Catfish are mainly known in Oklahoma for the long whisker-like barbels on their face and for being a “fish fry favorite.” In Oklahoma there are three species of catfish: channel catfish, blue catfish and flathead catfish. Unlike most fish, catfish do not rely on their sight to eat. Rather, they primarily use their touch, taste and smell to find their food.

Bait such as stink bait, punch bait and other fragrant baits are effective for channel catfish. Channel catfish are the easiest of the catfish species in Oklahoma to catch. Channel catfish can be found near cover in large pools and deep holes of various bodies of water in Oklahoma.

Blue catfish can be caught with live, dead or artificial bait. Blue catfish are mainly targeted for their delicious fillets and the exciting fight they put on when being reeled in. They can often be found somewhere with a sand, gravel or rock bottom.

At the top of the fish food chain in Oklahoma is the flathead catfish. They are considered the most difficult species of catfish to catch. The most common way of catching flatheads is to leave out live bait overnight, some possible methods are trotlines, juglines, limblines and yo-yos. Flathead catfish prefer to be in cover, such as brushy tangles, submerged logs and undercut banks.

If you are interested in catfishing in Oklahoma, check out the fishing reports for the lakes in your area. Click here for the fishing reports!