Sh!t River Slaughter 4-6-18

[Mark B.]

White cats have white chin barbels. Channel's are black.

[jmurr711]

Color is probably the least reliable way to identify a catfish because it changes depending on region and water condition, according to Gary Martel, who is chief of fisheries management for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

He said the most reliable identification method is counting the rays on the caudal, or anal, fin which is positioned just behind the anus. The rays are the flexible, fleshy parts of the fin between the spines that control the fin movements. White catfish have 22 to 25 rays while channel catfish have 25 to 28 and blue catfish, 30 to 35.

Dean Fowler, a DGIF fisheries biologist in Williamsburg offered more tips on identifying what kind of catfish you have.

The head of a 4-pound white catfish is at least 5 inches wide and is ``easily the largest part of the fish. It almost looks out of place,'' Fowler said. Channel catfish have narrow heads. White catfish have a shallow fork in their tail, while channels have sharper forks.