Catfish meat question

[catman529]

Sometimes I fillet a channel cat and the meat is yellowish instead of white. Just cooked one up yesterday that had yellow tinted meat. Tasted good (blackened catfish sandwich) but wondering why some have this color and what causes it.

 

[Jason Bagby]

Depending on what they are and have been feeding on and the water they are/were/have been in.
Don't know if that is right or not but did stay at a Holiday Inn last night!

 

[imograss]

Most of the smaller channel cats we catch have that yellow tint to them. Never saw it in blues, and not as distictive in larger channels. Haven't noticed any changes in the small ones from Duck , Cumberland, Buffalo, Tn rivers.

 

[stik]

diet.

 

[Hangnail]

Always know about consumption advisories where you fish if you're planning to keep any. There are some advisories in places you wouldn't think of.

 

[rsimms]

That's a routine difference between channels and blues I have always seen. I believe physiologically channel cats have a different type of muscle because they spend more time on the move, whereas blues are much more sedate and don't spend as much time on the move. But don't hold me to that.

I think that is also the reason channel cats outfight blues significantly. I always tell folks that if big blues fought as hard as channel cats, we could never get them in the boat.

Some people prefer blues to eat, some channels. It's all about personal preference.

 

[ClubHead]

If anyone on here fishes the Tn River and have a creek handy.Put your fish in a basket or stringer in it a few days then clean them.This will purge the mud or wild taste out of them and taste like pond raised catfish.It works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!