The Largest Blue Catfish Ever Caught in Virginia Was a Behemoth

Recently, Virginia has been catching people’s eye regarding its fish and wildlife. For instance, being an excellent destination for catfish catching, Virginia has several lakes that make a day full of fishing well worth it! I have found countless stories of giant catfish being pulled out of Virginia’s waters. There are well over 10 places for SURE where you are to find a catfish catch.

Before we discuss the catfish found in Virginia and the places you can find them. Let’s take a look at catfish in general. What do we know about catfish regarding their size? What do they eat, and where do they like to live? These questions will help you decide where you think is the best location to make your perfect catch.

Catfish Collective

Here is where we are going to discuss everything catfish. Where they eat, sleep, and prefer to hang out. We will discuss their climate and the type of water they choose. Lastly, we will look at their size and see how long they should be.

Home

Catfish like it dark and murky. Not too clean. Hence, they are a freshwater fish, meaning you will not find them living in the ocean. They prefer lakes, ponds, swamps, and streams. Usually, not wanting to see the light, they are located on the bottom, floating along the floor. Otherwise known as bottom dwellers.

Climate

Aside from their cat-like features, the fact that the catfish can live in various weather conditions makes it such a resilient species. The catfish will survive if it is above freezing and below 100 degrees! That is such an insane difference…..do not let it freeze, and do not let it burn. Simple. Think about the words, not freeze. That is equivalent to 33 degrees. So between 33-100 degrees, they will be fine. They are not known to go through a brumation period, so they man the climate of their habitat all year long.

Food

Equally important, these siluriformes are known , meaning they eat plant and animal life forms. Catfish have incredible senses. For example, their best sensations come from the tips of their four whiskers, full of receptors. They were paired with their excellent sense of smell and sonic hearing. Catfish can find their food on the bottom of the dirty, dark floor of the water bed.

Catfish Characteristics

The gives the creature a general sizing, stating, “Average mature channel catfishes weigh between 2-4 pounds and are at least 12 inches (30 centimeters) long.” It can weigh as much as a chihuahua and get as long as a ruler.

There are a total of 35 different families of catfish. Within these 35 families are at least 3,000 other species of catfish. are the most common type of catfish being found worldwide. **Little known fact** The channel catfish is the official Missouri state fish.

To sum it up, most of the catfish you will find belong to one of the 3 major catfish groups. These are the blue catfish, the channel catfish, and the flathead catfish.

12 Places in Virginia to Catfish Collect

I have compiled a list of some of the most incredible places for you to go to collect your catfish! I have separated these into two groups for you: lakes and rivers. You will find many rivers are just smaller offshoots of the larger lakes.

Lakes

Rivers

Largest Catfish Ever Caught in America

In June 2011, Richard Anderson caught a 143-pound blue catfish that measured 57 inches in length at Buggs Island Lake, Virginia. It is said he saw it with a piece of raw chicken. Jeffrey E. Dill followed this up in May 2018 when they caught a flathead catfish at Lake Smith that weighed 68 pounds. Lastly, the The world record weight for a channel catfish was a 58-pound (26.3 kilograms) fish caught in South Carolina in 1964.

Largest Catfish Caught in the WORLD

Above, I have talked of the giant catfish found in Virginia, but what about everywhere else? What is the most giant catfish caught in all of the world? Did you know most catfish are in Asia, South America, and ? The U.S. is just a tiny blip on the map to catfish.

An Italian angler caught the most giant catfish in the world. LiveScience says, “he pulled the catfish out of the shallow waters of the River Po in the Lombardy region of northern Italy.” This angler, Alessandro Biancardi, pulled the almost 9 1/2 foot long “wels catfish” from the water and believed he had unearthed a monster.

At 143 pounds, which is the equivalent of a male ! I would agree with the statement The Largest Blue Catfish Ever Caught in Virginia Was a Behemoth!! Given these points, imagine Scooby Doo floating around the bottom of a lake in Virginia, using his whiskers and nose to find food in the dirty water. It’s a massive creature. Think how much he was having to eat to sustain his weight.

Calling All Catfish

Did you know that at least 3 different catfish families live in underground caves? We cannot forget to mention how some families of catfish live underground.

There are also various slang terminology for the catfish. My favorite is chucklehead. Not only do we have different names for them here in the Americas. In Japan, they have their own story with their name. An old legend talks of a gigantic catfish named Namazu that lived beneath the earth. It was said that this catfish was the reason behind earthquakes.

I also cannot talk of catfish without discussing the common sport of noodling. This is where you dive deep underwater and explore holes in the crevices at the bottom of the water bed. Explore spots for what you ask. Well, catfish, of course! Once you find the whiskered specimen, you get it to bite don’t your arm. This connects you to the fish in a sense, and then you can bring it above water level. The trick is to attach it for the journey to the above land.

You can find other stories involving catfish .