single bait for catching catfish while others rely on an assortment of baits. When choosing bait for catching catfish, it is important to be aware of which species are likely to be encountered.

In most areas, anglers have access to the smaller members of the catfish family, including bullheads, white catfish, and channel cats. In some areas, anglers may also encounter larger species such as blue catfish and flatheads.

channel catfish

Some catfish baits will attract a number of freshwater fish, while others tend to be ignored by other types of fish. For anglers seeking a variety of species, nightcrawlers are usually one of the best baits. In addition to catching catfish, nightcrawlers may catch sunfish, crappie, bass, yellow perch, white perch, trout, suckers, and other fish.

Baits for catching species such as bullheads, channel cats and white catfish include worms (nightcrawlers, earthworms, red wigglers), insect larvae (maggots, waxworms, grubs, hellgrammites), adult insects (crickets, grasshoppers), household foods (corn, dough balls, bread, cheese, hot dogs, chicken livers), seafood, particularly shellfish (shrimp, crawfish, clams), "stink baits" (home made or store bought), salmon eggs, minnows, cut fish, or other baits.

Most catfish anglers prefer to rig baits so that they lie on or near the bottom. Top and bottom rigs, bobber-hook rigs, and live bait rigs are among the most common presentations. Hook styles may include live bait, treble, or circle hooks.

Catfish can also be caught using artificial lures. They often strike jig - plastic grub combinations, plastic worms or other lures. Scented lure bodies are popular as they offer extra appeal to catfish.

For large species such as flathead catfish or blue catfish, anglers often prefer using live baits or larger cut baits. Live shad, suckers, shiners, eels or other baits are preferable when targeting these monster fish. Cut baits are also used, including large fish fillets, or whole dead baits. Other dead baits include chicken parts, whole frogs, salamanders or other unusual baits.