How big do channel cats get?
- Thread starter Valyrian
- Start date
The world record channel catfish was 58 lbs...that's a big fish. I would never attempt to keep one in anything other than a pond personally. If you like the look of the channel catfish but can't handle the size, go with a bullhead sp.
Channels are pretty big. THey grow fast too. I had a couple in a pond. They grew from 2" to 10" in 6 months. Later that year, my pond was ransacked by racoons. There were no survivors 
Appleton Barrows, age 70 of Ashford, CT, has set a new state record for channel catfish. Mr. Barrows hooked into the large catfish at 2:30 a.m. on June 27, 2004 while fishing in an evening bass tournament on Mashapaug Lake. He battled the fish for 23 minutes before landing what later turned out to be a new state record. The fish was released alive after the weight was certified on a state inspected scale and all documentation was properly witnessed.
The fish weighed an impressive 29.39 pounds, breaking the old state record by more than 6 pounds! What makes this state record unique is that our biologists have confirmed that this fish is an albino. Albinism is a genetic condition that causes the skin to be devoid of pigmentation. This condition is considered to be rare in nature.
FROM http://dep.state.ct.us/burnatr/fishing/stories/channelcat.htm
The fish weighed an impressive 29.39 pounds, breaking the old state record by more than 6 pounds! What makes this state record unique is that our biologists have confirmed that this fish is an albino. Albinism is a genetic condition that causes the skin to be devoid of pigmentation. This condition is considered to be rare in nature.
FROM http://dep.state.ct.us/burnatr/fishing/stories/channelcat.htm
yep, albinos get to be the same size. they can get very big as seen but normaly only about 2 in aquriums. ive heard that breeders have breed out the huge size so normaly they stay smaller even if let go. thats hwat surprised me about a state record albino catfish. the fact that it is albino makes me think it was left go into the pond by someone that didnt want a 18 inch catfish, so they let it go and it got bigger than.
One of my father's friends has a catfish pond that he stocks every now and then. he had two albino cats that he put in when they were about 8". The last time we caught one it was probably aroung 3lbs. We released them like always, but we haven't seen either of them in a pretty long time...
If you want a channel cat then have a pond its easier. i have only ever had a baby channel cat that i was looking after for a friend and it now lives in a huge pond with monster sized koi and is over 20" long.
I think they can get to around 4ft and they weigh quite a lot.
I think they can get to around 4ft and they weigh quite a lot.