Ictalurus furcatus
The largest catfish in North America, reaching 1.65 m and 68 kg. Native to Mexico, it lives in large rivers and reservoirs and is fished at night with pieces of fish on the bottom.
Also called: bagre-azul, blue catfish
Catfish of large rivers and reservoirs in the Mississippi basin, from the Gulf slope to the Rio Grande and Mexico. It prefers clear water with current in the main channels and the deep parts of reservoirs, over mud, sand or gravel. It spends the day on the bottom in deep areas and at night moves up into the current to feed on invertebrates, mussels and fish; the big ones are almost entirely fish-eaters. The male digs the nest under logs or banks and guards the eggs. In Mexico it occurs in reservoirs in Chihuahua and Chiapas and is commercially fished. For sport anglers it is a heavy fish with a long, slow fight, caught on natural bait left still on the bottom.
Robust body, scaleless, blue-gray to lead-gray on the back and white on the belly, without spots. Four pairs of barbels and a deeply forked tail. The anal fin is long, with a straight edge (30 to 36 rays). The channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) has dark spots as juveniles and medium-sized fish, and a shorter, rounded anal fin.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Not found in Brazil. Native to the Mississippi basin and the Gulf of Mexico slope (USA) to the Rio Grande and Mexico. The Mexican inland waters standard cites it in reservoirs in Chihuahua (such as Luis L. León) and Chiapas.
Habitat: Main channels and eddies of medium and large rivers, and deep parts of reservoirs, over mud, sand and gravel, with clear water and current.
Fishable all year; the warm months are best. Watch for state closures, such as Chihuahua's from April to June.
Night and twilight. Feeds mainly from dusk until before dawn, when it rises from deep holes into the current and shallows. During the day it stays on the bottom.
Tolerates cold water better than other catfish and feeds in winter, more slowly.
Moderate effect; stable weather is best.
Dark nights tend to be better in shallow water.
Rain that increases the current triggers feeding.
Rising water with current brings fish to river mouths and dam outflows.
Not very sensitive on the bottom, but avoid knocking the hull over the hole.
Wind that pushes water toward one shore concentrates small fish and catfish there.
From 5 to 20 m by day; from 2 to 6 m at night, on shoals and channel edges.
lures
natural baits
accessories
Use fresh cut bait and a circle hook: leave the rod in the holder and only reel in when the rod bends firmly, without jerking.
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: Outside its native range, in the USA, it is considered an invasive species in Atlantic coast rivers.
In Mexico's federal-jurisdiction inland waters, the limit is 5 fish per angler per day, with one rod in use per angler. Using live fish as bait in inland waters is banned, and fish caught in sport fishing may not be sold. Each reservoir's committee may reduce the bag limit and set sizes.
For all catfish of the family Ictaluridae, including the blue catfish (bagre azul or puyón), the minimum catch size is 340 mm total length, except in the reservoirs listed in Annex 1 of the standard, which have their own size (in Luis L. León reservoir, Chihuahua, 320 mm).
Source: NOM-060-SAG/PESC-2014, item 4.3.4 and Annex 1, item IV.V, DOF May 27, 2014
In federally governed waters of the state of Chihuahua, fishing for blue catfish and channel catfish (Ictalurus furcatus and I. punctatus) is prohibited from April 2 to June 25 each year. It applies only in Chihuahua.
Heavy fish: support the belly with both hands, watch out for the spines of the dorsal and pectoral fins. Release it in the water, holding it until it swims off on its own.
White, firm flesh; fried, breaded or in stew. Medium-sized fish are the best for the table.
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00513, b = 3.12; FishBase). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
—
The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.
Your location is saved only on this device and feeds the forecast, the map and the "today" on the home page.
