Mike Belt
Well-Known Member
How big do willow cats get? I haven't caught many and never any big ones and I don't ever see any pics on here of any.
HOW BIG?
- Thread starter Mike Belt
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Ironsmith-Jared
Well-Known Member
What is a willow cat?
arctic_cat
Well-Known Member
redheadshooter said:
X2
Mike Belt
Well-Known Member
rsimms........Re: HOW BIG?
They are a mottled looking catfish. Let's check with the man.
rsimms...Mr. Catfish, lol, is there such a thing as a willow catfish. That's what I was taught they were since I was a kid. They look like a slender flathead but I was told they don't get very big. We never caught one over 2 pounds.
They are a mottled looking catfish. Let's check with the man.
rsimms...Mr. Catfish, lol, is there such a thing as a willow catfish. That's what I was taught they were since I was a kid. They look like a slender flathead but I was told they don't get very big. We never caught one over 2 pounds.
easy45
Well-Known Member
rsimms........Re: HOW BIG?
Small channel cats get called willow cats alot
Small channel cats get called willow cats alot
Mike Belt
Well-Known Member
rsimms........Re: HOW BIG?
From what I can tell a channel cat is referred to as a willow cat. I think I was taught wrong though because the cats we caught looked like young flatheads. They were yellowish and mottled. Not bullheads.
From what I can tell a channel cat is referred to as a willow cat. I think I was taught wrong though because the cats we caught looked like young flatheads. They were yellowish and mottled. Not bullheads.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
Re: rsimms........Re: HOW BIG?
If they were introduced to a small pond, they would over-populate and displace all the other species.
Sounds like what we use to call "Polly Wobs".Mike Belt said:
If they were introduced to a small pond, they would over-populate and displace all the other species.
pressfit
Well-Known Member
Re: rsimms........Re: HOW BIG?
that sounds like a bullhead..Wes Parrish said:
Re: rsimms........Re: HOW BIG?
There are yellow bullheads and molted bullheads.
There are yellow bullheads and molted bullheads.
Mike Belt
Well-Known Member
Re: rsimms........Re: HOW BIG?
Not those. We always caught what few we caught in rivers. Some from Tn River below dam
Not those. We always caught what few we caught in rivers. Some from Tn River below dam
Re: rsimms........Re: HOW BIG?
I am NO help in this case. Never in my fishing, game wardening or guiding days have I ever even heard the term "willow cat."
But I figure when I quit learning, I'll quit living.
According to TWRA's Anglers guide, a willow cat is just another name for a channel cat. However, I found other Internet references that said a willow cat is the same a Fulton cat... and TWRA says a Fulton cat is the same as a blue cat. See: http://www.tn.gov/twra/pdfs/anglersguide.pdf
BOTTOMLINE: According to TWRA experts, there are only three species of catfish in Tennessee (excluding bullheads). There are blue cats, channel cats and flatheads.
But there are local, differing common names for all of them... again, that's according to TWRA, not me. So if you disagree, don't blame me. :)
Mike Belt said:
I am NO help in this case. Never in my fishing, game wardening or guiding days have I ever even heard the term "willow cat."
But I figure when I quit learning, I'll quit living.
According to TWRA's Anglers guide, a willow cat is just another name for a channel cat. However, I found other Internet references that said a willow cat is the same a Fulton cat... and TWRA says a Fulton cat is the same as a blue cat. See: http://www.tn.gov/twra/pdfs/anglersguide.pdf
BOTTOMLINE: According to TWRA experts, there are only three species of catfish in Tennessee (excluding bullheads). There are blue cats, channel cats and flatheads.
But there are local, differing common names for all of them... again, that's according to TWRA, not me. So if you disagree, don't blame me. :)
Crosshairy
Well-Known Member
Re: rsimms........Re: HOW BIG?
My dad taught me all kinds of nicknames for catfish that (I later learned) were based solely on coloration differences, and had nothing to do with the body structure of the fish.
When I was a kid, we called the small-ish catfish with spots (that I now know are juvenile channel catfish) "willow cats". We often caught them as by-catch while fishing the mayfly ("willowfly") hatch in the spring. That was the explanation I was given for the name as a kid.
I have caught both brown and yellow bullheads, channel, flat, and blue catfish. Within every species are lots of variations of appearance, and most of those are related to either age or (mostly) water conditions. It's not surprising that there are so many nicknames.
My dad taught me all kinds of nicknames for catfish that (I later learned) were based solely on coloration differences, and had nothing to do with the body structure of the fish.
When I was a kid, we called the small-ish catfish with spots (that I now know are juvenile channel catfish) "willow cats". We often caught them as by-catch while fishing the mayfly ("willowfly") hatch in the spring. That was the explanation I was given for the name as a kid.
I have caught both brown and yellow bullheads, channel, flat, and blue catfish. Within every species are lots of variations of appearance, and most of those are related to either age or (mostly) water conditions. It's not surprising that there are so many nicknames.
catman529
Well-Known Member
Re: rsimms........Re: HOW BIG?
The only catfish in TN are channel, flathead, blue cats, bullheads (more than one species) and madtoms (which don't get more than a few inches long).
I'm guessing you were catching one species of bullhead in the ponds and another in the rivers. I know there are yellow bullheads, brown bullheads and black bullheads but not sure really well how to distinguish them and what the populations are like in TN. I know for sure I have caught some yellow bullheads before.
The only catfish in TN are channel, flathead, blue cats, bullheads (more than one species) and madtoms (which don't get more than a few inches long).
I'm guessing you were catching one species of bullhead in the ponds and another in the rivers. I know there are yellow bullheads, brown bullheads and black bullheads but not sure really well how to distinguish them and what the populations are like in TN. I know for sure I have caught some yellow bullheads before.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
Re: rsimms........Re: HOW BIG?
Some of these are West TN names.
I once caught a really fat South Fulton cat.
Some of these are West TN names.
I once caught a really fat South Fulton cat.
Biggun4214
Well-Known Member
Re: rsimms........Re: HOW BIG?
I always heard small channels called willow cats. Local names vary across the state. Growing up, flatheads were always called yellow cats.
Bullheads can reach 3-5 lbs. Like catman said there are yellow, brown, and black bullheads. We called the mudcats.
I always heard small channels called willow cats. Local names vary across the state. Growing up, flatheads were always called yellow cats.
Bullheads can reach 3-5 lbs. Like catman said there are yellow, brown, and black bullheads. We called the mudcats.
4onaside
Well-Known Member
Re: rsimms........Re: HOW BIG?
You have perfectly described a brown bullhead,"looks like a small flathead, mottled, etc. never seen one over two pounds". I have caught a few over the years, and the first one that I caught, I thought was a flathead, except that it was in a backyard pond!
The ones that I have caught, run a little larger than black bullheads, and yellow bullheads, which are both very common. Brown bullheads, in my experience, not so common.
You have perfectly described a brown bullhead,"looks like a small flathead, mottled, etc. never seen one over two pounds". I have caught a few over the years, and the first one that I caught, I thought was a flathead, except that it was in a backyard pond!
The ones that I have caught, run a little larger than black bullheads, and yellow bullheads, which are both very common. Brown bullheads, in my experience, not so common.
