Trophy Catfish Defined:
Blue Catfish: 38 inches or 30 lbs.
Flathead Catfish: 40 inches or 25 lbs.
Channel Catfish: 30 inches or 12 lbs.

1. The Trophy catfish in the lake are the best "breeding stock" to ensure that future generations have the increased potential to get that big, or better yet, even bigger.

2. Obviously, in addition to contributing to a better stock in the lake, the Trophy catfish can actually be caught again another day when it is even BIGGER.

3. The biggest Trophy catfish in the lake are not the best to eat. Pollutants accumulate in all fish in the lake over time, and consequently the longer a fish lives the more toxins it will have in the body. The two major culprits are PCBs and Mercury.

Check this link for the consumption advisories:
http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/HHControl/RoanokeRiver.asp

Honorable Mention:

*Record Potential: The more big catfish that are released the more likely that the State Record, or better yet, the World Record, can be beaten.

**The more big catfish that are released the more big catfish that will be in the lake overall. I think most everyone that likes to fish for catfish can agree that prospect is a good thing.

Hang-1 & then C-P-R!

i agree i fish gaston but still agree that letting the trophy blues go will dramatically help the fishing.

i have unfourtanetly kept some big ones, when i first started out catfishing. i didnt know. how it was damaging the trophy fishing, and how bad it was for you. but please do release the trophys. there is some places where they do want you to keep all the blue cats though like the cape fear river i read they want you to keep as many as you can.

good luck, cpr

You are right KMJ, the DNR wants Blues kept out of the Cape Fear and Flathead out of the Neuse. That is the case of more delicate ecosystems where the explosion of Blues or Flathead will hurt other species. Luckily, this is not the case with Kerr-Buggs. There is an abundant supply of forage in the form of Gizzard Shad, and at around 55,000 acres the lake is simply massive and has room to grow for all species. Plus, the Blues and Flathead generally inhabit different parts of the lake, Flathead being closer to the rivers above the bridges, and Blues being more migratory. I used to keep big fish too before I learned that releasing them would help the lake have more and more big fish. Now I just grease the skillet with 2 lb. channels. Yummy!
Tight Lines!

i hear ya, i love those 5 lbers mmmm

Amen to that Katnip. The James River guys might be the best around at releasing trophy fish, and they have one of the best fisheries as a result of their effort. Take a pic of those trophy's and let em go, and they'll be there to fight another day. Good luck to all!!

Willy

I couldn't agree more! Eat the little ones and take pictures of the bigguns then let em go! CPR!

The real reason Katnip tells everyone to throw their fish back is so no one catches HIS fish in HIS lake. You probably get off telling people what to do because it makes you feel superior. Just becuase some of us upriver decide to keep a few monters for the dinner table dont give you the right to preach to us. Go the heck back to the city and stay there.

I only know of one person with a bassmaster boat, is that you paul?

HEY'BASSMASTER! SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE NEVER CAUGHT ENOUGH REALLY LARGE FISH TO REALIZE HOW VALUABLE THEY ARE TO US WHO HAVE!!!KATNIP HAS REACHED THAT POINT ALL OF US REACH AFTER KILLING TO MANY BIGGUNS. THEY ARE WORTH MORE IN THE WATER TO BE CAUGHT AGAIN!

I agree but what about the large mouth trophies that nobody ever talks about.They also need releasing.

PERSONALLY, I THINK ALL TROPHY FISH OF ALL SPECIES SHOULD BE RELEASED. CAUGHT MY LARGEST LARGEMOUTH LAST YEAR, 12 LBS. 12OZS. CPR'ED. I'VE CAUGHT 3 OVER 10 IN LAST YEAR. ALL CPR'ED. ALSO RELEASED 3 CRAPPIE OVER TWO POUNDS THIS YEAR. THEY GOT THE GENES TO MAKE MORE BIGGUNS!!!

The folks that ride that big one around in the back of a pickup,showing anybody who'll look at it,have simply,little experience with catching monster fish.Period.The CPR guys are the ones, who ,through experience and thought,release bigguns of all species.
Crawl back under your rock.You don't even qualify as a sportfisherman.YOU THAT HUNGRY?To eat muscular,mercury and PCB-laden fish?

The 4th reason to release that big trophy catfish is he is not needed for a taxidermist to make you a wall mount. All they want is the length of the fish & then they use a replica to make you the wall mount. I have one of a 40 lb flathead & it is made from a replica. He looks like the real thing hanging on the wall. So if anyone thinks that you have to have the fish to get a wall mount, YOU DO NOT. With that being the case just measure & weigh the fish & release him alive & put the pic on catch of the day.

I hope you didn't make a special trip to Kinko's on my behalf to hide behind an anonymous IP *assmaster. I'm flattered! Keep eating them monster fish in the river and I can assure you your spelling will get worse!

For the record, I am just providing information, not preaching or telling anyone what to do. I'll take one "Its a Free Country" cliche right now, please.

Read (or don't read) the post and take it or leave it.

Sounds to me like he must be related to BuggsMan. You are doing a fine job Katnip.I have always enjoyed reading you post,always informative. Keep up the good work,hope you catch the next record and that we meet someday.

Hey NIP,
He's just ****** that what he calls a "trophy" bass, can be gobbled up by a medium sized cat any day of the week. I also wonder what he calls a monster. 40# Mr. *assmaster is no monster. Maybe it is to you if you're used to catching 3# bass. Keep on eating them, and you will sound dumber than you already do. Actually, I don't think you are a threat to the catfish population anyway.

Hey Katnip, i have to agree with Cherokeekid. I find your posting very informative and helpful. I started doing more catfishing this year and have had some luck. I have a question. the cats in the 8 to 15 # range to you guys keep them or put'em back? With any fish I only keep enough for couple of cook outs.

ooo harsh

good luck and cpr

Play nice boys.... If you cant say something nice, dont say anything at all....LOL!!! Katnip, I didnt know you were a CITY BOY!

WORMER

I agree with you 100% Katnip. I am new to fishing, just started last year. There is a person that fishes Kerr that was willing to give me some help on fishing, well infact I will say this much he responded from the message board and has showed me a lot about fishing, and one of the main things was education and the appreciation to preserve our natural resources, that is conservation of what we have today so that future generations can also enjoy fishing as much as we do. I probably love catfish on the table as much or more than many people. The link you posted makes us aware of the toxins and warns of over consumption of catfish out of Kerr. I made a promise to the person that gave me a helping hand learning the ins & outs of fishing and that was, I would not keep any Blue Catfish over 15 pounds. And to get the best tasting fish I would say 10 pounds or less for the blues. Of course we can preach CPR but some people are not going to listen or just have not given it a lot of thought. And again some people do not think a fishery can be hurt. But still, you can not get as much accomplished when people are rude and failing to recognize other people rights, whether you agree with them or not. As the ole saying goes you draw more flies with honey. This is my humble opinion anyway!!!!

A couple of us are kicking around the idea of starting a website and also making brochures available at some Kerr business locations promoting CPR. Maybe even starting a Kerr Lake CPR Club. The idea would be have people sign up and agree to CPR fish over so many pounds for each species. More on this later!!!

Katnip i agree with your post 100%.I have been fishing bugs for 40 years and I have seen the blue cat fishing improve tremendously over the last 7 years. The real catfishers know cpr is needed to keep this sport as good as it is today. I personly think eventually Bugs will be another Santee-cooper and remember what we sow is what we reap.

I see some can not forget me.I see some ole indian boy just had to bring me into this delicate conversation that i thought was none of my business,but since someone wants to include me,i'll give my two cents worth.

First off,i NEVER heard anyone say anything about letting the STATE RECORD catfish go.I never heard of anyone telling him he should had cut the line instead of tailgating the fish.I fish by the regulations and not by what size fish someone tells me i should let go,while at the same time,that person has all kinds of slabs in the freezer.I guess one has to be included in your class of citizenship.I say.to hell with your class.This seems to be a do as i say and not as i do board.You people are absolutely stupid.The worst is that you don't even realize it.And another thing is some of you are older than i am and still don't realize it.You poor people.


The same kind of people that tell people what to and what not to keep are the very ones that break regulations.Practice what you preach before you preach.

Oh,and before you tell someone what they should keep.Why not sit your fat butt in the boat and fish like most sportmen do.Is all the trolling needed.Just anchor and fish.Or is that too hard for you to do?Lazy fishermen.

HaHaHa

You think it takes more energy to anchor than to drift?! How many of the fat cats have you been eating?! I think the mercury has gone to your head! And talk about sportsmanship, any numbnuts that can't see the benefits of CPR definately has no idea of what sportsmanship is and doesn't have the common sense to understand how it helps our sport.

KATNIP,YOU CAN`T PLEASE EVERYONE SO WE JUST HAVE TO PLEASE OUR SELF.I AGREE WITH KATNIP THE SMALL ONES ARE BETTER TO EAT AND THE BIGGUNS ARE FOR FUN.NOW HAS FOR THE STATE RECORD WILLY TOLD ME THAT IF HE KNEW IT WAS GOING TO DIE HE WOULD HAVE CUT THE LINE AND THE HELL WITH THE STATE RECORD AND I BELEAVE WILLY.WILLY IS ONE OF THE BEST CAT FISHERMEN THAT I KNOW PRESONLLAY ALONG WITH JOE AND KATNIP ALL OF THEM HAVE MY RESPECT.YOU KNOW WE ALL HAVE OUR UPS AND DOWNS AND WE ALWAYS WILL IT`S JUST LIFE AND IT GOES ON.SEE YA ON THE LAKE I HOPE.

My son caught a blue cat in the James about four years ago that MAY have been a state record at the time. My scales only went to 50lbs and this fish bottomed it out like it was 70+ lbs. I asked him if he wanted to take it and get it weighed. He replied, no dad, I know if we do it will die. I want to come and catch it again when it is even bigger. Needless to say, I now have bigger scales and a digital camera. I have caught many trophy fish in the 35+ years I have been fishing. The only one I kept was a 5.4lb smallmouth bass which is now hanging on my wall. Every time I look at that fish, I kinda wished I would have let her go.

Oh for goodness sakes,quit with he sobbering stories.If the game and inland fisheries thought it was exstincting the fishing population than they wouldn't award anyone for catching these bigguns.The problem with you all is that you expect people to live by your rules and i just won't do that.When the department puts in it's regulations that the bigguns can't be kept than i will obey their wishes.Until then,live on.

yeh yeh yeh we know you are by the book.

yeah yeah yeah,i caught a biggun and was going to release it like some other fine fishermen(not sportsmen) that i have heard of.If a person is going fishing and they are going to eat it,than i say keep it.The bigguns that are being caught is only a drop in the bucket to what Buggs has to offer.Y'all some greedy son of a guns.

were not greedy we are just tring to stop you from having cancer,like the book says 8 0z a month,but hey don`t let us stop you.goodluck and i hope your life ins is paid up.

this country is based more upon democracy then unlimited freedoms.Why don't we all as a democracy vote the buggsboy the h*ll out of here.

he lives in lynchburg on leesville road just blow horn when you go by his house all day

just reading some of buggsman post the best part of that boy ran down his moms leg no dought

sry lakeside drive location 37.356N_79.156W that gps should put you on top mark adams

I strolled by and blowed my toot.

Katnip, great information! just for the record. I sit in a boat and do anchor and I release all of my big fish. for those out there that think a particular body of water has too many big fish in it....take a look at Santee Cooper. I've been fishing it for about 15 years. When I first started going it was the best catfishing in the country. Locals told me there were so many big fish in it that it was impossible to overharvest it. Now look at it...it has been on a down hill slide for years. Less and less big fish are caught each year. You think they would have learned from their striped bass disaster. It was the premier striped bass lake in the country(and one of the first for landlocked bass). They were almost completely wiped out til recent regulations and re-stocking programs. My other example is the Rappahanock River. 5 or more citation days use to be the norm. Now if somebody catches a citation it makes front page news.

As far as the DNR goes....they never act on a species and provide the proper size regulations until their is a problem. Forward thinking and enacting proper size and creel limits is never their policy. It is up to us as fishermen to insure that future generations having better fishing conditions than we do today.

I value Katnip's information that he posted. It was a thoughtful insight on the positive benefits of catch and release fishing. I've been posting the same thing for years and each time that I do, I always get negative feedback from some people. The comebacks are always the same. ie- you want all the fish to yourself, or it's a free country and I can do what I want with my fish, or the above post where Katnip fishes the wrong way. Instead of coming back and saying that a particular post is BS or attacking the poster personally.....a better solution would be to back up your arguments with some concrete data to support your claims. Public forums are the best places to share information about each other's views on fishing. But not with personal attacks.

Laughing,Leesville Road?Me?I don't hardly think so.But you can honk if you want to,some of you are good at blowing anyhow.I think it was some Indian kid that is way out of place if you ask me,that brought me into this conversation.Now y'all go on to work you silly fools.Just think,if you used your head right,you could be retired by now.

Indian's don't need a fishing license.Now how fair is that to other fishermen?

nuf said.

THANK YOU to all of the positive responses!!! And I laughed so hard at some of them too! I hope to meet those of you I haven't already someday on the water!

Not much of a fishing report from this weekend because I was entertaining friends at the lake, but I did mark a lot of big catfish in the channels at Junkman's Curve yesterday evening. FYI the way you can tell they are blue catfish is the arc will be at an angle because the fish suspend with their heads pointed up so they can see potential prey. Stripers and Gar maintain more of a parallel line with the bottom. Water temps were about 81-83 which means the spawn will soon be over and the Blues will be going on a feeding frenzy. July is usually a great time to land a hawg!

Tight Lines!

well i guess we cant get everyone to cpr, but it looks like the majority of us, does agree that cpr is the way to go.

or are we just what some people call lazy fisherman.
now thats funny stuff

good luck

I am gonna be MAN enough to walk away from this post.NUFF said.

NUFF SAID

Well Mr Katnip, it is good to see you done got your tighty whiteys out of a bind. You seemed most uptight before you last post. Maybe the people who told you to go back to the city and stay there are the same people you called b***holes? Plus word is you are a bigger ***master than BassMaster.

Thank you for bringing this post back to the top of the board!

Spreading the word about CPR of Trophy catfish is very important.

I am glad you are on board!

LOL!!! CPR is important and it is funny that so many people would get bent out of shape for recommending that you release larger catfish. To each his own, but it is good to know that most people out on the water and on this board are interested in preserving this great fishery that we have!

WORMER

You are welcome, I throw the big ones back myself. They taste bad and it is cool to know someone else may catch them.

Glad to see you have a sense of humor.

I once knew this fisherman who cut out the picture on a McDonalds french fry box because he thought it would bring good luck catfishing. He also purchased some specific beverage and food stuff to go along with the Mc-photo. Believe it or not, I heard some decent fish were caught. Too bad the real man with the plan just happened to be "on the road"! Or maybe he was taking a dump on Goat Island? In any case, those fish are all back in the lake growing.

Sense of humor is alive and well...

Thanks Nip! I thought the dump I took on the island was a secret! You just can't trust anyone these days! By the way, when is that fish fry again?

How's it going Quadman? Good thing you do have to take a dump every now and then or you would be just full of it..............like another MAN on this board . That's what happens when you keep those bigguns, you get all stopped up because the toxins have screwed up your system.
After the spawn, we should get the old crowd together and head to...you know where.